Submission Number: 32
Submission ID: 293
Submission UUID: 8395e8df-ee88-4105-8808-b8d26bd8624f

Created: Mon, 04/12/2021 - 13:39
Completed: Mon, 04/12/2021 - 13:39
Changed: Tue, 09/03/2024 - 20:06

Remote IP address: 69.147.2.246
Submitted by:Anonymous
Language: English

Is draft: No
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Ethan
Coleman
He/Him
San Antonio
Texas
United States
78209
Chemical Engineering
English(5), Spanish(4), Arabic(1)
A couple of years ago, I traveled to Egypt so that I could visit some of my family. In Cairo, we decided to visit a sector of the city where there was a large Coptic population. This area was called “garbage city”. From the name one can begin to understand the living conditions there, but it was not until I saw it that I truly understood... Most lived in broken buildings with huts made of bottles roped together. They would have displays in front of their houses with odd art made of trash that they would hope to sell as their only source of income. I was amazed by their work, to start so low and take whatever they had just to try and make a couple Egyptian pounds. It showed me that there are limiters in this world that I had not seen, the inability to succeed no matter how hard you are willing to work. After seeing this, the legitimate inability to seek success because of your country or region's struggle, I knew that someone needed to help. Though I never thought it would be me, I see now an opportunity to take action on what I had previously left to others. I come to the study of global engineering with minor experience, in hopes of exponentially increasing my understanding of the struggles those in such a scenario face.
I would appreciate someone who lives in a degree of moderation, who studies but not constantly, who can have fun though not necessarily seeking it. I appreciate people who are able to do all the things expected of a college student without focusing too heavily on a particular aspect, educationally or socially. It is important to maintain a balance in life, especially in a time of your life often said to be the most fun, and most informative. But sometimes, I find it difficult to maintain such a balance on my own and it would be very helpful to have a friend go through this same process with me. Of course a benefit of the RAP is to be near those with similar aspirations, but I would hope to meet others who are somewhat different than me either in their academic pursuits or general lifestyle; this kind of exposure is exactly what I seek in college. Down the hall, I want someone who is similar to me in their goals but different in everything else. Someone who I can bond with, but who can teach me about life from a new perspective. Getting out of highschool, many things which have made me the same as my peers will finally dissolve, and I hope to explore this to the fullest.

Boulder is a big school. This is not necessarily a negative thing, but I think we all enjoy a bit of personality every once in a while. My biggest fear as I move forward in my education is to be lost within the masses. The ability to become a member of a tight-knit group such as the RAP would help me better compartmentalize the shock of such a large population, and move forward with my life as a Buff. I think that a program such as this will not only make my college experience more personal, but also become beneficial to my studies. Being surrounded by individuals who take similar classes and have equally rigorous academic pursuits would help me with group studying, and increase the likelihood that I know my teammates on projects. There is a clear multitude of things I believe the RAP would contribute to my college experience, from the niceties of friendships to the assistance of teammates. But the beauty of a RAP in particular, is the fact that it provides a community. For a community to succeed, each member must be willing to contribute to the benefit of the whole. This is what excites me about the program, the mutualism it provides with my peers. For this reason I hope to contribute exactly what I take from the community in the form of help and camaraderie.
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