January 29, 2019

 

Dr. Thomas Collins

Professor at City College of New York

City College of New York

160 Convent Ave

New York, NY 10031

 

Attention Line: Professor Collins

 

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 and 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 of the subject.

 

On the other hand, I have always had a strong affinity for the math and sciences. Like writing, I am not the best in the science department; however, my strong curiosity and desire to learn triumphed 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 the sciences are 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 as well. 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 my position as a research assistant at the Barabino Lab on campus for tissue engineering in hopes that I will gain the necessary experience in both the lab and the sciences. 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, and of course, the increase in potential workers. 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