Learning simultaneously widens and contracts the world; through learning, the world widens as one gains opportunities and has an elevated position to accomplish these possibilities and the world contracts as one focuses on a topic and uses this focus to affect the entire world. I have long loved learning, and long ago made earning a masters and Ph.D. degree a personal goal. As I studied for my undergraduate degree I discovered that beyond merely doing well at mathematics, I actually love it. As I worked with Dr. Koebbe in undergraduate research, I focused on applied mathematics rather than pure theoretical mathematics; this research experienced coupled with courses I took in engineering kindled a desired to apply mathematics to design solutions to and improve a myriad of issues. Thus, I decided to continue my education in graduate school studying robotics—a field of applied mathematics that impacts the world. Furthermore, I greatly pride myself in being efficient with my time and this desire for optimization helped me realize that through applied mathematics much could be gained by merely refining already known processes. Studying robotics at Penn State will allow me to both streamline existing processes and also being able to creatively design new solutions. …show more content…
Particularly since my goal is to earn a Ph.D., the master’s program at Penn State offers a stepping stone to learn and gain more time to research. The desire I have to learn and my attention to detail drives me to learn the subjects in my courses beyond what the courses teach and this attitude will make me a reliable, strong master’s student. Furthermore, I am driven to learn as much about my chosen field as I can, and because a master’s program is more specialized than a bachelor’s degree, the opportunity to have a more focused study on a subject I am passionate about is invaluable to