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Submission Number: 113
Submission ID: 465
Submission UUID: 97fdad77-487c-41fd-b2a8-37112ef3492a
Created: Thu, 05/27/2021 - 17:58
Completed: Thu, 05/27/2021 - 17:58
Changed: Mon, 05/12/2025 - 20:44
Remote IP address: 73.229.22.199
Submitted by:Anonymous
Language: English
Is draft: No
Flagged: Yes
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CJ
Mote
He/Him/His
Littleton
Colorado
USA
80127
Mechanical Engineering
English (5), French (3)
I am fortunate to have several experiences that have prepared me for the Global Engineering RAP. Outside of powerful trips, that I will detail next, I was fortunate to have a very diverse cultural upbringing. I grew up within a commuting distance from Motorola’s Headquarters in the suburbs of Chicago. Our cul-de-sac mostly consisted of families that had moved to the area from other countries to work for Motorola. My best friends were children of engineers from Pakistan, France, Romania and Poland. Each house had both their native language and English spoken in it and I learned first hand about different dress, food, religious practices and customs just by living my daily life with these friends from birth until I moved to Colorado in fourth grade.These families were like extended family to us and their homes were my homes. Even to this day we go back each summer to visit for several days.
Once in Colorado, my family invested in my knowledge of US history and US concerns with poverty, race and inequality. I spent a weekend in an urban immersion experience learning about Denver homelessness and urban issues with Open Door Ministries. I also volunteered at Cafe 180 in Englewood which serves the community as a cafe with a mission for feeding everyone. Those who cannot pay can work an hour to earn their lunch. I also went on a several week long Civil RIghts road trip through the south and was able to have a private meeting with Dr John Perkins, a civil rights activist, community developer and racial reconciliation leader. We visited The Slave Haven(an underground railroad museum) , The National Civil Rights Museum, Medgar Evers home, Dr John Perkins’s Community Development Center, Selma, and more. When George Floyd was murdered, I joined in peaceful protests and marches.
I think it is wise to know the scars and misdeeds of our own land before traveling abroad and caring for those in other countries and trying to understand their histories, cruelties and strife. My first solo trip into these concerns outside of my family was through my school. We have Discovery trips where we get to be guests in another community and to learn about their histories, concerns and problems to solve together and with dignity. We are assigned a service project and get to be immersed in local culture often through community elders and time with youth camps. My first Discovery trip was a week-long visit with the Navajo Nation. There I learned first hand the Navajo elder’s suspicions of White Americans on the Reservation, their history with toxic waste and poor water quality. I was also exposed to the impact of systemic injustice and local poverty that were so vast on the reservation and how it can devastate a proud and resilient people group.
My next discovery trip was to Peru. We were gone for a little over two weeks.There we visited the Inca Empire capital of Cuzco in the Peruvian Andes. Peru has an extreme poverty rate of 3.8%, which is defined as an inability to purchase a basket of basic food and drink. In this setting, families cannot afford their children and they are left to the streets. In some cases they get into orphanages. We went to a rural orphanage outside of Cuzco and then spent a significant amount of time in Lima. In Lima, I learned a lot about urban extreme poverty. We spent our days at the Lost Children of Peru Community Center which is located in the hills surrounding Lima. Unlike Denver, up mountain urban property is not upscale. It is an area of the city that is not supported by water or electrical lines. Families, fleeing rural extreme poverty, come to the urban areas and cannot fund sustainable wage jobs. So they move to these urban squatter settlements that are called Las Barriadas. These residents “pirate” enough electricity for a single light bulb and a hot plate and have to carry water up to their makeshift houses.These homes have no running water, are the size of a tool shed in the US and are often built out of plywood and aluminum roofs. While we were there we helped manually move the materials up the mountain to the construction site where the next team would build a concrete and brick home for a young, single mom with three children. I was so touched by the warmth of Latin culture and also enjoyed experiencing the incredible national enthusiasm for the World Cup as Peru played against Denmark. What stuck me the most is that Lima has plenty of water and electricity and yet people go without these essentials. So, politics have to be a factor as well as infrastructure engineering. I am sure these are complex matters and I would like to learn more about the factors at play both at home in the US and in the world as a globally minded engineer and activist.
In July, I will travel to Kenya for two weeks on my last discovery trip through Valor to experience life in a rural orphanage and to learn more about the concerns of this country and the factors that impact poverty, community development, technology, engineering solutions, equality and sustainability.
While I have a lot to learn about the world, global issues, cultures and engineering solutions, I feel like these cross-cultural experiences with people and serving on projects in communities so different from my own and so different from each other, gives me a base to build upon and draw upon as a student in the Global Engineering RAP community.
Once in Colorado, my family invested in my knowledge of US history and US concerns with poverty, race and inequality. I spent a weekend in an urban immersion experience learning about Denver homelessness and urban issues with Open Door Ministries. I also volunteered at Cafe 180 in Englewood which serves the community as a cafe with a mission for feeding everyone. Those who cannot pay can work an hour to earn their lunch. I also went on a several week long Civil RIghts road trip through the south and was able to have a private meeting with Dr John Perkins, a civil rights activist, community developer and racial reconciliation leader. We visited The Slave Haven(an underground railroad museum) , The National Civil Rights Museum, Medgar Evers home, Dr John Perkins’s Community Development Center, Selma, and more. When George Floyd was murdered, I joined in peaceful protests and marches.
I think it is wise to know the scars and misdeeds of our own land before traveling abroad and caring for those in other countries and trying to understand their histories, cruelties and strife. My first solo trip into these concerns outside of my family was through my school. We have Discovery trips where we get to be guests in another community and to learn about their histories, concerns and problems to solve together and with dignity. We are assigned a service project and get to be immersed in local culture often through community elders and time with youth camps. My first Discovery trip was a week-long visit with the Navajo Nation. There I learned first hand the Navajo elder’s suspicions of White Americans on the Reservation, their history with toxic waste and poor water quality. I was also exposed to the impact of systemic injustice and local poverty that were so vast on the reservation and how it can devastate a proud and resilient people group.
My next discovery trip was to Peru. We were gone for a little over two weeks.There we visited the Inca Empire capital of Cuzco in the Peruvian Andes. Peru has an extreme poverty rate of 3.8%, which is defined as an inability to purchase a basket of basic food and drink. In this setting, families cannot afford their children and they are left to the streets. In some cases they get into orphanages. We went to a rural orphanage outside of Cuzco and then spent a significant amount of time in Lima. In Lima, I learned a lot about urban extreme poverty. We spent our days at the Lost Children of Peru Community Center which is located in the hills surrounding Lima. Unlike Denver, up mountain urban property is not upscale. It is an area of the city that is not supported by water or electrical lines. Families, fleeing rural extreme poverty, come to the urban areas and cannot fund sustainable wage jobs. So they move to these urban squatter settlements that are called Las Barriadas. These residents “pirate” enough electricity for a single light bulb and a hot plate and have to carry water up to their makeshift houses.These homes have no running water, are the size of a tool shed in the US and are often built out of plywood and aluminum roofs. While we were there we helped manually move the materials up the mountain to the construction site where the next team would build a concrete and brick home for a young, single mom with three children. I was so touched by the warmth of Latin culture and also enjoyed experiencing the incredible national enthusiasm for the World Cup as Peru played against Denmark. What stuck me the most is that Lima has plenty of water and electricity and yet people go without these essentials. So, politics have to be a factor as well as infrastructure engineering. I am sure these are complex matters and I would like to learn more about the factors at play both at home in the US and in the world as a globally minded engineer and activist.
In July, I will travel to Kenya for two weeks on my last discovery trip through Valor to experience life in a rural orphanage and to learn more about the concerns of this country and the factors that impact poverty, community development, technology, engineering solutions, equality and sustainability.
While I have a lot to learn about the world, global issues, cultures and engineering solutions, I feel like these cross-cultural experiences with people and serving on projects in communities so different from my own and so different from each other, gives me a base to build upon and draw upon as a student in the Global Engineering RAP community.
As I think about the person I would want to live down the hall from me in the Global Engineering RAP, I can think about a few different types of students that would be incredible to share in this community life together. First, I would like to live with people who are a blend of scientists and activists that care about creating engineering solutions, love humanity and also have a passion for cross-cultural learning.
I want to be around a person who engages in and enjoys substantive conversations.They would come from diverse national backgrounds like my cul-de-sac friends and families or be eager to engage in communities where diversity and global learning is the norm. I believe that no one person holds the full perspective and that we need to have multiple and diverse views on things in order to get a deeper view of the issue and possible solutions at hand. They have to love being a voice in the conversation but not “the” voice in a conversation and someone who is comfortable with being uncomfortable, or be willing to learn how to be uncomfortable when learning something new that stretches your perspective and grows your empathy.
I would also like to have people in my hall that love language and speaking in a different language with fluency because they are bi-lingual or want to get language mastery. I would love to learn and laugh together with others as we stumble and grow into fluency together. I have several years of French studies yet I have so much more to learn. I have even wondered about learning Spanish ever since going to Peru. I would also like to explore food and cultures with people in my hall. It would be so much fun to try new things together.
Finally, I would like to geek out on engineering ideas and solutions. I would like to learn about historical initiatives and what has or has not worked in the past. I also like the blending of bioscience and mechanical engineering. This past fall I led a team of fellow STEM students who also have a passion for prosthetics through the Brain Co challenge. In this process, we worked hard together and enjoyed being colleagues too. Out of this season, I learned that this company is developing a much more affordable prosthetic that can be utilized by people in poor countries and allow people with disabilities to earn a working wage. I would love to share these passions with my hall mates and learn about their passions. Being able to talk about ways that we can care about people and stretch or advance technology with a community of like minded peers who are globally minded problem solvers would be amazing whatever the cause!
I want to be around a person who engages in and enjoys substantive conversations.They would come from diverse national backgrounds like my cul-de-sac friends and families or be eager to engage in communities where diversity and global learning is the norm. I believe that no one person holds the full perspective and that we need to have multiple and diverse views on things in order to get a deeper view of the issue and possible solutions at hand. They have to love being a voice in the conversation but not “the” voice in a conversation and someone who is comfortable with being uncomfortable, or be willing to learn how to be uncomfortable when learning something new that stretches your perspective and grows your empathy.
I would also like to have people in my hall that love language and speaking in a different language with fluency because they are bi-lingual or want to get language mastery. I would love to learn and laugh together with others as we stumble and grow into fluency together. I have several years of French studies yet I have so much more to learn. I have even wondered about learning Spanish ever since going to Peru. I would also like to explore food and cultures with people in my hall. It would be so much fun to try new things together.
Finally, I would like to geek out on engineering ideas and solutions. I would like to learn about historical initiatives and what has or has not worked in the past. I also like the blending of bioscience and mechanical engineering. This past fall I led a team of fellow STEM students who also have a passion for prosthetics through the Brain Co challenge. In this process, we worked hard together and enjoyed being colleagues too. Out of this season, I learned that this company is developing a much more affordable prosthetic that can be utilized by people in poor countries and allow people with disabilities to earn a working wage. I would love to share these passions with my hall mates and learn about their passions. Being able to talk about ways that we can care about people and stretch or advance technology with a community of like minded peers who are globally minded problem solvers would be amazing whatever the cause!
Living in the Global Engineering RAP at CU has been my goal since visiting the school as a freshman in high school. I was drawn to the community and unique rapport of the RAP students who I met while on tour. They were passionate engineers, linguists, lovers of culture and globally minded. I felt like I met my people! I know my passion and mission is to be a part of a global community that problem solves issues that are exacerbated by poverty, inequality and access. I have so much to learn from teachers, mentors and peers. I want to be a part of a learning community that has global engineering issues and solutions at the center of its mission. I would receive this as a member of this residential community.
I have given a lot of thought to the power of community and the role of community while in COVID. Being in community is essential to being human and who you surround yourself with makes a huge impact on your life. I have had great relationships with my teachers at my high school. They spoke into me as a person and as a scholar. I want to have these personal relationships at CU Boulder and feel that being in a RAP is a way to make a large campus feel connected. The Global Engineering RAP would provide a rich and deep access to courses as well as a community of engineering professors and peers who are focused on global systems, concerns, and solutions technically, socially, culturally and linguistically. It would be a very special place to know others and be known.
While in Peru, I was exposed to people I grew very fond of in two weeks time who lived under persistent and systemic poverty that kept them vulnerable, deeply crushed by poverty and in great danger. Living with and studying under professionals who can help me unpack what it means “to work alongside countries, communities and other professionals to identify and dismantle the underlying causes of persistent global poverty, and elevate all people and their environment as Global Engineers” would be remarkable. I would learn about the complex factors that systemically place people into Las Barriadas. Professionally, these relationships and opportunities could shape practicum options, my graduate studies and professional choices. This day in day out exposure and conversations with like minded professionals and specialized courses will drive my learning much deeper than just going to class and taking exams. It transforms engineering learning from a classroom into a community with ongoing conversation and shared mission. And I would be growing linguistically and cross-culturally all at the same time.
As a senior member of my high school’s diversity committee and student government, I value critical thinking and facilitating difficult conversations. I have a track record of working well with students, teachers and school administration. I have a lot of experience in planning school wide events and keeping within budgets. As a part of the diversity committee, I have learned a lot from my friends that have experienced discrimination and appreciate being in multi-ethnic communities and being an ally. I think these experiences in leadership would be a way that I could contribute to the community of the Global Engineering RAP.
As someone who has lived through the ups and downs of ADD and grown as a person through those experiences, I know what it is like to live at times on the margin of systems not designed for me. So, I have an empathetic approach to those who feel left out or have a hard time expressing what they want to say. So I like to invite the quieter voices into conversations and initiate outings as a group.
I also love to support people in their learning and goals. During COVID quarantine, I researched a new STEM project and brought it to school leadership in the fall for 2020. I was able to recruit a team of STEM students who had a similar passion for improving the life of people with prosthetics and we enrolled in the BrainCo Challenge. We innovated, failed and strived with our limited resources and won the global competition! It was a remarkable season of developing leadership skills, project management skills and innovation. I would bring that same enthusiasm, leadership, learning mindset and support to my fellow students in Global Engineering.
Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to hearing your decision. It would be an honor to be chosen to be a part of the CU Global Engineering RAP community and program.
I have given a lot of thought to the power of community and the role of community while in COVID. Being in community is essential to being human and who you surround yourself with makes a huge impact on your life. I have had great relationships with my teachers at my high school. They spoke into me as a person and as a scholar. I want to have these personal relationships at CU Boulder and feel that being in a RAP is a way to make a large campus feel connected. The Global Engineering RAP would provide a rich and deep access to courses as well as a community of engineering professors and peers who are focused on global systems, concerns, and solutions technically, socially, culturally and linguistically. It would be a very special place to know others and be known.
While in Peru, I was exposed to people I grew very fond of in two weeks time who lived under persistent and systemic poverty that kept them vulnerable, deeply crushed by poverty and in great danger. Living with and studying under professionals who can help me unpack what it means “to work alongside countries, communities and other professionals to identify and dismantle the underlying causes of persistent global poverty, and elevate all people and their environment as Global Engineers” would be remarkable. I would learn about the complex factors that systemically place people into Las Barriadas. Professionally, these relationships and opportunities could shape practicum options, my graduate studies and professional choices. This day in day out exposure and conversations with like minded professionals and specialized courses will drive my learning much deeper than just going to class and taking exams. It transforms engineering learning from a classroom into a community with ongoing conversation and shared mission. And I would be growing linguistically and cross-culturally all at the same time.
As a senior member of my high school’s diversity committee and student government, I value critical thinking and facilitating difficult conversations. I have a track record of working well with students, teachers and school administration. I have a lot of experience in planning school wide events and keeping within budgets. As a part of the diversity committee, I have learned a lot from my friends that have experienced discrimination and appreciate being in multi-ethnic communities and being an ally. I think these experiences in leadership would be a way that I could contribute to the community of the Global Engineering RAP.
As someone who has lived through the ups and downs of ADD and grown as a person through those experiences, I know what it is like to live at times on the margin of systems not designed for me. So, I have an empathetic approach to those who feel left out or have a hard time expressing what they want to say. So I like to invite the quieter voices into conversations and initiate outings as a group.
I also love to support people in their learning and goals. During COVID quarantine, I researched a new STEM project and brought it to school leadership in the fall for 2020. I was able to recruit a team of STEM students who had a similar passion for improving the life of people with prosthetics and we enrolled in the BrainCo Challenge. We innovated, failed and strived with our limited resources and won the global competition! It was a remarkable season of developing leadership skills, project management skills and innovation. I would bring that same enthusiasm, leadership, learning mindset and support to my fellow students in Global Engineering.
Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to hearing your decision. It would be an honor to be chosen to be a part of the CU Global Engineering RAP community and program.
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