Gene Denton Essay 27

A need that is in my community is outside the United States and is in communities that lack schools. So to fix that problem, I went to build a foundation for a school in Guatemala for a community that lacked one. I did this service because it gave me a chance to make a change in people’s lives who would not have had the opportunities they do now without the improved school. But it also gave me a chance to challenge myself while building stronger bonds with my peers. The impact that this trip had on the community and me was unexpected. When I took this trip, all I was expecting to do was build a school for a community that didn’t have one, but we did so much more than that. We connected with the villagers who were there, learned a new language, faced the challenge of the language barrier, and so much more. By taking the risk to go to Guatemala, I challenged myself to be more open-minded, a risk-taker, empathic, and happy. Doing the BuildOn program has excited me to want to do it again, but it has also encouraged others to take part in it because it helps you become more connected with our own community, as well as international ones. These activities, challenges, and interests have shaped me in many ways, but all these experiences have shaped me into the person I am today.

After high school, I plan to study mechanical engineering and/or chemistry. I picked these fields of study for very different reasons. I picked mechanical engineering for the fact of how open the degree is in engineering, with multiple opportunities, but also engineering is a passion of mine because I love taking things apart, but also falling and making it better, so is traveling, with the opportunity to see the world. Another reason I picked it is that I have also had the thought of doing an accelerated BS/MS degree in both mechanical engineering and aerospace engineering. On the other hand, I picked chemistry because of how fun it is to learn more about how chemicals react with each other, but also because chemistry is involved in other hobbies of mine, like cooking and baking. With chemistry, it was the first subject where I just thrived, but it is also my backup plan if I ever get tired of engineering.

My future education will help me address the need for those communities because I will be bringing a voice to them. My time in Guatemala has helped me understand the true meaning of being an engineer, which is not doing it for the money or the fame, but doing it for the people who will have more opportunities in life than the people before them. Guatemala was just the place that made that understanding real. I think I have always known that fact, having spent my entire high school career doing robotics. I say that because every time I have a competition, it just brings me joy to see how everyone works with each other in a team, but also with people from different teams. Some teams do it by helping other teams, and some do it by holding STEM summer camps for young kids to learn more about STEM. Furthermore, it has had a big impact on me, in that when I am there, I am learning all kinds of skills or developing them better. Some of the skills are communication, teamwork, critical thinking, problem-solving, and selling. It has also shaped me in a way where I know what I want out of people, myself, and from the career that I want for myself. It has also helped gain a better understanding of what it is like to work in a team in a super high-stress situation, which is a good skill to have. Having this differnt experences has helped me understand that my career choices will always have a big impact wherther it is for communities in other countries or the ones that are in my backyard.