Personal Statement: My Interest In Mechanical Engineering

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My interest in mechanical engineering started at a very early age. Growing up, my parents often indulged me by buying sets of LEGOs for my birthdays. I used to spend hours engrossed in a simple set of 500 pieces – building and rebuilding them into new objects and structures every time. When I graduated high school, I decided to pursue my passion and study Mechanical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University. It was here that I got my first real taste of mechanical engineering. Along with taking relevant coursework – I took an Engineering Design class that really helped me apply my skills to a real world problem. The course’s first project was designing and fabricating a robotic gripper capable of holding a spherical object by its sides. A firm…show more content…
I wanted to study design from a different perspective – but I was surprised to discover many similarities in seemingly disparate disciplines. Both Engineering and Design share the universal goal of creating a functional and practical product. However, there was a key distinguishing factor. Unlike engineering, where utmost importance was given to efficiency, the School of Design focused more on user experience. During my study, I participated in a project to develop a product for a Quality of Life Technology Center. I worked with 3 mechanical engineers and 3 industrial designers, and my interdisciplinary knowledge proved valuable; I effectively acted as a bridge between the engineers and designers during an ultimately successful…show more content…
Alice Agogino. Notably, Berkeley Institute of Design(BiD), co-directed by Dr. Agogino, caught my attention. Given my multifaceted designing skills, I could contribute real value to BiD - a research group that takes an interdisciplinary approach to design. Moreover, I would be honored to work as part of Dr. Agogino’s team in the BEST lab, where broad range of design research is conducted. More specifically, I am intrigued by the “Design for Development” program: a research program that focuses on designing devices to be used by people in developing countries to improve their living conditions. Through this research I could study design from both engineer and designer’s perspective, because practicality and ease of use are both critical factors when designing for people unaccustomed to new technology. I am open to working in other labs that could broaden my knowledge and experience in the design field of mechanical
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