ESSAY PROMPT: Please compose a 600-700 word essay that addresses each of the following: Describe a need within your community. What do you plan to study after high school? How will your future education help you impact that need within your community?

Gene Denton 15

Being able to create something and be proud of what you made is one of my favorite things. Growing up, I loved to draw. Any of my teachers can attest that every single assignment they gave out I returned it covered in drawings. When I was in the fourth grade, my art teacher looked at my art and referred me to join a program called ACE. ACE is a program where students talented in art and music could spend Fridays practicing. Every Friday morning, I was so excited to go that I couldn’t even sit still. The moment they called us down to get on the bus, I ran out of the classroom and was the first in the line. When we got to the building, I said hi to the teacher and immediately started drawing. We would draw pointillism; we would do realism; we even did drawings upside down. We drew for hours, but time felt like it was propelling forward. We would draw day after day, and when we were ready, we presented them to parents. When people stopped at my station and looked at my art, I was so overwhelmingly happy. Especially when my parents would look at it, and they would show it around to their friends. I knew after my first showcase that I wanted to create things people could stop and look at, and that could help people in the future.  

When I grow up, I want to be an Architectural Engineer. Architectural engineering deals with the engineering systems like electrical systems, fire alarms, and structural parts of buildings. Or if I grow to dislike it,  I will do Civil Engineering, which focuses more on the construction aspect of the building. My plan for after high school is to go to the University of Kansas to study. The University of Kansas is very well known for its engineering programs. They are one of the top research schools in the area and provide a variety of hands-on opportunities. Attending KU will give me more access to internships and study abroad, helping me get better at my craft. I want to get as skilled and productive as possible, so I can provide the best results I can. I want to design and create buildings that people have never seen before, but I also want to create structures that help those around me. Homelessness is an important topic for me. When my dad was sixteen years old, he was kicked out of his house and had to move from shelter to shelter. He would tell me about all the issues that were occurring and the lack of materials that were provided. When I become an Architectural engineer, I want to lead a project on homeless shelters in the Kansas City area. In my area, there are many homeless and no homeless shelters near without walking for hours. I would like to do work with Habitat for Humanity (an organization that works with local communities and families to create affordable shelters) so that we can get even more work completed. I want to create a homeless shelter that doesn’t feel like a homeless shelter. I want to use my money and education to provide comfortable beds and thick blankets. I want to bring nice clothes so they won’t have to wear clothes with holes or that don’t fit—cool air in the summer and heat in the winter. I plan to do this worldwide in areas that don’t have easy access to homeless shelters. I don’t want anyone to feel less than just because of the situation they happen to be in.

 

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