Submission Number: 505
Submission ID: 1650
Submission UUID: e59d0283-5e80-4bda-8559-d479427086ac

Created: Mon, 03/31/2025 - 20:09
Completed: Mon, 03/31/2025 - 20:10
Changed: Sun, 04/20/2025 - 15:16

Remote IP address: 74.104.150.143
Submitted by:Anonymous
Language: English

Is draft: No
Yes
Jack
Sweeney
He/Him
Arlington
MA
US
02476
Biomedical engineering
English 5, Spanish 2
My curiosity was ignited by a school exchange program that allowed me to travel to Japan, where I stayed with a host family and attended local schools for ten days. Immersed in Japanese culture, I observed daily rituals, such as the careful tea preparation and the practice of bowing, both of which reflect values of respect and harmony. At school, I drew inspiration from how students clean their classrooms together and engage in group activities, highlighting a collective spirit and duty to the community that surprised me. These experiences contrasted with my individualistic background in the US and illustrated how deeply cultural heritage shapes identity and social interactions. Returning home, I found myself more curious about how US cultural values shape personal and societal behavior, prompting me to seek out ways to better understand and appreciate the diversity of cultural perspectives in my community.
Foreign experience and global understandings enrich engineering as a profession by bringing along several approaches to problem-solving, facilitating collaboration, and fostering the ability to conduct business in cultures other than their own. Encounters with diverse methodologies encourage critical thinking because different engineers offer creative solutions to difficult problems. In my case, participation in an overseas study of renewable energy technology revealed the various ways in which local conditions affect engineering practice. Collaboration with indigenous engineers in solar projects not only extended my technical experience but also developed a better appreciation for the social framework of our projects. Eventually, the inclusion of international perspectives produces richer, broader, and better engineering practice, benefiting engineers and society as a whole.
I would like to be part of the Global Engineering RAP at CU Boulder because I am sure that being part of a diverse population will greatly contribute to my education and personal development as a biomedical engineer. The program provides a unique opportunity to engage with other students from a diversified cultural background, which is critically important in collaborating towards addressing the complex healthcare problems faced across the world. Engaging with this community will open my eyes to learning different perspectives and promote cultural sensitivity and ethical awareness, which are critical in the biomedical sector.

I hope to exchange my passion for biomedical innovation and health technology, sparking conversations on how engineering can improve global health outcomes. I am excited to start workshops or study groups on biomedical engineering applications and to develop collaborative projects with diverse perspectives. In addition, I look forward to participating in outreach programs that bring our community and local and foreign health agencies closer together, sealing the gap between book knowledge and actual practice. Through collaboration, we can build an exhilarating learning environment that improves our technical proficiency while gaining a good appreciation of global stewardship in handling health problems.