The Greek Philosopher, Plato, once said: “The direction in which education starts a man will determine his future in life.” When I was accepted by the Saint Thomas Aquinas Senior High School to study General Science, I was filled with excitement and joy. I, therefore, went ahead to inquire of seniors how the General Science course was and the general requirements. Most of them told me that it was very demanding and even more of them laid emphasis on the difficulty of physics. I bought into their idea and therefore I worked extra hard in physics to ensure that I grasped concepts more easily.
In my first year, we got a physics teacher who happened to be an engineer. He explained concepts very easily and answered most of our questions by asking even simpler questions. This ignited my interest in Physics, especially in electricity and electronics, where he explained in much detail. My physics teacher’s way of thinking attracted me to study computer science and civil engineering to be able to solve some major problems faced by my country and many other countries like mine. Illinois Institute of technology engineering, however, stood out in my search for schools.
A major problem faced by my country is frequent power outages due mostly to lack of technical expertise and other major factors. Since Electricity itself was still a novelty when Cornell University introduced America’s (and the world’s) first course of study in electrical engineering in 1883, I think it will give me the advantage of learning from some of the most experienced faculty in the world. Cornell engineering’s Electrical and Computer Engineering program which is consistently ranked in the top ten by US News and World news would give me the opportunity to learn how to solve open-ended problems in a methodological and efficient way to help solve bigger national problems like low power grid in Ghana.
Also, Cornell engineering provides unparalleled research opportunities that would help broaden my scope and give me the opportunity to make a large contribution to various areas. For instance, I would much love to get involved in Cornell Engineering’s research into energy and power systems that centers on addressing fundamental engineering and economic challenges facing our rapidly evolving electricity grid. This would give me the opportunity to collaborate with renowned research personnel such as Emeritus Robert John Thomas. I believe this unparalleled opportunity would help me a great deal in helping to solve my countries problem of power stability. The unparalleled research opportunities at Cornell Engineering would also give me the opportunity to fulfill my dream of becoming a Nobel prize winner in future by helping me make a significant contribution to physics through research.
Another problem that I believe a Cornell Education would allow me to solve would be computer illiteracy in Ghana. With the knowledge I would gain at Cornell engineering, I would like to set up a school where I can tutor illiterate children and youth on the basic uses of the computer. A Cornell ECE degree will not only give me the experience to do so but also since a great deal of Cornell undergraduates finds employment at companies ranging from large-scale multinational corporations to cutting-edge start-ups, it would give me the expertise to work and save money for this project.
An engineering degree at Cornell will not only help me unearth and maximize my potential but will also give me the opportunity to contribute to making the world a better place.