portfolio statement
Staring back into the four years and some odd quarters I spent at the University of Washington is like rubbing my eyes so they adjust to the darkness surrounding the bright star lights. Figuring out where my story starts and ends is as difficult as searching for a corner of the horizon to begin counting the stars. My external path of education is mostly linear: math wiz in high school math wiz is "strongly encouraged" to become an engineer, enters a research-rich university with pre-engineer stamped on their face, struggles with choosing a type of engineering to pursue, dabbles in the social sciences and humanities, is once again strongly encouraged to pull it together and graduate in four years (preferably with a double major), chooses a major, and, finally, graduates-- with several quarters under her belt and only one degree to her name. If only my journey was as straightforward as mapping out constellations with an iPhone app.
At first I was determined to be an electrical engineer, specifically working for the government in satellites-- more specifically using that technology for search and rescue missions. Somehow I managed to leap and bound again: I wanted to work with clean energy-- no wait, sustainable energy! Boggled by my inability to catch onto an actual interest in electricity, I scrambled for another "suitable" degree (read: within the College of Engineering). My summer job as a residential group leader for the COE's Mathematics Academy exposed me to a daily exploration of the departments and their ongoings. Finally realizing the appeal of an intimate department and my affinity for hands on experiments, I decided to pursue Materials Science and Engineering. My new goal: work on dye-sensitized solar cells that could be established in developing countries, connect new technology with the locals, and incite incentive for upward social mobility.
This portfolio is a small, tangible sliver of the universe I've traversed as I transitioned from young adult to an older young adult with a degree. This is a snapshot of my ever-expanding map of the stars in my universe.
At first I was determined to be an electrical engineer, specifically working for the government in satellites-- more specifically using that technology for search and rescue missions. Somehow I managed to leap and bound again: I wanted to work with clean energy-- no wait, sustainable energy! Boggled by my inability to catch onto an actual interest in electricity, I scrambled for another "suitable" degree (read: within the College of Engineering). My summer job as a residential group leader for the COE's Mathematics Academy exposed me to a daily exploration of the departments and their ongoings. Finally realizing the appeal of an intimate department and my affinity for hands on experiments, I decided to pursue Materials Science and Engineering. My new goal: work on dye-sensitized solar cells that could be established in developing countries, connect new technology with the locals, and incite incentive for upward social mobility.
This portfolio is a small, tangible sliver of the universe I've traversed as I transitioned from young adult to an older young adult with a degree. This is a snapshot of my ever-expanding map of the stars in my universe.