2021 Stabler Donor Impact Report R4

ENGINEERING Name: Jalen Cotton Hometown: Bronx, NY Major: Civil Engineering Class: 2023 Favorite activity: Basketball Favorite faculty or staff: Professor Spencer Quiel, Civil and Environmental Engineering Dream job: Not sure yet! What pushes me to pursue my education at Lehigh is my young- er brother. Since I was little, I always wanted a brother. Seven years ago, my wish finally came true. My younger brother looks up to me, and he tries to do everything I do. Knowing the influ- ence I have on him at such a young age, I think it would be very selfish of me to not lead by example. Having been remote since my second semester of my fresh- man year, I haven’t been able to meet a lot of my professors in person. Through this online period, one professor that I really enjoyed was Dr. Spencer Quiel. Although I was learning remote- ly, it felt as if I was sitting in a classroom. Dr. Quiel made sure to explain each and every topic to the best of his ability until each student understood. Besides classes, one thing that I can say that I really enjoy is working out. Over this pandemic, going to the gym wasn’t always ideal. I would have a lot of school work to do, and the trip to and from the gym would push my school work time back. I’ve now ordered several sets of gym equipment and built a very small gym in my basement. Now, I am able to work out before my first class starts. One Bible verse that I carry with me throughout life is, “To whom much is given, much will be re- quired.” To me, giving back is very important. Giving back is all about showing your gratitude to those that help put you in a position to achieve something better. Giving back is the ability to reassure them that their contributions did not go in vain. In this spirit, thank you for the Stabler Scholarship.