My Story
My love for engineering began with biology. While studying for olympiads, I developed a love for the intricacies of biology, and how despite the complexity of something(such as the infamous Krebs cycle or loop of Henle), it was based on broad, simple principles. Reading David Morin’s Introduction to Mechanics introduced me to the world of physics, just as elegant as biology. With physics came the principle of engineering. Everything was governed by F=ma, at least in mechanics. I found wonder in how a complex looking pulley system could so easily be solved using string constraint.
I decided to apply to MIT's Beaver Works Summer Institute the summer after junior year. The daily, 8-hour classes challenged me, especially as I worked a few hours after the classes, playing with the tricky problems, trying to wrangle a solution. But they’ve taught me what engineering is truly about: thinking about numerous paths, trying each one, and finding one that works. Engineering isn’t intuition. I realized that anyone could master this beautiful discipline through pure hard work.
But my experiences have taught me that my passion is not science and engineering, but rather spreading it to others. I was inspired by Professor Morin's book, but if others do not have that opportunity, then what is there in learning it? I want to be the engineering inspiration for my peers, for younger students.
I plan to continue my schooling by studying the intersection of my two passions, physics and biology -biophysics. I'd like to research cutting edge problems in the fields, all while spreading STEM to the people around me.
My Project
GENE-ius will teach underrepresented students at my local middle school(which has no engineering club) bioengineering. By teaching the basics of bioengineering once a week after school with relatable and fun activities, GENE-ius seeks to instill confidence in girls, especially those who may not have considered engineering as a possible career.