Statement of purpose for PhD engineering school

Personal Statement

When I was a child I would wonder about the stars I observed in the night sky. Unlike some children, I was not content to simply regard the stars as beautiful pinpoints of light or to listen to my parents relate myths of how the constellations came to be. I was driven to learn more, to watch scientific programs about the universe, and to start to read about the real reasons stars were visible in the night sky.

My mechanical orientation also led me to become a Boy Scout. Although I loved all aspects of scouting, I was especially drawn to the ability to create simple machines, go-carts, and rockets as well as to spend time in the outdoors and learn about the natural environment. I worked hard to be selected for a competitive high school in my area that emphasized math and science. Pursuing a major in mechanical engineering seemed like the next logical step. It was the perfect way to merge my scientific curiosity and my love of tinkering.

As an undergraduate, I strove to learn as much as I could with an eye upon building my future in the engineering profession. One of my most formative experiences was working with my professor Dr. Guo, who ran a research program entitled: “Vision-Based Feedback Control of Multi-DOF Robot via Bluetooth.” My part of project included developing different sensors for the robot, including an ultrasonic distance sensor and an optical sensor. The sensors’ inputs were read and then run through an algorithm to determine which action the robot should take. The aim of the project was to create a self-navigating robot that could identify a problem from a set list and fix the problem without human intervention. As part of this research group I was able to learn three computer coding languages.

During my junior year, I interned with a local manufacturing plant that made plane turbine engines. I was hired to work with the quality departments that made blades and vanes. There, I learned a great deal about project management, as I was responsible for coordinating my work with engineers in a variety of different departments. I was eventually given greater responsibility and put in charge of my own project focusing on building barcode-creating software. I helped create a barcode database for the facilitation of x-ray hard film archiving and retrieval. I was able to learn a new computer language as part of my on-the-job training. I acquired further project management skills, thanks to the need to remain in constant communication with employees and IT staff at other plants during the testing and implementation phase. Successful completion of a project demands both technical and communication fluency.