January 29, 2019

 

Thomas Collins

City College of New York

160 Convent Ave

New York, NY 10031

 

Subject: Letter of Introduction

 

Dear Professor Collins:

 

My name is Benjamin Lau, and I am currently a freshman at City College majoring in Biomedical Engineering. I am writing to let you know more about myself, both as a writer and an engineering student.

 

I never liked writing. Sure, it is abstract, creative, and completely unique to the individual, but I dislike it because I am not very good at it. I would always read beautiful pieces written by great authors and compare myself to them, bewildered by the difference in our levels of writing. Realizing that I could never write as well as them, I have taken a slight disliking to the subject.

 

On the other hand, I have always had a strong affinity for math and sciences. Like writing, I am not the best in the science department; however, my strong curiosity and desire to learn overcame my inexperience in the subject. I despise solving chemistry problems, but I love to see and comprehend our world at a microscopic level. I was never good at physics, but the logical understanding behind our massive universe has always perplexed me. Though science is not my strong suit, I still love it for its beauty and everyday applications. In addition, I enjoyed volunteering and helping others in high school. Thus, when it came to choosing a major, I decided to combine all of my interests into one, resulting in Biomedical Engineering (BME).

 

Because my major is so diverse and flexible, I have the option to branch off into certain concentrations like biology, chemistry, or engineering when it comes to looking for a job. I also have the option to work particularly with the major itself, but jobs are not prevalent in such a specific field, so I will most likely consider the first choice. My goal is to either perform research in a laboratory or a hospital, or work for a large company. I wish to help individuals experiencing certain abnormalities with their bodies and provide relief to their pains or injuries. I have just obtained a position as a research assistant at the Barabino Lab on campus for tissue engineering in hopes that I will gain necessary experience in both the lab and my science classes. I do not recall having any memorable achievements in my life, but I hope that succeeding in my current occupation and earning my degree will be my first of many.

 

Since I desire to help others, especially my family and friends, I imagine myself either as a researcher or a designer of a product in the engineering field. My position at the Barabino Lab is research assistant. The topic of study is tissue/cartilage engineering where we examine how stem cells differentiate into different types of cells to repair different types of tissues in the body. Though I have not actually started working, I have already read about articular cartilage, types of differentiation, and mesenchymal stem cells. After reading and researching, I see myself learning about the human anatomy and applying the knowledge into my experiments in the future. I also considered designing because that is where the actual “engineering” comes in: the construction of certain tissues or parts.

 

The world is advancing quickly in technology and science, meaning that the STEM field will be strongly desired. Hence, the biggest challenge I will face in the engineering field is competing with the rest of the STEM pursuers. Another challenge that I will face is that there will definitely come a time when a disease or injury cannot be treated or cured. That will be a time of late night coffee sessions, piles of research papers on the table, and nonstop typing and researching. It will be a tough challenge, but I would love to be involved because of my ambition to assist others.

 

I came in a little late on the first day, so I might have missed your introduction. If I may ask: what is your experience with writing and engineering?

 

Sincerely,

Benjamin Lau