For twenty one year several personal experiences of hope and hopelessness have stimulated my interest in biomedical engineering. When I was seven, an official diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder and Dyspraxia became an uncomfortable reality. Hopelessness hid in the shadow of my heart.
No longer allowing it to seep in came through learning to navigate trials associated with the disorders. Through my journey, many have encouraged, inspired, and lead me towards understanding of my health and finding comfort in wisdom. At a young age I became a researcher that worked incredible har to discover new ways to know and understand the mysteries of the functionality of the human body and its systems. Always curious about the meaning and purpose behind everything in life is why contributing to advancement in research is both of personal and professional interest of mine..
Through the years, continuing personal education helped guide and shape my life to give more clarity about the future. During high school, my favorite coursework was engineering and mathematics. My aptitude for being a highly analytical and strategic thinker made both classes highly enjoyable and left room for challenging questions of possibilities to be asked and answered. For instance, the During high school, welcoming new opportunities to work effectively with peers from different backgrounds and hone oral and writing skills through reflection became a focus. For example, during a leadership class trip to a high ropes course. I learned how to challenge myself and get out of my comfort zone.
I struggled with fears and challenges. To my surprise, I learned that I am not a risk-taker, but I like to solve problems. I learned that words of encouragement came from the class though unexpected, it demonstrated that when I needed them most, they were there to help me accomplish a goal. Trust, support, and power of persistence gave me the ability to visualize and achieve goals.
Entering college, I had a strong sense of “I can” and “I will” mindset. I understood that majoring in biomedical engineering would be challenging. Still, I knew that I had a strong sense of self and determination to embrace the roadway to becoming an engineer. After my first year at Hofstra, I became a teaching assistant for Associate Professor of Engineering, Dr. Mauro J Caputi, for his combined lecture and lab course ENGG 15, Designing the Human-Made World (DESIGN 15).
My role was to guide students through the process and come up with solutions feasible to meet objectives. The best part was when students tested their prototypes. They spent weeks creating in the lab, knowing I helped bring them together and fabricate their visions into reality within the specifications. A tricky part was not telling them what works the best, but rather guide. It was about finding balance. Lessons learned were gaining experience managing different people.
This past year was beginning independent research on the accuracy of hepatocytes’ diagnostic images using ultrasound and detecting physiological differences in the targeted tissue using contrast and other unique physiological traits with these cells and processing the images using MATLAB.
In addition to independent research, I worked on my senior design project. The project focused on the fabrication and design of a mechanism to aid in stretching and performance of wrist rehabilitation. These projects were exciting because, as a person who was born with weak muscles exploring solutions for the betterment of muscle strengthening was meaningful to study. The outcome demonstrated that the device could provide benefits, but the degree of interest may be dependent on different techniques and endurance. Developing an apparatus whose purpose is to rehabilitate a person’s muscle strength brought personal connectedness.
Intensifying my desire to pursue an advanced degree in the biomedical science field. No person is an island, and having a good support network has drawn me to the University of Dayton Masters of Bioengineering program. The University of Dayton invests in its students. They provide a community that promotes caring, support, and strength. Being part of a caring community with a distinct reputation as a one that bridges compassion and kindness between its students and faculty is critical to my success. Being part of a campus that provides a physical, mental, and spiritually nourishing environment are big pieces that structure my life.
Graduate School will be rewarding, but it will also be extremely challenging. Therefore, in addition to the environment having the right mindset is vital. My mind is ready to subjects its opinions to examination.
I am looking forward to developing skills and virtues through opportunities and criticisms from peers and professors. With great hunger, I will put my plans into action: along with a strong desire to remove barriers and make a positive difference.
If given the honor of studying at the University of Dayton, I feel the odds of becoming the best version of myself, and a scholar as a professional biomedical engineer is a realistic vision.