One of the biggest influences in my childhood was my uncle. He was an amateur radio operator and an avid electronics hobbyist. It was the mid-1990s in India, specialized electronic systems were prohibitively expensive, leading to the growth of home brew culture. Every evening I sat in his room and watched in wonder as he used his homemade radio, building strong bonds with people across great distances. His room, which also served as a workshop, was filled with a bewildering array of components and spare parts. Noticing me lurking, he would call me over and try to explain the basics. He mumbled, while I nodded enthusiastically, but being in elementary school I could never understand anything. This was my first introduction to electronics, igniting the flames of curiosity in me, burning brighter and brighter and illuminating my path. The first opportunity I had to exercise my pent-up curiosity about electronics was when I matriculated as an undergraduate at the Manipal Institute of Technology. The VLSI Design course in my fifth semester drew my attention towards microminiaturization technology. My reasons for such attention were multiple; I had a brilliant professor for this course, who placed great emphasis on pioneering research taking place at the micro scale. Furthermore, VLSI is the crucial link between electronic circuits and computing systems, both topics that are close to my heart. As a result, I selected the VLSI/ULSI Process Technologies elective course in the following semester. This course introduced me to the physics behind current manufacturing methodologies employed in the semiconductor industry. It brought back memories of the awe and wonder I had felt in my childhood. At this point,… halfway through the article… my research involved studying transport characteristics in semiconducting carbon nanotubes interfaced with metal probes. The Schottky-Barrier CNFET instrument published on NanoHUB by Dr. H.-S. Philip Wong et al., provided an excellent platform to test and refine my understanding of the phenomenon. In search of more information on the topic, I came across his book “Carbon Nanotube and Graphene Device Physics”, which once again proved indispensable. Dr. Wong's group has made unprecedented contributions to the field of carbon nanotube-based computing systems. If given the opportunity, I would be happy to study and work alongside such a distinguished professor. Additionally, Stanford University has a long-standing focus on research excellence. I have cultivated an interest in research in the field of nanoelectronics and am now eager to undertake graduate studies.