College Admissions Essay: A Career As A Mechanical Engineer

I have always possessed the quality of being creative and a problem solver. Throughout many enrichment opportunities in which I have been fortunate enough to partake in; I have come to realize that I wish to pursue a career in life that will allow me to give back to my community. Henceforth, my ultimate goal: becoming a mechanical engineer. My drive to become a mechanical engineer has stemmed from and solidified because of my continuous participation in extracurricular pursuits such as engineering electives, participate in STEM-related challenges, and participating in the VEX Robotics club at my school. During one engineering course in particular, I was provided with the incredible opportunity of learning, as well as eventually applying the fundamentals of the engineering process by realizing my own project:

There was a rather large age gap between myself and the rest of the team, resulting in much negativity directed towards me. Despite this, I knew I could not give up. I took the initiative of starting my own Robotics Team at school, which not only required courage, strength, and determination, it was crucial that I was properly equipped with good organizational, communication, and leadership qualities. Despite having limited resources, a team of four was formed. One of our biggest hurdles to overcome was: we had been given outdated equipment, and our robot was not competitive in the slightest. My team and I opted to self-fund ourselves so we could begin to even the playing field. Doing so, allowed us to be more creative, efficient, and tougher. By investing our time and effort, we qualified to compete in the VEX Robotics World Championship. This accomplishment was a breathtaking moment for us because this was the highest achievement possible. These events influenced who I am today, and from what I learned, I know I can apply them to my