Why I Want to Become a Biological Engineer Anonymous

From the time I was able to grasp the basic concepts of the body’s organ systems in elementary school, to my study of the laws of Isaac Newton and the applications of Le Châtelier's Principle, I have always been enraptured by the sciences. Even more so, I loved the fact that all the different scientific theories, whether it involved chemistry or environmental science, seemed to correlate with one another. However, it was during the summer of my sophomore year, when my interest in the sciences peaked. My family and I went on a trip to my parent’s native country of Ethiopia. While the first couple of weeks of the trip composed of me visiting distant relatives, it was towards the end of the visit when my mother encouraged my family to visit a tiny medical clinic located on the outskirts of Hawassa.

The moment I stepped foot in the hut-like medical building, my mind began to distinguish the various issues that were present in not only the organization of the building but also in the available treatments. As I viewed the inadequate care most of the people were receiving, I contemplated the different ways I could help. One woman’s treatment, in particular, stood out to me. She undoubtedly had a broken wrist, but instead of treating...