It is a natural human instinct to feel joy when seeing someone you’ve raised succeed.
While I’m still too
young to have children, I experience a similar sense of fulfillment through my own mechanical designs.
My interest in engineering began at around the age of 5, sparked by YouTube videos showcasing
creative building games such as Minecraft and Scrap Mechanic. I was fascinated by how imagination can
push the boundaries of human understanding. This passion, that kept growing, led me to build small
models with LEGO, cardboard, and common household materials. I also broadened my knowledge to
include coding, physics, and electronic hardwares, all through self-study, based solely on online
resources.
Although it may seem ordinary, one of my proudest achievements was building a 3,000-piece LEGO car.
This project marked a turning point during the COVID-19 pandemic. Initially, I enjoyed the break from
school and assignments, but after a few weeks, boredom set in. That’s when I turned to the Bugatti
LEGO Technic set my parents had gifted me for my birthday. The combination of its complexity, gearbox,
suspension, and detailed exterior made it a significant challenge for me at just 12 years old.
Nevertheless, I was not deterred; in fact, I was fascinated. I began by organizing the pieces into different
piles and reading through the instructions. Each morning before online classes, I diligently assembled
the Bugatti, watching my progress grow. With each step, I could feel my arduous effort paying off.
Finally, after two endless months, I completed that supercar. I was so excited about it, that all I could
think about was how to show it off to everyone.
Unfortunately, all that satisfaction quickly faded after a mere week. At the time, I didn’t comprehend
why. Eventually, I realized that my sense of fulfillment came mostly from following my own ideas rather
than someone else’s. I thrive in the face of challenges and enjoy developing designs and solutions from
scratch by testing components, finalizing products, and learning skills along the way. Being confined to
only following mindless instructions left me feeling unfulfilled in a way that's hard to explain.
Despite all the work I put into the Bugatti for over two months, I decided to take it apart. With those
pieces, I challenged myself to redesign the car from the ground up, aiming to create an F1 race car using
only what I already had. I spent time contemplating which mechanical parts to use, often designing and
redesigning various aspects of the race car repeatedly before settling on the best approach. While this
might seem pointless to most people, I find greater enjoyment in this kind of progress. I take pride in
seeing my efforts transform into a beautiful machine. Even though it took a long time to complete, I feel
extremely proud when I look at my F1 car—the one that I created entirely on my own.
This is just an example of what I typically do when I’m bored. Yet, each time, it makes my desire burn
even brighter. These are some of the things in which I find true happiness. Humans are curious by
nature; we 'die' if we stop being curious about our world. That’s why, for me, engineering has always
fueled my drive to learn and understand my surroundings.
