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Submission information
Submission Number: 17
Submission ID: 259
Submission UUID: d2729187-8756-4945-b3f0-f713053f7ee5
Created: Tue, 03/16/2021 - 20:25
Completed: Tue, 03/16/2021 - 20:25
Changed: Thu, 05/08/2025 - 04:28
Remote IP address: 97.122.240.248
Submitted by:Anonymous
Language: English
Is draft: No
Flagged: Yes
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Claire
Ely
she/her
Denver
CO
USA
80207
Double Major in Chemical Engineering and Applied Math
English (5), Spanish (3)
I’ve been lucky to travel internationally with my family, often on the tails of one of my mom’s work-related trips. These experiences prepared me for the Global Engineering RAP by teaching me to be open-minded to different cultures and that my curiosity about global perspectives is far from sated.
One of my most rewarding travel experiences was going to Israel. The Old City in Jerusalem is a microcosm of the region’s different cultures. Walking just a few blocks carries you across a border between the ethnically divided quarters. You can see and feel the transition between each Quarter in the architecture, food, and languages. The prominence of religion in Israel’s day-to-day living is something I am not exposed to regularly. Experiencing different customs was moving, whether seeing entire cities shutting down in observance of Shabbat or hearing the Muslim adhan over loudspeakers for prayer time. I saw historically significant buildings themselves older than the United States, with the power to teach about past and current conflicts (like seeing bullet holes in the Zion Gate from the 1948 Arab-Israeli War). On top of touring ancient and religiously significant sites, we participated in an archeological dig, which reinforced the long and varied history of the land.
Travel that allowed me to practice my Spanish language skills and experience a fundamentally different culture than in Israel was visiting Peru. I was awed by the majesty of Machu Picchu, one of the world’s engineering marvels, and learned about the native architecture and agriculture, much of which was lost to colonial powers. Daily, we saw the amalgamation of modern development with the ancient.
An immersive cultural experience was traveling to Japan and staying with my dad’s foreign exchange family from when he was in high school. We celebrated the New Year in a traditional Japanese style and learned the significance of various traditions, from eating soba to visiting the local temple. Japan was unique for its customs around manners and respect. I still actively correspond with the Tokyo-based family we stayed with about how life is going in Japan.
While not technically “global,” traveling around the United States has opened my eyes to regional variations in language, culture, and traditions that highlight the complexity of communities. Contrasting a visit to the pueblos in New Mexico with my early years living in New York City shows how important it is to respect local differences. These experiences have developed a passion for travel and exploration that prepared me to engage in the Global Engineering RAP, along with a hope to study abroad during my time at CU Boulder.
One of my most rewarding travel experiences was going to Israel. The Old City in Jerusalem is a microcosm of the region’s different cultures. Walking just a few blocks carries you across a border between the ethnically divided quarters. You can see and feel the transition between each Quarter in the architecture, food, and languages. The prominence of religion in Israel’s day-to-day living is something I am not exposed to regularly. Experiencing different customs was moving, whether seeing entire cities shutting down in observance of Shabbat or hearing the Muslim adhan over loudspeakers for prayer time. I saw historically significant buildings themselves older than the United States, with the power to teach about past and current conflicts (like seeing bullet holes in the Zion Gate from the 1948 Arab-Israeli War). On top of touring ancient and religiously significant sites, we participated in an archeological dig, which reinforced the long and varied history of the land.
Travel that allowed me to practice my Spanish language skills and experience a fundamentally different culture than in Israel was visiting Peru. I was awed by the majesty of Machu Picchu, one of the world’s engineering marvels, and learned about the native architecture and agriculture, much of which was lost to colonial powers. Daily, we saw the amalgamation of modern development with the ancient.
An immersive cultural experience was traveling to Japan and staying with my dad’s foreign exchange family from when he was in high school. We celebrated the New Year in a traditional Japanese style and learned the significance of various traditions, from eating soba to visiting the local temple. Japan was unique for its customs around manners and respect. I still actively correspond with the Tokyo-based family we stayed with about how life is going in Japan.
While not technically “global,” traveling around the United States has opened my eyes to regional variations in language, culture, and traditions that highlight the complexity of communities. Contrasting a visit to the pueblos in New Mexico with my early years living in New York City shows how important it is to respect local differences. These experiences have developed a passion for travel and exploration that prepared me to engage in the Global Engineering RAP, along with a hope to study abroad during my time at CU Boulder.
Living down the hall, I’d want someone dramatically different from me to learn from and challenge me (not necessarily true of what I look for in a compatible roommate!). Obviously, I cannot cherry-pick fellow residents, but some characteristics of a hallmate I’d appreciate would be:
-not from urban Front-Range Colorado,
-has a different academic interest within engineering (like civil or mechanical engineering),
-speaks different languages than me (or has a different level of Spanish ability),
-has eclectic taste in music (with plenty of songs and bands I’ve never heard),
-enjoys cooking,
-participates in activities and interests they are passionate about,
-is engaging and invites hallmates to join them for meals and outings.
Generally, having someone down the hall with whom I can have conversations that challenge or outright confuse me would enrich my classroom education. In, what I suspect is, a close-knit community like the Global Engineering RAP, diverse personalities and backgrounds create varied outlooks and unexpected encounters. Having more viewpoints is helpful beyond just solving homework problems, but for building lifelong friendships and encouraging open mindedness. In a program striving to take a “global” perspective, unique ideas in hallmates would be beneficial. Living with someone who I can practice my Spanish with would help further develop my language skills.
Passion and enthusiasm are contagious, so I want to be surrounded by peers who care deeply about their interests and studies. Meeting a person down the hall whose beliefs and hobbies somewhat conflict with mine is welcome, as it helps to expand both of our worldviews, grow as people, and create spontaneous memories. I hope that I, too, could fill the role of that influential “person down the hall” for someone else.
-not from urban Front-Range Colorado,
-has a different academic interest within engineering (like civil or mechanical engineering),
-speaks different languages than me (or has a different level of Spanish ability),
-has eclectic taste in music (with plenty of songs and bands I’ve never heard),
-enjoys cooking,
-participates in activities and interests they are passionate about,
-is engaging and invites hallmates to join them for meals and outings.
Generally, having someone down the hall with whom I can have conversations that challenge or outright confuse me would enrich my classroom education. In, what I suspect is, a close-knit community like the Global Engineering RAP, diverse personalities and backgrounds create varied outlooks and unexpected encounters. Having more viewpoints is helpful beyond just solving homework problems, but for building lifelong friendships and encouraging open mindedness. In a program striving to take a “global” perspective, unique ideas in hallmates would be beneficial. Living with someone who I can practice my Spanish with would help further develop my language skills.
Passion and enthusiasm are contagious, so I want to be surrounded by peers who care deeply about their interests and studies. Meeting a person down the hall whose beliefs and hobbies somewhat conflict with mine is welcome, as it helps to expand both of our worldviews, grow as people, and create spontaneous memories. I hope that I, too, could fill the role of that influential “person down the hall” for someone else.
The Global Engineering RAP would provide me with a close-knit community centered around two key personal and professional goals: broadening my worldview and making a difference. That sense of community represents the opportunity to work collaboratively with promising future engineers, in a field where the daily academics are often defined by competition. For me, fostering connections with a group of peers allows me to support others while interacting with people whose strengths complement mine.
The RAP also represents the opportunity to continue developing my language and cultural fluency, something I believe to be critical no matter the future career. While I have taken seven years of Spanish coursework, I find that I don’t get to regularly practice my conversational skills. Living in this RAP would allow me to strengthen the part of my Spanish ability that is the weakest, as well as expose me to other languages which can spur new interests and opportunities. While the cultural emphasis within the Global Engineering activities is rich, activities like movie nights and cooking would enrich my college experience and help me build new personal connections.
I’m excited by the RAP’s promotion of study abroad, which can leverage my CU Boulder experience and the Seal of Biliteracy I earned in high school. It also gives me access to a supportive network of perspectives from advisors, other students, and coursework through the Mortenson Center that can help reframe how I view studying abroad.
Academically, training as an engineer while gaining a global perspective would help me contextualize my career path and how I can best support communities through my actions. It would also help me analyze the complex impacts of engineering solutions. Successful engineering solutions fail absent a well-rounded perspective to understand their feasibility and context in cultural landscapes. Engineering cannot be studied in a vacuum, and it is programs like these that avoid falling into the narrow perspective of a purely technical education.
The focus of Global Engineering goes hand-in-hand with my career goals. I hope to gain the skills through higher education to address quality of life disparities while critically evaluating engineering implications on environments and communities. The activities in the RAP, along with coursework, will supplement the classic engineering education and make sure that my goals are achievable.
Overall, a close-knit group that promotes collaboration, encourages collective problem solving and innovation, and creates an environment in which to develop lifelong friendships (while still providing a world class education) is a great fit for my college experience. While the personal benefits of the Global Engineering RAP are substantial, I am just as excited to contribute broadly to the program. I hope to be a supportive member of the program both academically and personally, and bring my enthusiasm and experiences for understanding global perspectives and other cultures.
The RAP also represents the opportunity to continue developing my language and cultural fluency, something I believe to be critical no matter the future career. While I have taken seven years of Spanish coursework, I find that I don’t get to regularly practice my conversational skills. Living in this RAP would allow me to strengthen the part of my Spanish ability that is the weakest, as well as expose me to other languages which can spur new interests and opportunities. While the cultural emphasis within the Global Engineering activities is rich, activities like movie nights and cooking would enrich my college experience and help me build new personal connections.
I’m excited by the RAP’s promotion of study abroad, which can leverage my CU Boulder experience and the Seal of Biliteracy I earned in high school. It also gives me access to a supportive network of perspectives from advisors, other students, and coursework through the Mortenson Center that can help reframe how I view studying abroad.
Academically, training as an engineer while gaining a global perspective would help me contextualize my career path and how I can best support communities through my actions. It would also help me analyze the complex impacts of engineering solutions. Successful engineering solutions fail absent a well-rounded perspective to understand their feasibility and context in cultural landscapes. Engineering cannot be studied in a vacuum, and it is programs like these that avoid falling into the narrow perspective of a purely technical education.
The focus of Global Engineering goes hand-in-hand with my career goals. I hope to gain the skills through higher education to address quality of life disparities while critically evaluating engineering implications on environments and communities. The activities in the RAP, along with coursework, will supplement the classic engineering education and make sure that my goals are achievable.
Overall, a close-knit group that promotes collaboration, encourages collective problem solving and innovation, and creates an environment in which to develop lifelong friendships (while still providing a world class education) is a great fit for my college experience. While the personal benefits of the Global Engineering RAP are substantial, I am just as excited to contribute broadly to the program. I hope to be a supportive member of the program both academically and personally, and bring my enthusiasm and experiences for understanding global perspectives and other cultures.
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