About Lai, Yi-Cheng

I got an F in General Physics class for my starting year at National Taiwan University (NTU). Like most students in Taiwan, the thought my parents indoctrinated me influenced my attitude toward learning. I once believed that getting good grades to apply for top universities is the most important thing during the years in school. I studied diligently only to strive for academic achievements and rejected all chances for exploring extracurricular interests. However, after entering the university, that goal no longer existed anymore. Feeling a strong sense of emptiness, I lost my motivation for learning and started spending nearly all of my time on extracurricular activities. And that's the reason why my grades fall dramatically.

 

Under intense pressure from my parents, I refocus on the schoolwork. But even though I got good grades in the next year, I was worn out and couldn’t feel a trace of happiness while learning. I had tried to struggle and increased my exposure to various subjects aiming to find my interest. But the effect of  these haphazard attempts isn't obvious. As I was about to succumb to the situation, a trip before my junior year changed my life. Through traveling, I met two friends of the same age. They were just like me, studied hard all the way to enter the ideal university. However, while chatting about school life, they could talk passionately about their detailed plans for the future. I could see it clearly from their eyes that they possessed great passions for what they were learning. By contrast, the conversation left me speechless and shocked. But thanks to that, it prompted me to dig into my memories and reminded me of my interest.

 

My father is a cinema lover and sci-fi movies are his favorite. I often sat next to him and watched together. He always believes that high-tech robots in those movies will appear in real life one day. His belief and those movies inspired me to pursue my dream, a dream to create robots that help improve our lives. The cause might not seem as great as others and even sounds a bit silly. But it is indeed the most primitive and pure one that has always been deep down in my heart. I once lost it but fortunately I found it back. I then delved into the study in robotics and have stuck to it so far. I am now studying in Robotics at University of Michigan. I am still on my way to fulfill my dream and I will make every effort to achieve the goal. Since it took me so many years to find back my enthusiasm, I exceptionally cherish the hard-earned chances to keep learning in robotics. I will embrace any opportunity to develop my skills and flourish in the way that I have chosen.