Emma John

Background

About Emma John

I was born in Malaysia as a refugee and immigrated to Spokane, WA, when I was 12 years old in January 2014. For the 12 years I was in Malaysia, I was not granted citizenship, and in turn, I was not able to get an education. My first day going to school in the U.S. was a dream come true! My first day in 6th grade, I was introduced to the concept of ratios. I thought to myself, “Why are there two dots between two numbers?" while barely having the ability to speak English or do simple addition and subtraction. Now, I’m working with partial differential equations, numeric analysis, and complex analysis. Growing up, I had always been helping my father with his DIY projects, ranging from fixing TVs and computers to making an incubator out of a broken refrigerator. I had also assisted him with roofing, plumping, electrical work, and many other construction-related tasks. This was amazing, as he himself did not have any education past middle school. I have always been passionate about being an engineer, not only to find solutions to current world problems but also to fill my hunger for knowledge. Even after missing a few years of my education, I know that I can achieve my goal through genuine love for what I do. I am now an ActSix scholar and student at Whitworth University, working towards my B.S. in General Engineering. I plan to further my education and pursue a degree in aerospace engineering after graduation. During my time at Whitworth, I have poured my heart into different communities on campus by involving myself in various leadership positions, clubs, and volunteer opportunities. Immersing myself in these communities has made me realize my desire to give back to my community.I am also in the process of searching for and applying for internship and research opportunities to grow my exposure and knowledge in engineering. If you have any information to share or would like to connect, feel free to do so! To end, thank you for taking the time to read a snippet of my story and I hope you have such a beautiful day!