My Essential Question


EQ: I want to spend my career designing and improving railroad lines in order to improve the United States’ railroad transportation network; however, I must know the process, standards, and methods first. So, how is an area of land evaluated in order to develop a beneficial railroad line?

I selected this question because my life has always revolved around railroads, and I want that to remain true in my future. I've always had a strong interest in railroads, but through my mentorship, I've learned that I really like laying things out, not designing them. I am really excited about answering this question because I can take the knowledge I gain from the process and use it as experience to contribute to my country by significantly improving its railroad transportation network. Because the question is about the topic that is so ingrained into my every action, I believe that it is an accurate reflection of my desire to learn more about railroad planning and layout.

Throughout my teenage years, I've used simulators to recreate real rail lines in order to analyze their methods of operation and the challenges that their terrains present. I can take that experience, combine it with what I’m learning as a structural engineering mentee about fluid dynamics, wind loads, soil consistencies, and weather patterns, and head up the reconstruction of our geographically diverse nation’s rail lines so that we all may have a brighter, more prosperous future. I will have to collaborate with experts in each of the aforementioned fields in order to begin and (if I’m lucky) complete the arduous and challenging task that I love so much.

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