Beth Worthy
1/13/2025
We are thrilled to announce the 2024 Winter Semester winner of our academic scholarship, Lindsay Yan, an undergraduate student at the University of Texas at Austin. Lindsay’s exceptional dedication to her studies and her commitment to academic excellence have made her stand out as a deserving recipient of this scholarship. Congratulations, Lindsay! We can’t wait to see the amazing things you will continue to accomplish in the future! Learn more about Lindsay’s proudest achievements, as well as her academic and career aspirations.
Lindsay Yan: In the quiet of our living room, I would follow my older brother around, eagerly joining him in building Lego masterpieces. We’d spend hours snapping bricks together, following the instructions to create cars, spaceships, and cities. But as I grew older, I realized that life doesn’t always come with a manual. Unlike our Lego sets, our world has problems that don’t have clear-cut solutions. Now, I’m learning to think and build in new ways, relying on experimentation, analysis, and a relentless drive to innovate. As I step into the bustling campus at the University of Texas at Austin, that same spark of curiosity fuels me, but with a refined purpose. I am no longer just following instructions, I am crafting solutions, and engineering innovations that could one day leave a lasting imprint on our world. My short-term goal is to further develop my technical skills and gain hands-on experience through internships and research projects. In the long term, I aim to work in a field that addresses global challenges like renewable energy or sustainable design, contributing to a more sustainable and equitable world.
My experiences in community service, school organizations, and hands-on projects have taught me invaluable lessons in problem-solving, leadership, and communication. As a member of the Texas Rocket Engineering Lab, I’ve learned the importance of precision, teamwork, and perseverance. We are aiming to break the collegiate record of rocketry. I have been working on manufacturing and testing the airframe. This experience has honed my technical abilities and enhanced my understanding of how collaborative efforts drive innovation. Similarly, my involvement in the Student Engineering Council (SEC) has taught me the value of giving back to the community. Organizing events like our annual Casino Night, where we raised funds for a nonprofit, provided me with practical experience in leadership and communication. I had the opportunity to connect with nonprofit directors, understand their mission, market the event, and secure donations from corporations like Target, Uchiko, and Nespresso. These experiences have deepened my understanding of how engineers can play a vital role not only in technological advancement but also in social impact.
One of my most meaningful achievements was participating in the 2023 Make-a-thon, where my team and I designed a pen attachment to enable thumb-free writing for individuals with limited grip strength. This project allowed me to apply my engineering skills to solve a real-world problem, directly impacting people’s lives. Winning second place in the competition was gratifying, but even more rewarding was learning that one of the judges, the director of the Disabilities Cultural Center, found our product useful in her own life. This achievement not only reinforced my passion for mechanical engineering but also aligned with my long-term goal of making a positive, tangible impact on our world. This scholarship would be more than just financial support; it would be an investment in my mission to use engineering to enhance human capabilities and impact.
