In a sentence, I want to become an engineer because I’m seeking a fulfilling career that
takes full advantage of my skills in problem solving, my technological curiosity, and aptitude
for maths and physics. I’m planning on studying next year at the Faculty of Engineering at
the University of Auckland, and was in my final year at Wellington College in 2016.
I used to live in the UK, quite close to London. There are many beautiful and fascinating
museums in London: Natural History, Science, Imperial War, Victoria and Albert. Naming
them all would take pages. However, my favourite will always be the RAF Museum at
Hendon. Walking around the history of aviation with my mother and brother at a young age
is what gave me my curiosity for complex systems and projects. The stunning feats of
aeronautical brilliance in the history of the machines amazed me, but the design processes
and manufacturing techniques that built the aircraft intrigued me. I couldn’t stop wondering
about the entire chain of construction that led to one part on a plane. How did they make
those two propeller blades exactly the same? Where does each panel come from and how
did they make it that shape? I’m still asking these questions today, and take every
opportunity to add to my knowledge.
I’ve taken a few subjects through from when I came to this country in Year 10 to Year 13,
and in that time have produced many pieces of work across all of them. One of my most
enjoyable classes has been Digital Technology. I knew that engineering was the career for
me when I looked back through all of my projects over the years and found that it is my
Tech assignments that I am proudest of. In that class I’ve built two apps, a music box, two
games, a security camera, and a tank. Each one forced me to learn skills that I will treasure
and use in my training and career as an engineer. I’ve never been happier than in the nights
spent integrating SQL into Lua to create a useful interactive team database, wiring two
seven point displays on top of a tank to display its direction with a limited number of pins,
or even learning Python just to take full control of a Raspberry Pi camera.
In those projects I learnt not only skills and technical information but about myself as well;
that creating something novel and useful is my passion. A job where I can dedicate my life to
doing just that is my dream. That job would be as an engineer.
However, there’s another side to my attraction to engineering. My other interest that I’ve
found at school has been debating, and I’ve been fortunate enough to have great successes
in competitions. Not only has the experience of debating at a national level put me in touch
with some intelligent and inspiring people, but it has exposed me to the issues that face our
country and world. You can’t argue for one side or the other in a debate about climate
change or economic policy without having at least a working understanding of the problems
that we face. I’ve had to research into global warming, gang growth, and a lot in between.
I’ve learnt to keep up to date with new developments in science and politics. It has become
clear to me that there are no easy fixes to any of the problems that we face. Our countries
are becoming increasingly more dependent upon finding technological answers to
approaching threats.
The science is there for us to move forward. What’s needed are methods to apply it to the
world. This world needs engineers, and I know that if there’s a chance that my work will
save or improve lives I have to take it. I’m looking at Mechatronics or Chemical & Materials
as my possible specialties because I see these two fields as the ones with the potential to
change this country for the better. The scope of the possibilities for drones and new
materials in components is only just being explored. A breakthrough in economically finding
new uses for waste products or carbon negative emissions could drastically alter the rise of
global warming. Making a career in these fields, for these ends, would be my contribution to
the world around me.
As an engineer I see myself enlisting as an officer in the Air Force. The prospect of designing,
building, and maintaining research bases in Antarctica or humanitarian aid depots in the
Pacific is a captivating one, and my prior experiences with the Cadet Forces has offered me a
window into life in the military. With that experience, the range of possibilities in the
engineering world is both endless and exciting.
Ben Stockton