Sample Essay: Behind the Engineer
Tuesday, October 21st, 2008Whenever I sit to ponder how the engineer’s thought pattern proceeds before he makes the things he gives us, I begin to wonder if the world would ever pay him enough for how much easier he has made life for us. I can remember when I graduated from secondary school and how much I struggled with choosing between becoming a medical doctor and an engineer. I love medicine but have always loved engineering so much that my passion for it finally won over medicine. May more youths around the globe today are in such dilemma and may need the guidance of parents, teachers and counselors to make the right choice after the assessment of their talents, personalities. With my insatiable hunger to know the way things work, why they work and my longing to make them myself, I immediately knew I was cut for engineering.
More than anything else, engineering is more than just a profession; it is a life time calling to take human civilization to another plane of existence. It is an action word and concerns itself basically with problem solving. Having its own methodology and philosophy, it goes beyond premises, arguments and ideals and deals with the practical application of ideas, analysis and designs to real life problems. Armed with his mathematical skills and an average to highly peaked creativity quotient, he is a formidable match for modern life challenges. The engineer is happy when his friends in the sciences make discoveries but however not contented and rushes in to apply them to his products. To solve a problem according to Einstein, one must rise above the consciousness that created the problem. Being a problem solver, he rises in consciousness above the agent that created the problem. Though he or she stands in awe of “Engineer Nature”, the engineer is never intimidated by her creations or naturally imposed limitations. To break the distance barrier, he invented cars and jetliners that cruise at supersonic speeds. To break the communication barrier, he invented the radios, televisions and satellites. To assist the medics in fighting the host of diseases and micro-organisms that assail modern man, he provided and in some cases assisted in developing products like scanning machines, EEG, surgical robots, electronic dialyzing machines, electron microscopes and many more.
Engineering single handedly has contributed so much to the economies of nations and in reducing unemployment. In the book “50 Companies That Changed the World” by Howard Rothman, more than half of the companies listed were engineering companies or companies which subsisted solely on engineering products. For any nation taking growth and development seriously, she should take engineering seriously. For example, the General Electric Company founded by Thomas Edison whose primary products are electrical equipments, home appliances and jet engines have annual sales of $110.832 billion and 340 000 number of employees. IBM with an annual sale of $87.548 billion and primary products like computer hardware, peripherals has a total of 307,401 people as employees. I would like to encourage those wishing to pursue a career in engineering to pursue their dream because it will always end up in a life fulfilling adventure. Who says there are no other cute professions out there? I know a thousand and one from which anyone can choose. This is not about putting down other professions. It’s about my love and passion for invention, novelty and something new. It’s about sharing my fascination with engineering with other people who may also feel the same way I do.
Gathered here today on the grand stage of human civilization, and before distinguished ladies and gentlemen, I have the honor and privilege to introduce to you a giant. He is more than a Hercules, Hector or an Achilles. He is Titan of Titans. Embodying and personifying creativity, his influence and products are felt and seen in all areas of human endeavors. Check out the speed of his jetliners, his magnificent towers, bridges and ships. Check out the strength and power of his hydraulic machines to mention only but a few. Dear distinguished ladies and gentlemen, once again I invite you to behold the engineer!