Dear Potential Beneficiary:

 

The level of excellence required for engineering at A&M has armed me with a foundation you can have confidence in. In all tasks you will find me enthusiastic, and attentive. Moreover, I am determined to be as productive for your team as possible from day one.

You will find that I am an extremely productive person, possessing great determination. When I am given an opportunity and an objective, I will deliver results. A few instances of this include:

At 16 years old, I decided I would become an engineer. So, I landed an internship at a local engineering firm and within days, I was working as a paid lab assistant.

My brother finished high school 7^th in a class of 550. Therefore, I finished 5^th in my class of 650.

I was determined that I was going to engineering school at A&M, where 9,961 applicants vied for 3,303 slots. I received my acceptance immediately. In truth, I didn’t even apply anywhere else.

During my first semester at A&M, a professor continually noticed a unique approach to the computer coding displayed in my work. Consequently, the professor recruited me to teach my peers an introductory engineering course the next semester.

While studying abroad in Tixméhuac, one of the poorest cities in the Yucatan peninsula, I was able to help with their desperate need for clean water. Both by designing a water pump — coded in MATLAB and LabView — and devising a water filtration system using discarded materials.

This experience fueled my passion for solving real world problems through engineering.

In 2020, an aging Texas A&M research lab faced escalating utility expenses. A previous automation upgrade in 2015 failed to alleviate the issue. I was on one of the teams which had been challenged to submit energy management proposals for the building.

The overwhelming consensus was that aging air handler units were the culprit, so replacing all nine was the basis of almost all the proposals.

But I convinced my teammates that we shouldn’t jump to conclusions.

While conducting an energy audit, we noted that the facility wasn’t just warm, but also humid. Additionally — when interviewing the occupants — we discovered the lab’s computers were left on 24-7 for remote access instead of employing a cloud service. Furthermore, using an online monitoring system, we proved the air handlers were performing well.

So, I asked a simple question: Where is the cool air going?

In response, we reexamined the lab. Inside, we found heat emanating from a glass façade installed in 1957.  Outside, we observed cold air escaping from the seals.

Ultimately, we did not replace any air handlers. Instead, we proposed replacing all the windows — including the north facing, floor-to-ceiling glass wall — with energy efficient seals and panes. Our proposal, employing these and other strategies — such as the cloud server — was chosen and implemented. It is projected to cut the lab’s utility costs in half while staying under budget.

I offer several unique traits and abilities, including a passion for complex problem solving, a gift for thinking out of the box, and a deep-seated need to perpetually learn.  I thrive on the connections I form with team members, supervisors, and clients with whom I work.

A graduate of Texas A&M with a Chemical Engineering B.S., I also obtained a Certificate in Energy Engineering through intensive study of highly specific fields, including energy management and sustainable design. Of my own initiative I have subsequently added additional courses in biology, expanded my coding skills to include the fundamentals of C++, and obtained further work experience by tutoring college students and accepting a teaching position with Sylvan Learning Center.

Thanks so much for the opportunity to tell you a little about myself and my interest in Weaver. I believe I am an ideal candidate, and I would be a formidable asset to your company for this position because of my unflinching commitment to service.

I look forward to hearing from you.

 

Sincerely,

Addison McLaughlin