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Submission Number: 115
Submission ID: 469
Submission UUID: 90777911-867b-47aa-8d8f-65e6302ba03f
Created: Sat, 05/29/2021 - 00:28
Completed: Sat, 05/29/2021 - 00:28
Changed: Tue, 05/13/2025 - 05:23
Remote IP address: 66.91.33.115
Submitted by:Anonymous
Language: English
Is draft: No
Flagged: Yes
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Andrew
Swanson
he/him/his
Golden
Colorado
USA
80401
Biomedical
English (5), Spanish (4)
Throughout my life, I have had the privilege to travel to many international destinations. Some of these places, for example Greece, have been afforded most of the same infrastructural advantages that we enjoy here in the united states - good access to food, clean water, high speed internet, etc - however the majority of the foreign destinations that I have visited have societal problems that can only be fixed with the problem solving capabilities of engineering. One of the most striking examples of a travel experience that has prepared me for the Global Engineering RAP is my time in Bolivia.
Bolivia is one of the poorest nations in South America due to historical political instability, harsh geography preventing many types of agriculture, and a lack of access to an ocean. While in Bolivia, I experienced the living conditions of both Urban and rural Bolivians, and it became clear to me why it is so difficult to find prosperity for so many Bolivian people. A problem that is immediately clear which often prevents rural Bolivians from reaching financial prosperity is a lack of reliable transportation. In order to reach many rural towns in Bolivia, heavy duty four wheel drive vehicles must be driven on poorly defined mountain roads. This inevitably creates an imbalance between those who can afford transportation and those who can not, as those with transportation have the freedom to move to larger cities, further impoverishing the rural areas.
Another structural problem which perpetuates poverty in Bolivia is the exploitation of labor, particularly in mines and on farms. I was shocked to learn that quinoa farmers in the high altitude regions of Bolivia make next to nothing when selling their product to large corporations, who subsequently up-charge the food over 100x to sell in US grocery stores. I also had the opportunity to speak to Gold miners in Bolivia, who told me they worked 14 hour days with nothing to eat except for the leaves of the coca plant.
My experiences in Bolivia and many other nations such as Cuba, Ecuador, and Tibet have prepared me for the Global Engineering RAP by exposing me to many of the issues that global engineering aims to solve. As someone who has seen these issues firsthand, I am eager to learn more about the many ways that engineers can offer multidisciplinary solutions to global problems.
Bolivia is one of the poorest nations in South America due to historical political instability, harsh geography preventing many types of agriculture, and a lack of access to an ocean. While in Bolivia, I experienced the living conditions of both Urban and rural Bolivians, and it became clear to me why it is so difficult to find prosperity for so many Bolivian people. A problem that is immediately clear which often prevents rural Bolivians from reaching financial prosperity is a lack of reliable transportation. In order to reach many rural towns in Bolivia, heavy duty four wheel drive vehicles must be driven on poorly defined mountain roads. This inevitably creates an imbalance between those who can afford transportation and those who can not, as those with transportation have the freedom to move to larger cities, further impoverishing the rural areas.
Another structural problem which perpetuates poverty in Bolivia is the exploitation of labor, particularly in mines and on farms. I was shocked to learn that quinoa farmers in the high altitude regions of Bolivia make next to nothing when selling their product to large corporations, who subsequently up-charge the food over 100x to sell in US grocery stores. I also had the opportunity to speak to Gold miners in Bolivia, who told me they worked 14 hour days with nothing to eat except for the leaves of the coca plant.
My experiences in Bolivia and many other nations such as Cuba, Ecuador, and Tibet have prepared me for the Global Engineering RAP by exposing me to many of the issues that global engineering aims to solve. As someone who has seen these issues firsthand, I am eager to learn more about the many ways that engineers can offer multidisciplinary solutions to global problems.
Generally speaking, I would want a fun, enthusiastic, passionate, and intelligent person who adds to my experience at CU Boulder by treating me with respect, kindness, and a positive attitude. As related to the RAP itself, I’d want someone who is culturally aware to live down the hall from me. Something that has always bothered me are small, passive comments made by peers about the culture of other countries which serve to generalize an entire group. For example, people use the term “asians” as if any one characteristic could be ascribed to everyone in Asia. Terminology usage such as this shows me that someone is unaware of the vast cultural differences among asians countries and even cultural differences between communities in the same country. More specific wording would be desired in order to have a meaningful discussion with someone down the hall from me.
Another characteristic which I look for in my friends and peers but which would be particularly applicable to the Global Engineering RAP is open-mindedness. To me, this just means accepting the fact that your ideas and beliefs could be wrong, and to be willing to change your beliefs and ideas if better ones with more evidence based support are found. I admire those that go out of their way to try and find evidence that contradicts their current beliefs so that they can develop new and better ones. Confirmation bias is one of the biggest enemies of progress, so actively dispelling it is a courageous thing to do, and something I would look for in a roommate and academic partner.
Another characteristic which I look for in my friends and peers but which would be particularly applicable to the Global Engineering RAP is open-mindedness. To me, this just means accepting the fact that your ideas and beliefs could be wrong, and to be willing to change your beliefs and ideas if better ones with more evidence based support are found. I admire those that go out of their way to try and find evidence that contradicts their current beliefs so that they can develop new and better ones. Confirmation bias is one of the biggest enemies of progress, so actively dispelling it is a courageous thing to do, and something I would look for in a roommate and academic partner.
I view engineering as the forefront of progress in a modern and rapidly developing world. However, I do realize that there are certain limitations to implementing engineering when economic factors get in the way. Sure, my traditional physics and design classes may teach me how to build a bridge, but they don’t teach me to use engineering skills to create meaningful change in developing nations. I believe that the Global Engineering RAP will give me the opportunity to discover how engineering can have a meaningful impact for impoverished communities around the world. I look forward to being part of a program that not only teaches me how to engineer solutions to our world's problems, but also explores the most effective ways to implement engineering projects where they are needed the most.
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