Essay 12

Essay
Seconds remain on the illuminated cyan panel, which indicates the time left in the centrifuge’s cycle. The whirring noise of the machine comes to a lull and its lid suddenly pops open. Impatiently, my unsteady fingers remove the capsules from their plastic cavities. A clear solution containing a white precipitate captures my view and indicates that the micro-particles, the fruits of my summer’s labor, are complete. Just nanometers small, the simulation cells I created for cancer research may aid in curing one of our society’s most terminal diseases.

When I completed my internship at the Georgia Institute of Technology last summer, I solidified my passion for biomedical engineering and developed a relentless desire to alleviate healthcare challenges. Given the University of Pennsylvania’s innovative discoveries, including a simulator which tests blood platelets in virtual heart attacks and a technique that measures cell forces in three dimensional environments, I know that Penn will best equip me with the skills I need to fulfill my goals. An intricate system comprised of over a trillion cells and nerve receptors, it takes principles of physics, chemistry, biology, and nearly every science to understand the human body. The scientists who create effective inventions to relieve the body of afflicting diseases must interface with various scientific fields and the University’s commitment to integrating knowledge, encouraged by the Penn Compact, translates into the perfect environment to foster such interactions. As technology grows rapidly, ethical questions regarding its place in the modern world also multiply exponentially and engineers must decide where man’s limits should lie. Penn’s interdisciplinary mindset not only benefits engineers from a scientific standpoint, but also allows them to incorporate legal and philosophical issues with technological information and interact with fellow students whose interests vary along a diverse spectrum to emphasize how their research affects realms beyond medicine. Such cooperation produces insightful engineers and is manifested in the bioethics journal and in Penn’s extensive community involvement programs.

Biomedical engineering is a field that is closely related to the service of others. While the classroom provides an essential foundation for engineers, the satisfaction derived from helping others and the hands-on training gained by doing so can only be experienced in the real world. Service and study abroad programs will allow me to aid those in need while educating me in ways textbooks cannot. Throughout my childhood, I visited numerous countries including Colombia and Mexico and observed the widespread poverty first-hand. I saw that many countries simply do not have the resources nor infrastructure to operate advanced technology, creating a vicious cycle that impedes further development. Using the ample programs the University offers, I aspire to observe societal needs and use them as inspiration when designing new medical technologies. Whether building a water distribution system in Cameroon as a part of Engineers without Borders or making orthotics for children in Huizoh, China through the Global Biomedical Research Program, I would engage myself globally or locally to impact the community while completing my degree.

The images of my complete micro-bead cells reminded me that problems are merely barriers we impose on ourselves, and that with dedication, one can overcome any obstacle. The rewards gained from pursuing one’s passion while helping others are incomparable and an education from the University of Pennsylvania would grant me endless opportunities to overcome many more obstacles for the benefit of mankind.

Colleges Sent To
University of Pennsylvania Engineering-Accepted

Northwestern Engineering: Accepted

Vanderbilt scholarship committee: Accepted

Yale University Engineering: Denied

Credentials
GPA 101.1 Class rank- 5 SAT 2250