Submission Number: 56
Submission ID: 345
Submission UUID: ecec1f71-d980-432f-89f0-0c9ea5dadce0

Created: Fri, 04/30/2021 - 23:41
Completed: Fri, 04/30/2021 - 23:41
Changed: Sat, 05/10/2025 - 22:32

Remote IP address: 172.58.222.141
Submitted by:Anonymous
Language: English

Is draft: No

Locked: Yes
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Zachary
Sherritt
He/His
Boulder
Colorado
United States of America
80302
mechanical engineering
English(5) Spanish(3)
During high school one of my favorite experiences was when I spent a month in Buenos Aires, Argentina as part of a foreign exchange program. Between doing community service, attending classes with my host brother, and learning about the culture of the nation first hand, the time I spent in Argentina was a wild whirlwind of exposure to new ideas, realities, and issues. One of the most eye opening aspects of my trip was the stark difference in the scale of problems that seemed to face the country in comparison to the United States. I had done service work trips in the States before, traveling to marginalized communities with the goal of improving housing conditions, but while doing similar work in the slums that lay outside Buenos Aires I was alarmed to find thousands of people living in villages of concrete huts without running water or electricity. By the end of the month what I had learned about the country shocked me. Before my trip I would have never guessed the myriad of serious issues that plagued Argentina, in fact I had erroneously believed Argentina to be on a similar standing as first world countries like France or the UK. Instead what I discovered afterwards was that the entire Southern American continent consisted of “third world countries”, including Argentina. Other events, like the value of the peso inflating from 20 pesos per U.S. dollar when I first arrived to 30 pesos per U.S. dollar just as I left, alarmed me as I witnessed the instability of a country I had come to love after joining its people in practicing and celebrating their way of life (It’s truly an amazing country, the food is incredible, especially the meat, and because the World Cup was taking place while I was there I witnessed a level of sports fandom that was charmingly excessive). After becoming so invested in a country outside of the U.S., I found myself growing more interested and sensitive towards global events and struggles. I am hoping that the community fostered by the Global Engineering RAP is able to help me build upon this, and educate me further about the global stage and how we as engineers can factor decisively into realizing positive change.
In a neighboring roommate, I would love to be around someone who is intent on their studies, but also understands the importance of stepping back from work and maintaining aspects of their life such as their health and relationships with others. I enjoy helping and supporting those around me, so when I find a community that reciprocates that intention, I feel inspired and motivated to be my best. I also love when individuals match my enthusiasm for spontaneity and competition, which I have found to be great tools for getting through some of the more difficult and tedious obstacles in life. To combine these traits into one of my neighbors living in the Global Engineering dorms, I’d envision an individual who appreciates collaboration, maybe in a homework or study group, while also enjoying spending time with others in activities ranging from impromptu bake offs to day long ski trips. Being ambitious and focused on work is definitely a combination of traits that I value, but I have also found that being able to focus outside yourself is crucial to having a well rounded successful life, and I expect that my peers who are attracted to the Global Engineering RAP will posses an admirable balance of ambition and selflessness as prospective engineers invested in a more global world.
The part of the Global Engineering RAP that excites me the most is the community that I believe it fosters. With its emphasis on bringing together engineers in pursuit of learning more about the world and its problems, I expect the RAP to be full of unique and wonderful individuals. Combining the desires of becoming a high level problem solver as an engineer and then in turn using that skill set to serve neglected, under-served, and under-privileged communities is one of the most worthwhile set of motivations there is, and I am hopeful the Global Engineering RAP brings together a community full of individuals with similarly minded values. The RAP’s emphasis on foreign connection creates room for growth in both global understanding, and communication, which are two things I would love to improve in. By helping develop more skills based on human connection, I believe that the Global Engineering RAP will aid me in becoming a more well rounded and versatile engineer capable of designing better solutions for the world. The balance mandatory to be a part of the Global Engineering RAP is in itself extremely valuable, and I see it impacting me positively as I seek to combine a scientific mindset with values based in human connection. As for what I can do to contribute to the RAP, I come from a diverse and tight knit intentional community in Boston where celebrating different cultures and sharing in traditions was a huge focus. I have spent most of my life sharing my house with individuals from different countries and backgrounds, which in turn has made me highly appreciative of the idiosyncrasies between different people and cultures. I believe that in the Global RAP, I will be able to contribute my own natural excitement and curiosity for learning about the world, while also adding a separate dynamic as someone who is familiar sharing a space with people who have a diverse set of backgrounds.
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