Submission Number: 511
Submission ID: 1657
Submission UUID: 14a87474-bcfe-44d6-bc63-f2338703270c

Created: Tue, 04/01/2025 - 22:01
Completed: Tue, 04/01/2025 - 22:05
Changed: Sun, 04/20/2025 - 15:16

Remote IP address: 24.178.245.203
Submitted by:Anonymous
Language: English

Is draft: No

Locked: Yes
Yes
Shruti
Sugumar
She/Her
Chesterfield
Missouri
United States
63017
Mechanical Engineering
English (5), Tamil (4), Telegu (3), Spanish (2)
My friends and I scoured the entire house in search of the Christmas presents we were certain our parents hid. Unable to find them, we gave up and simply begged them to tell us where they were. We were stunned to learn that our parents actually hadn't gotten presents for us, but had a different plan instead. They took us to Target, where we bought a variety of poster boards, letter stickers, and glitter glue. After coming home, we were tasked with creating posters so we could go door to door asking for donations for The Tamil Nadu Foundation to help the relief efforts working to recover after the 2015 Chennai floods. At the end of Christmas day, we raised close to 5,000 dollars.

Initially, I couldn't fully comprehend the floods’ impact, and what collecting money was going to do for the people suffering. However, as I learned more about the aftermath, I was able to understand how significant the damage these natural disasters wreaked on its victims. The flood waters didn’t just submerge the streets, they contaminated waters, destroyed infrastructure, and displaced thousands of people, including my grandparents. Seeing the tangible effect of these floods, and learning about what organizations like Red Cross were doing to fix the damages and prevent a catastrophe like this from happening again, made me realize engineering is more than just creating; it’s about resilience. This experience made me eager to learn about how to help communities recover and prepare from disasters, and address global challenges in meaningful ways.
It’s easy to take resources for granted. While preparing for my 3rd-grade robotics competition on waste management, my dad suggested using old rice to glue down papers to our trifold. When my confusion was apparent, he explained that growing up, glue was too expensive for him to buy, and a quick trip to the nearest store wasn’t an option, so he worked with what was around him. After listening to his story, I realized the importance of understanding different environments and their limitations when designing solutions. As an engineer I must fully consider the unique challenges of the communities they are serving, an understanding that can only be rooted on global experiences.
I am always looking for opportunities for me to utilize my education for real-world applications, and through the RAP program those opportunities will be limitless. I would be able to develop my engineering knowledge as well as my abilities to collaborate with other cultures and adapt to various problem-solving approaches. Through projects like solar energy systems in Kenya or medical device implementation in Southeast Asia, I can strive to integrate an awareness of global challenges into my work as a mechanical engineering student, ensuring that my designs are not only technically sound but also accessible and impactful across diverse conditions.

Being a part of and leading multiple robotics teams, as well as working closely with graduate students in the St. Louis University’s AirCRAFT lab has conditioned me to be able to collaborate with people with diverse backgrounds and skill sets, a trait that would be greatly beneficial when working with other members of the RAP community.