Submission Number: 516
Submission ID: 1662
Submission UUID: dfc1ae76-e3a4-4303-9788-31e1e0547db9

Created: Tue, 04/01/2025 - 23:49
Completed: Wed, 04/02/2025 - 00:51
Changed: Sun, 04/20/2025 - 16:40

Remote IP address: 64.98.233.108
Submitted by:Anonymous
Language: English

Is draft: No

Flagged: Yes
Yes
Abigail
Kroll
She/her
Greenwood Village
CO
United States
80111
Admitted for Open Option (Undecided); considering civil, environmental, mechanical, or electrical engineering
English (5), Chinese (4), Spanish (2-3), Brazilian Portuguese (2)
If I could travel anywhere, I would like to travel to China. I have already been a few times before Covid-19 to visit family, but we mostly stayed in one city. Since then, I have learned quite a bit about Chinese language and culture, from my mom and her relatives living in the US; from attending Chinese school on weekends; and from taking three years of Chinese in high school, including AP Chinese Language and Culture. China is a massive country with diverse regions and customs, and I would love to visit different areas and learn more about Chinese culture by experiencing it first-hand. I also want to visit the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangzi river. It's the largest hydroelectric dam in the world, and I would like to learn more about the successes and challenges encountered during its planning and construction, challenges it's facing currently, and the impact the project had on the surrounding area.
After WWII, the United States firmly established itself as a dominant force on the global stage. Unfortunately, over the past eight decades, the US has consistently abused its position as a global hegemon, exploiting and undermining the global south, and ignoring the consequences it had on people living around the world.
This is apparent now more than ever. We’re witnessing the devastating effects of our current climate crisis unfold, while our government does nothing to combat it. Major corporations are making massive investments in technological advancements, particularly artificial intelligence, with no care as to how it exacerbated the issue. Nine million people die due to famine or famine-related diseases each year; a quarter of the world’s population lacks access to safe drinking water. Now, the US government is making massive funding cuts to global aid initiatives. Although I don’t believe that engineering alone can solve these issues, we can absolutely help mitigate the harm caused by them while we work towards a permanent solution. Given the current state of affairs, both domestically and globally, it’s essential that we consider our impact and influence on the world around us and that we do everything in our power to help better it.
While I intend to pursue a degree in engineering, I am also deeply invested in US foreign policy and the impact we have globally. I would love to have the opportunity to collaborate and build a community with students who are also passionate about this subject, to be able to learn from their perspectives and experiences, and to expand my own understanding of issues that affect the world.