STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

Life has always been a smooth flowing brook going through small dashes here and there with big
dreams travelling along to be achieved. My idea of dreams in my life can be best quoted as:

“ A dream acted upon by confidence becomes an ambition and that when followed with passion
defines the path to fulfil that ambition”.

With a sincere effort and a sense of gratitude towards the opportunity given to me, I pen down this
statement. Keeping up an inquisitive and explorative attitude, I believe, leads to a constant learning
process.

As a “Programmer Analyst” in Cognizant Technology Solutions- Bangalore and having graduated as

a Bachelor of Engineering in “Instrumentation Technology” from a reputed institution, I look forward
to refine my knowledge and skills in my areas of interest. I firmly believe it will also serve as a guide
to fulfil my dream of being an entrepreneur in a control system based field. I intend to pursue an MS
degree in order to achieve that goal.

As I perceive, life for me has been a process of conscious evolution. The most important part of this
growth is the value system taught to me by my parents, teachers and mentors, combined with a natural
interest in science. My interest towards science began way back when I presented a project at a
science exhibition in my school on “electro magnets”. I took up various national science talent
examinations at high school level and received a merit of first class. This further drove me towards
choosing “Instrumentation Technology” as the major discipline for my Undergraduate studies. This
decision gave me ample opportunity to consolidate my creativity and harness my technical skills.

The under-graduate course gave shape to my aspirations. As a part of the Undergraduate curriculum, I
was introduced to a variety of subjects like Control systems, Advanced Control systems,
Communication Systems, Logic Design, Instrument Transducers, which very much interested me as it
honed both my theoretical and practical knowledge. I topped the university in “Advanced Control
Systems” and “Micro and Smart System Sensors”, my score in “Process Control lab” was also
equally good. I also stood among the top 3 in the class in the subjects Digital Image Processing,
Digital Signal Processing, VLSI and Embedded Systems and Communication Systems.
Furthermore, I was exposed to subjects like Network Analysis, Analog Electronic Circuits,
Programmable Logic Controller, Robotics, microcontrollers, microprocessors and many more. I was
even made familiar with programming languages like C and C++. I continued my studies through
electives like Computer Networks.

A discourse from my lecturer when I was in my third semester of my graduation had certainly created
a curiosity within me to know more about control systems. This prompted me to undergo training in
“Advanced Control Systems” by means of a workshop at my college campus, which strengthened my
knowledge and skills in the vast area of Control Systems.

Out of self-interest, I did a mini project on obstacle avoiding robot with object avoiding features
using a microcontroller, MATLAB and Image Processing. I used the Arduino uno board and an
ultrasonic sensor. If the robot detected an object in front of it, with the help of a small servo motor, it
scanned the area left and right in order to find the best way to turn. It was a successful project but I
was disheartened by the fact that I couldn’t make the robot self-balancing and wanted to continue this
as my final year project but the ever-increasing vehicular traffic in Bangalore tempted me to do my
final year project on “Automated Traffic Control System based on traffic density” which mainly
used PIC microcontroller, infrared sensors and automation. It was the best learning experience I could
personally get as I worked on the design part of the project, a detailed study about PIC
microcontroller and automation. Our demonstration and detailing were well applauded by the entire
department. I presented a technical seminar on “LED based under water communication” where I
demonstrated how the communication performance like the talking distance and transmission speed
needs to be balanced and optimized, which makes the selection of circuitry components critical for
system design. The entire architecture proposed included a diode driver circuitry, a super blue LED,
photo diode, pre-amplifier, A to D converter, and two micro controller robots. I also pursued an in-
plant internship at “ACE Micromatic Limited”, a well-known control system firm where I was
provided with an industry orientation and insight into the various manufacturing processes. I was
particularly fascinated by control systems engineering, areas of automation and data acquisition
(SCADA). I was also briefed about the traction systems, excitation systems, semiconductors and
photovoltaics.

I was offered a job in Cognizant Technology Solutions and Wipro, two of the reputed IT firms out
there through on-campus placements. Provided the financial constraints I had, there was no other
option but to simply accept the offer as I had to financially support my family and also had to equip
myself with the proper funds for my masters. Over the last couple of years, I’ve been working in
Cognizant as a “Programmer Analyst”. My role in the current project is to create and run automated
test scripts for an insurance portal using selenium tool. This has enabled me to have a good hold on
Craft-Framework.

Apart from academics, I was part of the state lawn tennis team and represented the state at a national
level. I was an integral part of the district football team that represented the district at state level. Also,
I was the graduation cricket team captain. I was the main student co-ordinator for departmental tech
fest ‘ANANTHAM’ held under the student IEEE branch. In my pre-university college, I secured first
prize in English essay writing competition at state level. I have always believed in giving back my
best, to the society. I am an active volunteer of an NPO called LETS BE THE CHANGE. It is an
organization whose objective is to create a clean Bangalore City and educate people on importance of
segregation of waste. We have also conducted workshops in schools and business establishments to
educate people on the importance of a cleaner Bangalore.

Knowledge part and proper training are essential to succeed in today's highly competitive world. I am
applying what I have learnt so far but as the world changes each hour, I want to stay up to the mark
and this is what I expect to do from my higher education. The best place where I can achieve this is
Canada – a goon in developing new products and processes. As for education is concerned, Canada
would be the best option that any student can have.

To achieve my goals, I want to pursue a Master's program in Electrical and Computer engineering in
University of Toronto under the guidance of Professor Ken Ferens. It is the ideal way for me to
gain the knowledge and skills to stand tall as a professional. I would like to be guided under him
because of his pioneering engineering and research work done in the field of Telecommunication and
Embedded Systems. My inherent qualities of concentration and drive will see me through the
challenges along with a degree from your esteemed institution are the best tools to shape my future.

SHREYASH VENKATARAMA