A Life Mission Austin Gao

While taking care of a young boy afflicted by muscular dystrophy, I was fascinated by his Permobil C300 wheelchair - the awe-inspiring drivetrain that pitted sheer torque against disheveled terrain, the intuitive and maneuverable joystick driving interface, and the blisteringly fast 5 mile-per-hour top speed. However, my curiosity quickly yielded to the inner innovator inside me, who found the chair’s faults - the burdensome price tag that excludes impoverished disabled children nationwide, the rapidly depleting battery incapable of lasting a full day, and the astonishing vulnerability to water that made showering a hazard. Above all else, my camper still longed to perform the most perfunctory of tasks without my constant aid and attention.

I envision the opportunity to advance the lives of the children at Muscular Dystrophy Association Summer Camp through their wheelchairs, to improve their quality of life through technology, the quintessential principle of engineering. With a fostering, challenging, and rule-breaking environment at Cornell University College of Engineering, I’ll possess the knowledge, tools, and experience necessary to galvanize a transformation in the campers’ lives. With Cornell’s proven culture of...