Describetheworldyoucomefromforexample,yourfamily,communityorschool

andtellushowyourworldhasshapedyourdreamsandaspirations.

AsIlookatmylifeIseearubik'scube,meanttobecomplexandintellectuallyexciting.Ihave
alwayslookedforwardtobeingfacedwithchallengesthatintellectuallyexciteme,butthatdid
notoftenhappeninthepastbecauseIfeltconfinedbytherequirementsandexpectationsof
school.ThisfeelingofbeingrestrictedstartedeightyearsagowhenIfirstmovedto
Bangladesh.MyfathersawitasanopportunitytobeimmersedintheBangladeshiculture,
butinthoseyearstherewasalwayssomethingmissing.

WhenattendingschoolinBangladeshInoticedarecurringpatternineveryclassthatIwasin.
Therewasnoactuallearninggoingonstudentsjustmemorizedwhateverwaswritteninthe
textbookswordbyword.Onlyonesideoftherubikscubewasbeingtwisted.Tome,this
madenosensebecauseIalwaysthoughtthatwelearntounderstand,nottopasssometest
thatdeterminesourgrades.Thiswayofschooling,orasIliketocallitshutupand
memorize,drewmeawayfromschoolandforcedmetoseekrefugeinmyownthoughtsand
ideas.Anewsideofthecubewasstartingtomove.Idecidedtostudytopicsofinterestonmy
ownalongwithcompletingschoolworkandcontinuedtodothisuntiltheendof9thgrade
whenmyfamilydecidedtomovebacktotheUS.

IarrivedinLosAngeleslastyearandsoonafterwasenrolledasajuniorinhighschool.Life
hereissomuchmoredifferentthaninBangladeshbecauseIdontfeelrestrictedhere.My
schooldoesnotconfinemetothetextofthebooks,andthereareopportunitiesformetogo
beyondwhatisavailabletomeandcreateopportunitiestochallengemyselfintellectually.The
communityheredoesnotseemeasrobot,butsomeonewhohasthepotentialtoachievehis
dreams.Finally,differentcombinationswerebeingtriedontherubikscubeandnew
combinationswereonthehorizon.

ExperiencingtwodifferentworldsandcommunitieshasshapedthewayIthinkandwhatI
wanttodointhefuture.MytimeinBangladeshhastaughtmetobecomeselfproficientand
independentandhasalsomademecraveforknowledgeandtheabilitytounderstand.After
comingtotheU.S.Irealizedthatmyselfproficiencyhasallowedmetoexcelinmyclasses
andcombinedwithmythirstforknowledge,hasmademereachoutandmakeuseof
opportunitiespresentedtomeandevencreateopportunitiesformyselfandothers.Myrubiks
cubeisstillnotsolved,butIamgladthatitisntbecauseitgivesmesomethingtolook
forwardto.EverymoveImakegetsmeclosertoachievingmydreamofcreatingan
environmentwheremakers,thinkers,anddreamerscangettogethertoworkonawholenew
puzzle.

Tellusaboutapersonalquality,talent,accomplishment,contributionorexperience
thatisimportanttoyou.Whataboutthisqualityoraccomplishmentmakesyouproud
andhowdoesitrelatetothepersonyouare?

Passmethetoolbox.Didyoumeasuretheangles?Howmuchweightcanithandleit?Ineed
moreducttape!

Engineeringhasalwaysbeensomethingthathasexcitedmesinceitrequiresmetoapply
whatIhavelearnedinmyscienceandcomputerscienceclassestoprojectsandother
reallifetasks.WhenworkingontheseprojectsortasksIfeelchallenged,whichmotivatesme
totryharder.Aftercompletingthetask,Iamoverwhelmedbythefeelingofsatisfactionand
theknowledgethatIgainfromtheexperience.Unfortunately,Ihavenothadthisfeelinguntil
recentlyaftermovingtotheUS.

InBangladeshtherewerenoopportunitiesformetogetinvolvedinengineeringnorwere
thereanyresourcesavailabletodeveloporenhancehandsonskillsrequiredforengineering.
WhenImovedtotheUS,IwasfacedwithasimilarproblembecausetheschoolIwas
enrolledinwasrecentlyestablishedanddidnothavemanyclubsorprograms.Ididnotwant
tospendmytimeinhighschooljustthinkingaboutwhatIcouldhavedoneandlearningabout
engineeringonlythroughafewbooks,articles,anddocumentarieslikeIdidwhenIwasin
Bangladesh.IwantedtoexperienceitfirsthandsoIdecidedtomakeanopportunityfor
myselfandothersbystartinguptheMathematics,Engineering,Science,andAchievement
(MESA)clubatmyschool.

AtfirstwhenItoldmyscienceandmathteachersaboutmyidea,theywereverysurprisedthat
anewstudentwantedtostartupaclubandthattooaSTEMrelatedcluboncampus,butthey
happilyagreedtosupportmeinthemakingoftheMESAclub.Next,Ihadtofindauniversity
sponsorsothatmyschoolcouldbepartofthestatewideMESAprogram.Iimmediately
contactedUCLAaskingthemtosponsortheclub,butIsoonreceivedabittersweetanswer
sayingthatUCLAcouldsponsorus,butnotuntilthenextschoolyear.Iwasdiscouragedwith
thisnewsandwantedtoquit,butIdidntbecauseIknewthatifIgaveupnowIwouldbe
conformingtothesamelifeIledinBangladesh.Myneedtoexperienceandlearnmoreabout
engineeringandtohelpotherswhofeltthesamewayhelpedmegetthroughthisslumpand
therefore,Imadethedecisiontostarttheclubwithoutasponsorandleaditwiththehelpof
myteachersandpeers.

AlmostelevenmonthspassedsincethatdayandnowtheMESAclubhasoversixtymembers
withstudentsrangingfromninthtotwelfthgrade,manyofwhomarelowincomestudentsand
minoritieswhoareunderrepresentedintheSTEMfields.Thisachievementmakesmefeel
proudofmyselfespeciallysincethisachievementrelatestothepersonIam.Thevaluable
experienceIobtainedhastaughtmethatmypersistenceandurgetogetinvolvedin
engineeringwillnotgotowaste,andthisismymainsourceofmotivation.InowknowthatI

havetoopendoorsformyselfandtaketheinitiativetofollowmyaspirations,andIbelieve
thatthisqualityissomethingthatwillhelpmestriveincollege.