Planning for the Future

Abigail Beulke
High Tech High North County

PERSONAL STATEMENT HIGHER EDUCATION PLAN

I am a logical and critical thinker with a creative mind who knows when to lead
and when to follow. I have been passionate about engineering, and more Reach School Fit School Safety School
specially, mechanical engineering, since I was five years old, and I am ready to ● California Polytechnic State University ● California Polytechnic State University ● California State University San Marcos
finally fully foster my love in college and meet others who share the same (San Luis Obispo) (Pomona) ○ Acceptance Rate: 93.3%
passion. ○ Acceptance Rate: 33% ○ Acceptance Rate: 60.6% ○ CSUSM is very close to where I
○ The reason I want to enroll in Cal ○ Pomona is similar to SLO, however reside, so I am already familiar with
Poly SLO is that it is career it is smaller and does not have all of the campus.
MY EDUCATION AND CAREER PATHWAY orientated and facilitates
project-based learning, which
the same programs and
opportunities.
similar to High Tech High. ○ However, it is easier to be accepted
Public colleges in California are test blind and do not require the as it is not impacted like SLO.
ACT/SAT to apply, so I have no need to take the tests as I am going ● All UC’s
to stay in the state, as it contains some of the best engineering ○ Acceptance Rate: ~40-60%
schools and most of the organizations I would hope to work for have ○ There are a total of nine UC
some representation in California. Because I am a first generation campuses (bar UCSF, a graduate
school), and each one has at least
college student and a woman in STEM, more scholarships are
a foundational engineering
available to me. Also, other function programs such and FAFSA and program.
Calgrant will hopefully help me pay for enrollment.

When majoring in mechanical engineering, it is a 4-year program to

receive a bachelor’s graduate degree. I will not take a blended 5-year
masters program as I want to get into the workforce as soon as
possible, and I have little interest in the research or teaching side of
the field, which is what a master’s degree is mainly used for. I most
likely will not take a minor, as I don’t want to overwork myself and the
field of mechanical engineering is quite board and I want to learn all College Major College Minor
aspects of the field before I find my passion in a specialization, which
I will most likely foster while working. Additionally, I will not take the Mechanical Engineering Software Engineering
MBA program, but might go back to school after graduating if turns
out to be beneficial in my workplace. “Mechanical engineers design power-producing Computer Science
machines, such as electric generators, internal
combustion engines, and steam and gas turbines, Programming
After I graduate with my bachelors degree in mechanical engineering, as well as power-using machines, such as
I will immediately enter the workforce. The engineering career is refrigeration and air-conditioning systems.” While these minors are useful in the workforce, I will
broad, and I currently do not know what subsection I will be entering, -News Scientist not pursue them as they are unnecessary for what I
but I hope to find my passion. Because of my education in California, I want to do in my career, and I want to focus on my
will hope to find my career in the state as well, in addition to I have been infatuated with mechanical engineering main studies without overwhelming myself.
internships in California to expand my knowledge whilst in school. ever since I was five years old. I have always loved to
build and design things, so I believe this major will be a
perfect fit for me.

15 schools
● California Polytechnic State University
○ California Polytechnic State University (San Luis Obispo) Excerpts from Personal Inquiry Questions
○ California Polytechnic State University (Pomona) “For the last twelve years, just before Christmas, my family, some community partners, and I
● University of California
travel to downtown San Diego, a hub for the homeless, and other neighboring cities to distribute
○ University of California Irvine
○ University of California Berkeley the collected donations. I am proud to say that what initially started with just my family and a few
○ University of California Davis hand-packed care packages of food and other necessities, to now years later, is a caravan of
○ University of California Los Angeles over a dozen cars and twenty people and a partnership with a local radio host. Each year, I hope
○ University of California San Diego to increase how many people we help, and this last year, that number was more than 150. I
○ University of California Riverside know that I cannot solve the growing problem of homelessness alone, but I know even if I can
○ University of California Santa Barbara just help one person, it was all worth it.”
○ University of California Santa Cruz
○ University of California Merced
● California State University
“Because of this, I had to meet one-on-one with many students and ask why they were not
○ California State University San Marcos submitting required work before the given deadline. If any conflicts arose, I offered solutions and
○ California State University Long Beach levied compromises. One conflict resolved involved miscommunication between multiple
● Other students that were instructed to create artwork for the same page. I helped defuse this situation
○ Harvey Mudd College by deciding who's artwork would be displayed on the assigned page and created another space
○ San Diego State University for the additional artwork. This project taught me many valuable lessons, including how to
○ San Jose State University manage and resolve the problems of a large team when miscommunication is rampant, and how
○ San Francisco State University
to work under pressure and meet deadlines without sacrificing the quality of a product”

MY BROADER IMPACT ON SOCIETY

Ever since I was young, I was infatuated with engineering, even if I didn’t know what it was called and where I could study it.
Due to my love of building and designing mechanics, I have fostered my love for mechanical engineering.

As a mechanical engineer, I hope to create products that will better society. Be it renewable energy solutions, robotics, or
infrastructure, the products i strive to create in my career will help those that need it.
REFERENCE MATERIALS
● https://www.scoir.com/
● https://www.niche.com/
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
My college journey could not have been achieved without the help of my high school advisor, Mr. Mike, and my college advisor,
Ms. Tiffany. I would also like to thank the people of whom I have spoken with and that have fostered my love for engineering.
And of course, my parents who have supported my choices and goals in academia.