1) Tell us what you'd like to major in at Cornell, and why or how your past academic or work experience influenced your decision, and how transferring to Cornell would further your academic interests. Responses should be no longer than 3000 characters
In college, I want to gain the skills that would allow me to contribute to the upcoming Fifth Industrial Revolution. In my mind, this requires two steps: innovating new ideas and promoting them to the world. Cornell University College of Engineering and its Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) major uniquely allows me to engage in the hands-on practice of entrepreneurship and gain knowledge outside of the engineering field. Courses such as Entrepreneurship for Engineers and Entrepreneurial Management for Engineers directly feed my interests in developing the skills to become an engineer and an entrepreneur. Having the opportunity to major in Electrical and Computer Engineering while minoring in Entrepreneurship is something I don’t find anywhere. Innovating new ideas to benefit the society has always been a dream for me. I hope to receive the building blocks from Cornell to make my dream a reality.
I am eager to join the Cornell Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers(Cornell IEEE) and the Cornell chapter of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) clubs and be part of the like-minded peers who are just as passionate about acquiring and applying the knowledge they learned from the ECE program to a higher level. As a student who has no hands-on experience in anything technological, the passion of wanting to learn more about how to design, manufacture, and program an autonomous robot has grown immensely. I strive to push my physical and conceptual knowledge to participate in national and international competition levels, help my team to succeed, and increase the reputation of Cornell worldwide. I am committed to using the knowledge I acquire from Cornell IEEE and AIAA to design and build the most cost-efficient agricultural vehicles not only for farmers back home in Malaysia, but also every other nation. Cornell ECE’s faculty, along with the small tight-knit community of talented peers from all around the world, would bring out the best of me as I commit myself to their success.
Having mentored my peers, I was eager to read through the student testimonials from the Cornell Alumni-Student Mentoring Program (CASMP) program. I want to apply the knowledge I gain at Cornell into the professional world, and I believe that the CASMP program will be instrumental in my success. Building connections with alumni would allow me to obtain knowledge about work-life balance and synergize with my mission to innovate within the agriculture industry.
Furthermore, ECE’s unique curriculum path provides me the flexibility to complete internships during summer, where I can seek once-in-a-lifetime opportunities in New York. Due to my experiences at ECE, I would be ready to lead a team to empower them while taking on the world’s magnificent challenges to create a transformative technological world.
2) How does continuing your education at a new institution help you achieve your future goals?
Having completed most of the lower-division courses needed to transfer at a 122 acres size community college in California, the spirit of grit is now engraved in my mind. In the process, I have developed an extreme hunger for in-depth knowledge and hands-on experience in the engineering field at Cornell University. I am now prepared and looking forward to transferring to Cornell.
My reasons for transferring are almost entirely academic. I was caught up by the Robotic research at the world-recognized ECE program at Cornell and was hoping to be part of it one day. Moreover, I have the opportunity to acknowledge the study environment and lovely community of Cornell through many of my connections at the National Assembly of Malaysian Students in America, EducationUSA Malaysia, and Cornell Malaysian Association (CMA). No Malaysian student has ever transferred to Cornell in history, but I have faith that I can be the first one. Transitioning to Cornell as a transfer student during a global pandemic will be difficult. But I have dealt with similar difficulties during my time at Foothill College, and I have the capabilities and resourcefulness to adapt to Ithaca. I am excited to complete my last two years of upper-division courses on the journey of graduating as an Electrical and Computer Engineering major. Undeniably, receiving an unrivaled education at Cornell would be a life-changing opportunity to guide me one step closer towards my dream.
Agriculture has always been synonymous with hope for me. While my peers viewed agriculture as unlucrative, I’ve made it my mission to empower the farmers back home in Malaysia through modern technology and principles. It pained me to watch the farmers of our community grow increasingly fatigued, their shoulders gradually drooping. Not only did they suffer physically, but they had to bear the mental stresses of frequent weather changes. Their techniques were ages behind modern global technology, and new generations have grown reluctant to take up their vocation. While my desire to help the farmers has grown exponentially, anxiety at seeing this likely future outcome never released its hold.
My burning passion didn’t fizzle out over time, I fostered it through an internship at Advansia Drone Co.Ltd, an agricultural drone company. It was there I had the opportunity to closely examine drones’ electrical designs and artificial intelligence systems. My desire to combine cloud computing and artificial intelligence to enhance agricultural technology for the farmers back home has never faltered. Taking STEM classes has furthered my expertise in ECE, and I firmly believe that the world-class education at Cornell University will help me achieve my dream. By investing in me, Cornell invests in the future of our global food supply, considering the nation of Malaysia is a net export