Submission Number: 107
Submission ID: 453
Submission UUID: f601f353-9156-42c8-8f16-8785960822c3

Created: Sat, 05/22/2021 - 17:57
Completed: Sat, 05/22/2021 - 17:57
Changed: Tue, 05/13/2025 - 16:18

Remote IP address: 75.67.50.83
Submitted by:Anonymous
Language: English

Is draft: No
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Maxwell
Brown
He/Him
Concord
New Hampshire
USA
03301
Chemical Engineering
English (5), Spanish (2)
In the summer of 2019, I had the opportunity to attend the World Scout Jamboree at the Summit Bechtel Reserve in West Virginia. I was one of over 40,000 scouts from 152 countries in attendance. During my stay I made friends with people from Norway, Argentina, Peru, and the United Kingdom that I still talk to today. This melting pot of different cultures was unlike anything I had ever experienced. A troop from Peru made us their favorite bedtime drink, which reminded my troop of chunky cough syrup. Several Brazilians introduced me to the first soda I ever enjoyed, but sadly I still cannot find it in grocery stores here at home. And I saw firsthand how much Australians like Marmite, and like tricking people into eating it even more. But I think the most surprising conversation happened when I first met the troop from Buenos Aires. They mentioned that the power was out the day they flew out, and I asked if there was a big storm the day before. One of them replied “No, it occurs pretty regularly at home”. They then proceeded to explain how their electrical grid regularly gets overloaded, or falls apart during minor storms, and how it takes the government several weeks to get the power supply back online. This was a mind boggling revelation for me. Here in New Hampshire I live on the same power grid as a major hospital, so if our house loses power it gets fixed within a few hours. I could not believe that I became so accustomed to electricity that I forgot many people worldwide have to live with it intermittently, or not at all. The shock from this conversation prepared me to meet others who were in similar situations in their home countries. These two weeks enlightened me immeasurably on lesser known issues from countries that are wealthy enough to be considered stable, but not rich enough to provide for its citizens. And those conversations formed friendships that still exist today, and someday I plan on reconnecting with those I met 2 years ago in person.
My ideal hallmate would be someone who shares similar interests with me, but has a different perspective on them. I like having friends with different backgrounds and views because it helps me to not see just one side of a problem, whether it’s something simple like where to eat or something major like a complex political issue. They also would be a great study partner who could explain a concept or homework problem to me if I was having trouble understanding it. Most importantly, however, they would be an inviting person that I could be genuine friends with. They would be someone I feel comfortable having deep conversations with. They would be excited for a spontaneous night out to eat or a weekend road trip around the state. And after we graduate, we’d stay friends and continue to stay in touch the way we did when they lived just a few doors down the hallway.
I want to be a member of the Global Engineering RAP because it will help me develop my engineering skills more completely. In addition, I will gain experience on how to use these skills in real-life applications. In my opinion, idle knowledge is wasted knowledge. I can take as many courses as I want to about fluid mechanics or differential equations or organic chemistry, but it doesn't mean anything if I cannot apply it to real situations where I am actually helping people with my skills. I hope to gain from this RAP the tools and experience needed to use my degree for the betterment of others and their communities. I plan to contribute to the RAP by trying to be the person I described in the question above. I want to be able to help others with homework and form study groups so we all get better grades. When a friend has a bad day or just needs someone to talk to, then I want them to be comfortable coming and talking to me. If I can help others help themselves, both while attending CU Boulder and afterward, then I can consider myself a successful member of the Global Engineering RAP.
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