Submission Number: 346
Submission ID: 1173
Submission UUID: 18a24757-aeb4-4158-a737-dc34c95d30e6

Created: Tue, 04/04/2023 - 20:51
Completed: Tue, 04/04/2023 - 20:51
Changed: Mon, 05/05/2025 - 21:50

Remote IP address: 8.2.40.17
Submitted by:Anonymous
Language: English

Is draft: No

Flagged: Yes
Locked: Yes
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Mackenzie
Weber
she/her/hers
Nederland
CO
United States
80466
Biomedical Engineering
English (5), Spanish (1.5)
Traveling is one of my favorite ways to spend my time, and I’ve been fortunate enough to go to many amazing places in my life. I’ve traveled extensively in the United States, and I’ve gone abroad to Mexico, Costa Rica and Honduras.
One especially impactful experience is when I went on a cultural tour on the island of Roatan in Honduras. Our local guides proudly shared with us their culture and experiences growing up on the island. We got to experience the culture for ourselves when they brought us to their small fishing village called Crawfish Rock. One of the women in the village made us a typical meal, and we got to meet some of the local children. Being in the village made me realize how truly fortunate I am, and how I should do my absolute best to help those who are less fortunate. Everyone deserves to live a life in which they are fulfilled and thriving, not just fighting for a tolerable existence. Some parts of the world, especially those who have been scarred by colonialism, need some extra help from those who do not share in their same struggles.
My international travels have also shown me that there is cultural nuance between groups that seem similar to an outsider. Mexico, Costa Rica and Honduras are often grouped together as part of “Latin America'' and share many cultural traits. However, there were also many differences in food, homes, and traditions. While the people of Mexico and Costa Rica tended to trace their heritage to the indigenous people of the region, the people on Roatan had a greater influence from the Transatlantic Slave Trade.
All of these experiences I believe will help frame my contributions to the Global Engineering RAP and use my knowledge of engineering to ultimately help others. I hope to continue traveling to further my education about different people and cultures, which will help me be well informed when making change in the world.
The person I would want to live down the hall from me would share my goals of using my education to make the world a better place. I believe that creating a better world is part of being an engineer just as much as creating new technologies. However, I would want the person down the hall to be from a different background than me so that we could look at problems facing the world with our own unique perspectives. This would allow us to come up with solutions that benefit a more diverse group of people.
Additionally, I would want the person living down the hall to be able to balance academics with fun and relaxation. Studying and homework are critically important for success in college, but a balance between work and play is important to preserve both mental and physical health. Being able to bond outside of the context of school would create a stronger connection between me and my hallmates, which would lead to more effective collaboration when problem solving.
I want to be part of Global Engineering RAP because it will help me to form bonds with those who have a similar goal of using their engineering education to do good in the world. I believe in “people first” engineering, so I have no desire to end up in a job where my work as an engineer only benefits a corporation. I truly want to develop technologies that will improve the lives of people across the world, especially those who are underserved. I have already taken a small step toward this goal in my Science Research Seminar class this year, where I started developing a prototype for a transtibial leg prosthesis for amputees in developing countries. 95% percent of amputees in developing nations lack adequate prosthetic care, and due to a lack of financial resources, modern prostheses are often unattainable. The Global Engineering RAP would allow me to put my engineering education at CU Boulder into the context of solving this, and other problems faced by those less fortunate in the world. For example, the spring engineering projects course will apply engineering design and testing to creating technologies that benefit developing communities. In addition to my motivation to change the world, I also plan to contribute my unique viewpoint as a woman from a small, mountain community to the RAP. Diverse perspectives are essential to solving problems, and I hope that as a member of the Global Engineering RAP, I can find community, voice my thoughts and opinions, and ultimately solve problems collaboratively in order to make a difference in the world.
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