My Spark of Interest, Ved Rao, GA

At a young age, I would frequently visit the Kennedy Space Center located on Merritt Island in Florida. During our annual visit, I would witness numerous space launches and would discover the complexities of developing such incredible devices. As I grew older, I would notice innovations such as the elevator and automated sliding doors being implemented in everyday public buildings. I wondered about the function of the systems which span across urban areas through shopping centers, recreational areas, transit etc. My first glimpse of engineering came from LEGOS. I bought the EV3, a programmable lego robot, and with that I entered the fifth grade technology fair. The task was to develop a robot which would perform tasks such as moving a block from point A to point B. I spent hours developing the most efficient design and program to perform the tasks given. I used trial and error, constantly building and dismantling the structure to discover the most effective design for the robot. With my hobby of solving different types of Rubik’s cubes, I was familiar with using different algorithms to develop a program that executes the robot’s task. I was rewarded with a top 3 placement for my work, and building different designs of the robot became a hobby for me.

Developing a Passion

I subconsciously gained more and more exposure toward the field with different projects I completed during middle and high school. For example, during my middle school STEM project, I designed a prototype for a solar rechargeable MacBook laptop case. Also, through the Detector Building Science Olympiad event, I developed a temperature sensor (thermometer) which functioned with the absence of mercury. With projects like these, I performed tasks such as soldering wires, building circuits, working with electrical parts, and programming devices. This helped me gain experience with different portions within the field of electrical engineering. Also, I would complete several courses regarding the techniques of engineering mechanics, interpreting experiments, and technical report writing for engineers.

Sharing my Passion

My first opportunity to share my experience was being promoted to coach the Detector Building event for my school Science Olympiad team. Through this I formulated a lesson plan based on the curriculum provided by the official Science Olympiad organization. The lesson plan includes a mixture of lectures, quizzes, and games designed to demonstrate concepts within the field of engineering and circuitry. Simultaneously, my students and I work to develop and improve as accurate of a temperature sensor as possible. I delivered with several top 3 placements including one at the regional competition. Also, during this summer, I designed a 7 week course regarding the basics of engineering and circuitry as a tutor for the Discovery Circle organization. In this, I would teach basic concepts in live sessions to elementary and middle school students. With opportunities such as these, I attempt to spark an interest similar to mine within students while gaining experience and expanding my knowledge as well.

Conclusion

My passion toward electrical engineering is young, but I am constantly seizing opportunities to expand my interest. One being the opportunity to pursue my degree in this major. Although my goal of achieving a post-secondary degree in the field seems far, I will climb numerous steps to study the field through my journey.