My first physics course opened my eyes to a complex, exciting world. Lengthy car rides were animated by a new understanding of forces; the clink of glasses at dinner prompted discussion on the interference of sound waves. I was entranced by a new, vibrant view of the world where phenomena become more than beautiful to the eye, but elegant to the mind.

After graduating from high school in 2012, I was accepted to Cornell University’s College of Engineering, where I am pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Applied Engineering Physics and plan to complete a Master of Engineering degree. In seeking a presence in the engineering industry, I cherish my opportunity to be well acquainted with the field and remain exceptionally devoted to my studies.

After completing my degree, I intend to work professionally in the development and modeling of new products or to perform research in a university or government laboratory setting. The work of an engineer is often commanded by strict physical laws, yet it embraces the boundless ingenuity of human imagination, a captivating union.

But I aspire to do more than advance personally as an engineer. While I find great passion in my study of physics, it remains a difficult and often daunting subject for most students. I want to shatter this misconception by teaching physics as a second career, after gaining experience through both education and industry.

As a student, I easily translate my enthusiasm for physics into assisting peers with course material and secretly delight in receivingchallenginghomeworkquestions. But another experience has given me even greater confidence to teach. The summer of 2011, I was admitted into the IIT-Boeing Scholars Academy, a summer program that incorporated project-based learning to introduce students to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields. Upon the culmination of the Academy, students were invited to develop their own projects and compete for a grant to implement them in their communities. I was involved in co-founding the ROOTS Project, an after-school club for middle school students that taught introductory engineering concepts through an original hands-on curriculum inspired by the Academy.

My experience with ROOTS prepared me for another valuable opportunity. Though still a freshman, I was accepted to Cornell’s Undergraduate Teaching Assistant Program in Physics and will begin working in the spring of 2013. The program will provide me with the formal training, including coursework and mentorship, and valuable foundation for a teaching career. In addition, I was selected as a Community Outreach Co-chair of Cornell’s chapter of the Society of Women Engineers. Through our effort, we coordinated visits to ten elementary school classrooms, engaging with students in engineering their own balloon rockets, gumdrop bridges, and aluminum boats.

To realize this ambition of both contributing to the engineering industry as well as reciprocating the support and knowledge gained through my own education, I hope to intern as an instructor in a math or science summer program so that I may continue to build upon my teaching experience while deepening my own knowledge of the sciences.

While I pursue an ambitious goal, I am confident in my ability to achieve it. Here, too, physics is my companion, for my accomplishments in the difficult subject are guided by my very approach to it: determination and belief in my own capabilities.