Research. Design. Create. Test. Redesign. The simple engineering processes.

Without

realizing it, I was deep inside this process during a Junior year Science project that started as an

assignment but would lead to a life-defining decision. The project was to engineer and test different

bridge designs, determine the pros and cons of each, and to use what I learned to consider a potential

career path.

Working through the research portion of the assignment led me to better understand the

experiences I have had throughout my life. I have been fortunate enough to travel across several famous

bridges in my life; the Brooklyn Bridge, Golden Gate Bridge, New River Gorge Bridge, and The Seven Mile

Bridge. There have been other, not so famous ones as well, the local pedestrian bridge deemed too

unsafe to use, and many questionable bridges being used every day in Haiti. Why were they all different?

What did the strength, span, materials, environmental impacts, and local regulations play in each

design?

The research phase answered many of my initial questions, but as one was answered, three

more arose and I could sense the “project” was starting to morph into something greater. While I had an

early indication, it came to realization during the design and building process. As I built the different

bridges section by section with popsicle sticks, it became all I could think about. I quickly learned not

only how I loved to create things but to understand how something like a real bridge or building would

have lasting changes to the world.

I have caught myself frequently looking back on that school assignment and realize it was not the

successful completion of the project that impacted my career ambitions. It was my first failure that

sparked my interest in engineering. My first bridge design did not even get completed before running

into issues that I knew would result in an unsatisfactory result. Without hesitation, I took to paper to

determine what design changes would be necessary, which I now know was just part of the engineering

design process. After several rounds of designs, I came up with a bridge I was proud of. My final design,
spanning two feet, held 158 pounds. I experienced how it felt to design and make something with my

hands that would hold more weight than anticipated. At that moment, I realized people do this for a

living, and designing infrastructure was something I wanted to pursue in life. I want to solve problems

that benefit the world, just as the New River Gorge Bridge took a 40-minute drive to one minute for the

16,000 vehicles that cross daily. I want to design structures like the Golden Gate Bridge that endure

strong tides, winds, and salt air while sitting less than seven miles from the San Andres Fault.

Some objects we consider engineering marvels today are going on 80 to 100 years old, and the

world has drastically changed over that time. With the world’s growing population, there is a need to

continue to advance those engineering designs to hold more weight and allow more effective traffic

flow. But it goes well beyond bridges; with the ever-growing impact of climate change, structures such as

buildings need to be designed with severe weather events in mind while striving to reach a zero-carbon

footprint. Third-world countries experiencing draughts will need improved infrastructure and economical

transportation for those in rural areas to access the water they need to survive.

With the current and future issues the world is facing, I used to get overwhelmed and honestly

scared, but I have come to learn these are not problems, but opportunities to be solved, and I want to be

part of the solution. With an engineering degree, I would be in a position to tackle these real-world

problems not through “projects” but through a passion I learned I had playing with popsicle sticks.