UCAL Berkeley STEM Opportunity

My name is Jordan Williams.  I am a freshman at Onate High School and have been nominated to represent my school and community at the National Youth Leadership Forum Engineering & Technology STEM program located at University of California Berkeley.  My educational aspirations consist of acquiring an Engineering bachelor’s degree and continuing on to graduate school for Biomedical Engineering.

The Program…
Over eight incredible days on the campus of University Berkeley (a top-ranked engineering school), I will explore my passion while being exposed to the vast array of engineering professions.  This immersive program will introduce me to the overarching principles of engineering, including the design thinking process and how it, along with other key concepts, can be applied across a variety of engineering disciplines I’ll also gain hands-on experience with state-of-the-art technology and even apply my newfound skills to assist with achieving some of the Sustainable Development Goals set forth by the United Nations.

Furthermore, I will learn why the core principles of engineering and problem solving are critical to innovation and success in the 21st century.  In addition, I will have the unique opportunity to gain broad exposure to the Aerospace, Biomedical, Civil, and Mechanical engineering fields, as well as a more in-depth experience with the top two fields of my choice.

Why Biomedical Engineering?
I decided that I will attain a career as Biomedical Engineer to assist other and try to improve their quality of life after having several major injuries myself. As a young child, every year I would spend at least three to seven months in a cast, boot, wheelchair, and/or attending physical therapy. I have broken many bones in both my feet, tore ligaments in both knees, dislocated knee caps, and the list goes on.  I ended up having emergency knee reconstruction surgery at the age of 13. (One year later (just shy of one day) I severely dislocated my knee cap on the “good” leg!  Needless to say, I ended up having another knee surgery at the age of 14.) Nonetheless, it wasn’t until I found myself in a wheelchair for 6 months, when I gained an honest perspective of the importance of your body parts and how they contribute to your livelihood.  

Everyone will experience adversity within their lifetime. It's not the adversities encountered, it’s how to overcome those obstacles. Although, my injuries hindered my ability to play sports like my peers, I carry my scars like badges of honor.  Therefore, I work extremely hard and allow my physical hardships to fuel my passion to keep going. Persistance….is truly a quality you need to have to be successful (at/with) anything. If you apply yourself just a handful of times and give up, you're basically saying you're not worthy of winning. I am persistent and determined to help improved someone else’s quality of life.  Pursuing such a career will not only provide me the opportunity to do so, but also put me on the front line of emerging medical prosthetics.
 
The Goal…
Imagine if you had been given this opportunity for a life-changing experience when you were in school and were unable to participate for lack of funds? My participation in this program depends on whether I can raise the cost of tuition ($3,395.00) and my travel expenses ($450.00) by March 23, 2018.  I am investing every dollar I can of my own money to make sure I don’t miss out on this unique experience and am also taking on extra jobs to raise the funds I need.

I believe education is the key to success, continual learning/professional growth is a must, and persistence is required to reach my career goals. I am hopeful to attend this STEM program, so that I can continue on my pathway to become a Biomedical Engineer. 

During the program-long Capstone Impact Challenge, I’ll apply my engineering skills and creativity to help solve current real-world problems.  As a result of this opportunity, I’ll form lifelong friendships while strengthening the time management, information analysis, public speaking, critical thinking, and problem solving skills that are critical for success in college and beyond. Most importantly, I will leave the program with a clearer vision of my future career path and how to achieve my goals.

#carpe FUTURUM  ~ seize YOUR future

Will you consider sponsoring me while I seize mine?  Thank you in advance for your consideration.

Jordan M. Williams