Student profile
Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.
Sitting in the back seat of my parents' car, I contemplated the steering wheel and wondered how it connected to and controlled the car's movements. I knew the car had brakes, but how did they make the car stop? Looking out the window, I wondered how roads are mapped so precisely and how traffic signals work. I have always been fascinated with how things work, how they are created, and, in particular, the purpose and inspiration behind their creation.
For example, my father inspired my love of music. From a young age, he introduced me to his music collection and the artists he admires. As I played piano and listened to more songs, from Edvard Grieg's piano concertos to Glenn Frey's lyrics for the Eagles, I wondered how composers could write such emotional and complex melodies.
It wasn't until I started writing my own music that I discovered the origins of inspiration. I wrote about things that were important and enjoyable to me. For instance, when I saw the dots of city lights while staring out a plane window, I wondered if any of those people would ever play a significant role in my life. I immediately wrote down lyrics and then composed music for them on the piano, guitar, and my laptop once I arrived home.
My curiosity about sources of inspiration also influences how I approach academic and independent projects. After reading The Things They Carried in English class, I wrote a song inspired by the soldiers' emotional experiences in Vietnam. At home, I also created a painting of a sunset and the ocean, inspired by one of my favorite songs, "What Am I." But what I learned in AP Environmental Science and AP Capstone Seminar made me the most curious about sources of inspiration.
When I started those classes, I knew I had an interest in planning, designing, and building things, but didn't know the specific engineering discipline I wanted to pursue. I also have loved nature and animals since I was a little girl, which led me to want to explore how environmental systems work and what is threatening their functionality and beauty in AP Environmental Science. I was successful in the class due to my passion for the subject.
Because of my passion for engineering innovation and the environment, I based almost all of my AP Capstone research projects on a topic of environmental science or engineering. The most fascinating research I conducted was for a project on biomimicry in buildings. I had learned about the damage caused by current fuels and energy use in my science class, so research on buildings that mimic systems, processes, and designs found in the natural world in order to be more sustainable sounded like a very cool project. I was intrigued by how the designers of these buildings were able to create something useful for humans and the world on a large scale by drawing inspiration from things like termite nests or the way camels cool themselves with their nose.
Now that I know more about how innovators and creators find inspiration to make things, I want to be able to find my own inspiration in order to confront environmental challenges. My experience in the Sustainable Transportation cluster at the California State Summer School for Mathematics and Science (COSMOS), where I learned about the environmental effects and benefits of different aspects of transportation, solidified that I want to pursue an engineering career that will enable me to help the environment by decreasing carbon emissions or creating sustainable alternatives to dangerous materials. My fascination with inspiration has not only helped me create songs and school projects, but has guided me to a future in which I can innovate and contribute to the protection of our planet by harnessing my passion, creativity, and design skills.