Purpose

I plan to attend grad school for environmental engineering (essentially water treatment) after I get back from Uganda. This is the statement of purpose that I am sending to the department of admissions. Don't worry, I am asking other people to proofread it, so don't let the grammar turn you off.

During my sophomore year, I almost switched majors to History. Teaching history seemed like the right thing to do, so why suffer through engineering? To be honest, I was a bagel away from switching. Let me explain. I was on my way to the history building with my official form to switch, and I got really hungry. In that moment, all I could think about was the delicious blueberry bagels at Poor Yorick’s. The line for bagels was really long, and I had to run straight to class afterwards, and from there I went home for the Thanksgiving break. There was still plenty of time to talk to the history advisors. While at home I was talking to my uncle, a wise and learned man, about my decision to change majors. He asked me an excellent question. He said “Andrew, has the Lord gifted you to be an Engineer?” I was dumbfounded. The Lord has wired me in such a way that the math and science of engineering comes easily. It is just the way my mind works. His second question was even more insightful. “If you got an engineering degree, could you teach if you still wanted to?” Once again, the answer was yes. I could teach with an engineering degree, but I could never engineer with a teaching degree. So I decided to stick it out.

A few weeks later I was having lunch with a friend in the department. He was very excited about a group called Engineering Ministries International. EMI has an intern program where juniors, seniors, and recently graduated engineers move to a developing country for a summer or semester and do free design work. It sounded good, but graduation was still a long ways away. It wasn’t until my junior year that I really discovered my purpose. In the Bible, Jesus says that more will be expected from people that have received much. When I read that verse I immediately thought of my engineering career. I have been blessed with so much ability and the privilege of attending college. How could I use those gifts for myself? I decided then and there that I wanted to use my engineering degree to serve people. The second thing that popped into my mind was EMI. There are people out there doing the kind of work that I wanted to do! I applied for one of EMI’s six month internships and was accepted. In January I will travel to Uganda to work with Engineering Ministries International. EMI interns help design things like schools, churches, and clean water systems in the developing world. Eventually, I hope to do this kind of work full time.

Since finding a purpose for my life, civil engineering classes have come alive! I envision myself using the skills that I learn to help people. It isn’t enough anymore to simply make the grade. The developing world needs competent and experienced engineers to find solutions to very serious problems. I have the heart to serve, but I need the skills. By earning a Masters of Engineering from Texas A&M, I hope to become an expert in the field of Environmental Engineering. Once I have earned the degree, I will find a job in the Industry and gain experience in the field of water treatment. Equipped with knowledge and experience, I will be more effective in my efforts to serve the third world.

I also wrote a poem. I was origionally going to send it along with the SOP, but have recently thought better of it.

I would rather tell you face to face.
So you could look into my eyes,
And know that I am serious.
If you could listen, I can talk
We could sit for an hour
And I could ask you the same questions
That I have asked myself
Is all that money worth it?
How many dollars will you make?
Could you live another twenty years,
Never wondering what’s been lost?
And after eating all your money
And drinking all your health,
What will you have?
What will we have?