When I came to North Carolina State University four years ago, I chose Chemical Engineering as my major with surprisingly little thought about it—I guess it just seemed to make the most sense to me at the time. Chemical Engineering, thankfully, turned out to be a good choice for me to major in. Like most promising, as well as seasoned, chemical engineers, I have always been fascinated with solving problems; and, coincidentally very good at coming up with solutions to problems as well. For me, chemical engineering was a natural fit as my college major; but, for some reason, I have continued to wonder why chemical engineering and I fit together so naturally.
The more I progressed in my educational career here at North Carolina State University, the more I asked myself, “how did I end up majoring in engineering?” and, “why Chemical Engineering?” I think the reason why I never gave my choice of major much thought until recently is because, I did not choose Chemical Enginnering—Chemical Engineering chose me. I did not realize it, but I have been inspired to be an engineer my entire life—I wanted to honor a dear mentor of mine by becoming an engineer just like him—this inspirational man happens to be my father.
My father bravely left his home country in the United Arab Emirates at the age of 18 to make a new life for himself. My father was extremely dedicated and determined to become successful in his career. My father majored in Mechanical Engineering at Penn State University and has yet to slow down. He has had an extremely successful career and
a blessed personal life as well. My father taught me to work hard and to never give up on my dreams. He has been so inspirational to me that the dream I have been working so hard in order to achieve, is to be just like him.
My father has definitely been my biggest source of inspiration towards engineering; but, incredibly talented and unique individuals like Lin Manuel Miranda have inspired me to also stay true to myself. So, while I wanted to be just like my father, I chose Chemical Engineering to better fit my own unique talents and interests—so, I have decided to be an engineer just like my father, but in a different field that better suits me. I have been a big fan of Lin Manuel Miranda’s work, and seeing his commencement speech reminds me why I find him inspiring as well.
Lin Manuel Miranda spoke about not letting life and opportunity pass you by. He talked about his love of community from his Latin routes as well as his parents who sacrificed so much to help him reach his ambitious goals. Lin Manuel has foreign roots just like I do, as I am originally from the United Arab Emirates, Dubai. Lin Manuel Miranda has not only managed to become extremely successful in his career, but he also gives back to and incorporates people from his home country of Mexico into his work. As a chemical engineer, I hope to somehow give back and help my relatives and friends who are still in Dubai. Lin Manuel Miranda and my father also share a lot of similarities—they both have diverse backgrounds, started working very young and strive to do well for their families and original countries.
My father is definitely more in tuned with scientific knowledge and fact-based intelligence, and Lin Manuel Miranda’s work is more philosophical, historical and creative—which is why I think these two men make the perfect inspirational mentors for me. My father layed the groundwork for the type of man and engineer I want to be; and, Lin Manuel Miranda’s splash of creativity and individuality inspire me to work extra hard to achieve my goals and to not forget about my own individuality. I wish I had known about Lin Manuel’s work when I was a freshman—his lyrics are so energizing and motivating: “I am young scrappy and hungry and I am NOT throwing away my shot!”
The fact that my two main sources of inspiration are so different, I believe speaks to my own uniqueness. Though, my father is a very cerebral person who might not be as loud and flamboyant as Lin Manuel Miranda, both of these men have inspired me to achieve the goal I have been seeking my whole life so far. The music and lyrics of Lin Manuel’s work help me to keep excited and focused on my future, and my father continues to be a living, breathing model for the very future I seek. It may surprise some people, but my father never asked or assumed I would follow his footsteps towards a career in engineering.
My father had his own goals and ambitions, which did not include brainwashing his son to be just like him—I said earlier that I did not choose Chemical Engineering; but,
after more reflection through the process of writing this essay, I can say that I did, at least partially, choose this field. The engineering part is engrained in me—that is the part I did not choose. I could have chosen to go into Mechanical Engineering as my father did, but clearly I did not. In addition to my father, I have always been inspired by very creative people like Lin Manuel Miranda who taught me to put my own spin on things—so, I did actually chose at least half of my major.
