Go Blue Crew Scholarship

The universe is made up of color. Chartreuse to cerulean to cinnabar. Most people look around the world in awe of its beauty; some strive to dive deeper into how this beauty is made. What makes the stars appear so heavenly? Why do sunrises give people hope? There are many ways to learn about our world: astronomy, psychology, geology. Every one of these fields can be broken down to its core of mathematics. Every shift of position of the stars, every chemical released in the brain, and every rock turned into a fossil, is governed by the laws of mathematics. Of course, there are the obvious ways my life has been impacted by math. I have vivid memories of doing my math homework at the dining room table, tears running down my face: my dad trying to teach me how fractions worked. Then getting older, sitting back down at the same table, roles reversed, showing my dad what I learned about differential equations. Then, there's the math that has impacted me outside of my academic life; the math that is hidden in the background of my daily reality. Like everyone else, I was impacted by the statistics of Covid that determined who was allowed to work, who was likely to get sick, and even who would use Photomath on their online schoolwork. Math is also a vital component in running my small business. There are the common ways math is used in small businesses, but many people forget, that the code making up my website and the encryption used to safely take customers' credit card information is entirely reliant upon mathematics. Perhaps it is no surprise that my appreciation of how math impacts our daily lives has led me to STEM-based careers. Maybe one day I will harness my love of math to develop new Artificial Intelligence systems or improve quantum computing so it will one day replace traditional computers. Or maybe I’ll take a broader approach and study Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, finding ways to make possible what people claim is science fiction. Although I don’t have a clear path, my current goal is to major in computer science and earn a PhD in quantum computing. For me, the beauty of math is the beauty of the world: so when I look in awe at the colors of the universe, I see the beauty of the math that governs it. Only those who fully embrace the reality that the world is painted by mathematics can truly understand how beautiful the universe is and how each individual plays an important role in it. I’m never going to give up my desire to learn more about the universe. Even quantum particles and other phenomena that don’t appear to follow the known rules of mathematics, follow some unknown patterns that are just waiting to be discovered by some bright minds in the future. One of these minds will be me.

Growing up as a second-generation Indian American, I have been exposed to western and eastern cultures throughout my development. I am very grateful to have been exposed to these cultures because they both bring completely different elements to my individuality. I can appreciate its benefits and understand its importance. The main contributor to cultural integration has been technological advancement in an increasingly globalized society. This, among many other perks of technological explorations, like Artificial Intelligence, has inspired me to pursue a future career in technology and engineering. When I talk about myself, I cannot omit the fact that I'm a twin. My twin brother, diagnosed with severe autism and developmental delay, is the main inspiration behind my passion for engineering, especially robotic engineering. I always ponder how I can help my brother develop verbal, social, and self-help skills. His everyday struggles must be addressed, and I intrinsically feel a responsibility to be part of his solution. How can we avail technological advancement to its full potential to help those who struggle to reach theirs? My journey to becoming an engineer and an innovator starts from here. The lack of well-trained professionals to teach autistic children in school settings is a significant drawback for one-on-one sessions. My brother never received a one-on-one session with his therapists at school. Group therapy is very distracting, and he was denied the social skill group due to his inability to focus. My mom fought for it but never received a favorable answer due to the lack of well-trained professionals. However, instead of hoping for a well-trained professional to appear, what if I learned to code one? As technology continues to become more affordable, one child and one robot could eventually be an efficient solution. The robot can provide individual and undivided attention to a single child in accordance with the preferences, disabilities, and needs of the child. Robotic inventions are changing the way of the modern world. Robots are less intimidating than humans. When I speak from experience, I understand autistic people have difficulties processing and understanding other people's emotions. Interacting with a robot is much easier for them than with humans. I always engage with my brother to bring out his deep, delved personality. Most of the time, the interactions annoy or frustrate him, which breaks my heart. In this scenario, interacting with a robot can help my twin brother overcome the social development barriers that prevent him from engaging in meaningful interaction with me. The best engineering college with hands-on experience is Kettering University in Flint, Michigan. My goal is to obtain a Bachelor of Science in Engineering and Robotics from that university to aid me in my ambitions to build and invent a unique robot that can facilitate the development of children with autism. However, Kettering is a private institution and far more than what I can afford. Therefore, I'm applying for as many scholarships as possible to turn my vision into reality.