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Submission information
Submission Number: 40
Submission ID: 309
Submission UUID: b2b31b44-54f7-4656-9056-0603d10c2c34
Created: Sun, 04/18/2021 - 21:34
Completed: Sun, 04/18/2021 - 21:34
Changed: Wed, 05/07/2025 - 08:54
Remote IP address: 73.209.228.30
Submitted by:Anonymous
Language: English
Is draft: No
Flagged: Yes
Locked: Yes
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Grace
Origer
She/Her
Barrington
IL
United States
60010
undecided
English(5) Spanish(3)
My biggest inspiration has always been my Aunt Jill. I always felt there was nothing she couldn’t do. Being the only non-clergy member on her parish board, she brings a different perspective to work with her everyday and with that she accomplishes miracles. She brought the idea years ago to build a maternity hospital at her church's sister parish in Dandora, Kenya and today I am proud to say it is a reality.
I had always wanted to see her dream and luckily the summer of my junior year I got to tag along with my aunt on a mission trip to that very hospital. I can say I have never had a warmer welcome in my life. We stepped out of the airport and a crowd of people rushed up to my family and I. In all honesty, at first I was scared, but then they were hugging us, kissing our cheeks, and even taking pictures. Their greeting style wasn’t anything I had ever encountered, and as we drove to our hotel, it became even harder to fathom how they managed to stay so loving and positive.
There’s no easy way to put it: the people of Dandora lived in trash. It was poverty unlike anything I had ever witnessed and I ached to help. But the more I formed bonds with the preschool children and the parish members at the sister church, I learned that their happiness came from the root of not relying on material objects. Instead they have community. They are all bonded together by the church as one big family. That accepting, open minded group atmosphere gives them the courage and positivity to live each day to the fullest which made me realize how trivial my own issues and life obsessions were. It made me take a step back and not take for granted my own life. Yet, at the same time, no matter how much I wanted to help, I had to understand that to introduce material objects would only force greed and unhappiness. Just like the saying, “Give a man a fish, and you’ll feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you’ve fed him for a lifetime.” education and self-sustaining practices are what is necessary for a place like Dandora to thrive.
These experiences and lessons are ones I will hold on to dearly and carry into all my future education. They have prepared me to be open to new ideas and ways of life as well as instilled a passion for traveling that I hope to explore further in the Global Engineering RAP program.
I had always wanted to see her dream and luckily the summer of my junior year I got to tag along with my aunt on a mission trip to that very hospital. I can say I have never had a warmer welcome in my life. We stepped out of the airport and a crowd of people rushed up to my family and I. In all honesty, at first I was scared, but then they were hugging us, kissing our cheeks, and even taking pictures. Their greeting style wasn’t anything I had ever encountered, and as we drove to our hotel, it became even harder to fathom how they managed to stay so loving and positive.
There’s no easy way to put it: the people of Dandora lived in trash. It was poverty unlike anything I had ever witnessed and I ached to help. But the more I formed bonds with the preschool children and the parish members at the sister church, I learned that their happiness came from the root of not relying on material objects. Instead they have community. They are all bonded together by the church as one big family. That accepting, open minded group atmosphere gives them the courage and positivity to live each day to the fullest which made me realize how trivial my own issues and life obsessions were. It made me take a step back and not take for granted my own life. Yet, at the same time, no matter how much I wanted to help, I had to understand that to introduce material objects would only force greed and unhappiness. Just like the saying, “Give a man a fish, and you’ll feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you’ve fed him for a lifetime.” education and self-sustaining practices are what is necessary for a place like Dandora to thrive.
These experiences and lessons are ones I will hold on to dearly and carry into all my future education. They have prepared me to be open to new ideas and ways of life as well as instilled a passion for traveling that I hope to explore further in the Global Engineering RAP program.
I want the person down the hall from me to be my opposite. In religion, ethnicity, culture, thought processes and more. The one thing I truly want to share with them is an open mind. I don’t want to join this program to stick in my old ways; I want to grow and change as an individual. I want that person to contradict me but to also guide me and I will do the same.
Furthermore I want to be surrounded by those who encourage me in my studies. Engineering is a grueling major that doesn’t come without hardship so having that community to help each other through is crucial. I would love to know that I could knock on their door to discuss a homework problem or study for the next midterm and they would be just as comfortable knocking on mine. Collaboration is key especially in a field such as engineering and I would like others to understand that and be open to working together.
Furthermore I want to be surrounded by those who encourage me in my studies. Engineering is a grueling major that doesn’t come without hardship so having that community to help each other through is crucial. I would love to know that I could knock on their door to discuss a homework problem or study for the next midterm and they would be just as comfortable knocking on mine. Collaboration is key especially in a field such as engineering and I would like others to understand that and be open to working together.
Engineering is a universal language. It is a grueling major that requires focus, passion, creativity, itelligence, and the ability to adapt. The one thing that stops people from working together is the groups that separate them. Whether that’s religion, race, culture, sports, politics, or really anything else, staying in that one group's thoughts closes one off from the views of others and encourages separation. Separation hinders innovation which is what engineering should inspire not hold back. So in order for me to be the best engineer I can be I feel that it is necessary to be able to work with all kinds of individuals and be an accepting and empathic person myself. Engineering is not a selfish line of work and I hope it takes me around the world. I need to be prepared for my future which is why being a part of the global engineering RAP is so important to me.
Personally, I have a lot of experience helping others. I have been a part of 60010 Feeds Kids, Dance Marathon, Shining Stars, and various other community service groups. Beyond that I have experience problem solving and planning future endeavors. For example, the Growing Initiative utilizes farmland to grow crops for the Chicagoland food banks but in order to grow and expand that there is a new technology growing that utilizes old shipping containers as greenhouses. Using these growing fresh produce can be easily located closer to the food banks themselves and can grow a wider variety of produce. Using my creativity, empathy, and experience I feel like I can make a great contribution to the program and be the person someone else wants living down the hall from them.
Personally, I have a lot of experience helping others. I have been a part of 60010 Feeds Kids, Dance Marathon, Shining Stars, and various other community service groups. Beyond that I have experience problem solving and planning future endeavors. For example, the Growing Initiative utilizes farmland to grow crops for the Chicagoland food banks but in order to grow and expand that there is a new technology growing that utilizes old shipping containers as greenhouses. Using these growing fresh produce can be easily located closer to the food banks themselves and can grow a wider variety of produce. Using my creativity, empathy, and experience I feel like I can make a great contribution to the program and be the person someone else wants living down the hall from them.
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