I intend to double major in mechanical engineering and business. Essentially, I want to pursue engineering because it would empower me to innovate and build any machine I desire. Whether it's designing sustainable water-testing devices to innovating credit cards that prevent the accumulation of germs, I really want to pursue an engineering degree because it will empower me to solve the world's biggest problems. Ideally, I would like to create a startup in the future because I love the idea of being my own boss and being on the frontier of technological innovation. This is why I also want to pursue a business degree, building the skills necessary to successfully run a business. After reading an MIT paper on electroaerodynamic propulsion (thrust produced by ions). I find it fascinating how this groundbreaking new technology can create thrust without moving parts and without making any emissions. Hopefully, I would be able to create a startup that fits airplanes with sustainable, Star Wars-esque ion drives!
As for a famous person in the world of mechanical engineering, I chose Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla and SpaceX. Elon Musk attended the University of Pennsylvania and earned two degrees in Physics and Business (similar to my career plans). He attended Stanford for two days pursuing a masters degree in physics, before dropping out and ultimately founding PayPal. Thus, he didn't have internship experience or complete a graduate degree before starting his career; he jumped right into the startup culture. He went on to create SpaceX in 2002 in an effort to create reusable rockets, which are cheaper and more sustainable compared to current rockets. In 2004, he founded Tesla and sold the Model S, which became the best-selling electric car of all time. In five words, Elon is intelligent (his genius enabled him to start so many successful companies), eccentric (he's quite socially awkward), motivated (he is known to work 100+ hour weeks), decisive (he makes quick decisions and follows through with them), and a visionary (he has started so many different companies to achieve his vision for the world). Moreover, I chose to research Elon because I deeply respect his drive. He has created so many different startups that turned out very successful. He spends his time and fully invests himself in reaching his big goals of making big technological innovations and creating a more clean planet. Personally, I'm interested in the aerospace industry, and I am amazed at how quickly SpaceX has become dominant in the space industry. I truly believe the privatization of the space industry will massively accelerate space exploration, which will induce massive scientific and technological advancements for the benefit of humanity. As for his career path, I appreciate how he didn't waste his time working for a company; instead, he was a trailblazer and set out on his own path early on. He persisted so much through all of his endeavors in order to create a multitude of successful companies, and that's something I would also aspire to do. The only aspect of Elon Musk's career path that I dislike is his acquisition of Twitter. Evidently, he got too distracted with involving himself in politics, which has made him such a polarizing figure. He could have served humanity better by focusing his time and effort on SpaceX and Tesla, which have the potential to revolutionize the world.
