Submission Number: 487
Submission ID: 1629
Submission UUID: 234fa84c-b3c5-4a97-8ff8-89760959d817

Created: Mon, 03/17/2025 - 19:50
Completed: Mon, 03/17/2025 - 19:50
Changed: Sun, 04/20/2025 - 23:43

Remote IP address: 32.221.148.17
Submitted by:Anonymous
Language: English

Is draft: No
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Ruby
Michtom
she/they
Hartford
Connecticut
USA
06106
Civil Engineering
English 5, Dutch 4, French 3, Spanish 2, Portuguese 1
I spent a year abroad in the Netherlands my junior year for 10 months, where I learned skills of independence, adapting to a new culture, and I learned Dutch in only 4 months. I have also been to Canada, Mexico, Ecuador, Argentina, the UK, France, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Slovenia, Greece, and Japan, thanks to a series of fortunate circumstances, familial and otherwise. I love exploring new cultures and places, and my favorite thing is to try to find the local spots that tourists don’t know about. Within the US, I live in a majority-minority community where many residents speak only Spanish or Portuguese. My Spanish has greatly improved while conversing with my neighbors, and my Portuguese is developing as I attempt to talk to the Brazilians. I also have learned Spanish because my step mother is from Argentina, and her family only speaks Spanish well.
Without a global perspective, it can be extraordinarily easy for people to get stuck in their ways, even when they are inefficient, dangerous, or even downright silly compared to the ingenuity that a global community provides. One of the primary reasons that I chose to go the Netherlands of all places on my year abroad is that they are world-renowned for their incredible public infrastructure — I knew that it was great going in, but I could never have imagined the extent of the difference and convenience. I could bike or take the train anywhere, and I took a car less than 20 times during my 10 month stay. I frequently went more than a month without using a car, only walking, biking, or taking the train. Even when I was in a car, the traffic flow was more efficiently planned, and with the majority on transit, the roads were clear for those who needed them. I am very invested in bringing the Dutch philosophy of pedestrian and transit superiority back to the United States, and I am positive that every country has something to offer in terms of developing more intelligent design systems. In all fields, such collaboration and inspiration can lead to incredible advances in technology which benefit everyone, and those sorts of advancements are lacking. I am very interested especially in the ways that such actions can benefit the historically ignored and disadvantaged, by connecting people with what they need and providing them what they lack.
A video by Laura MacDonald on YouTube explains the impact that building pedestrian bridges had for communities who struggled with seasonal flooding blocking their opportunities. This sort of experience and effect are exactly what I am looking for in my career. The program will provide access to international opportunities, encouragement for working with wonderful programs such as Engineers Without Borders and study abroad programs, which would be important experience for developing a career of civil engineering-based aid and development. In addition, I would be part of a community of engineers who are like-minded in their goals of improving the human condition as opposed to just their paychecks. Personally, I plan to be an active member of the community, and I would organize events such as drawing nights, or ceramics, based on my personal expertise. I would also love to renovate the RAP’s social media presence so that incoming students at Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØBoulder know what to expect and are encouraged to join. When I saw the email inviting me to join, and I read the checklist describing the community, I was immediately excited to have a chance at being surrounded by people who aim for empathy and generosity in engineering. In all, I truly hope that this will be an opportunity for growth, connections, career-development, and community.
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