Dean Kamen

A young boy lies awake on his bed, unable to fall asleep as he wonders what his future holds. He is already entering the momentous interim between adolescence and adulthood and yet still struggles with his formal education while deciding a path for the future. Time is of the essence. His face draws down to a frown as he thinks of his confident peers, already succeeding towards a career of their choice. But a small smile soon replaces it when he focuses on what little he is certain of: his never ending curiosity of the world around him and his undeniable fascination towards inventing and science. Eyes closed, the smile remains as he drifts off to a world filled with infinite inventions. That young boy is now known by the name of Dean Kamen. Born on April 5, 1951, in Rockville Centre, New York, to a magazine illustrator and a high school teacher, Dean came from humble beginnings. Even though he was a mediocre student, he was interested in challenging works written by famous scientists such as Isaac Newton and was devoted to self-study. By the time he was in high school, he developed a fascination for science and engineering and began tinkering with inventions. However, he only officially debuted in the scientific community after his invention of the AutoSyringe and the founding of AutoSyringe Inc., to manufacture and market the product. He later sold the company and founded DEKA to continue working on his own projects while still accepting other research work. As he continued to flourish and gain more attention, Kamen continued to work with the same passion of which he started out with. His new financial status and scientific title did not deter him from his original goal -  to find solutions to the world's problems through the use of science and technology and spread its benefits to those less fortunate. Kamen's inventions have contributed to the further development of both science and technology, earning him much respect and wealth; however, it is his strong character and resolute beliefs that define his success.

Dean Kamen's determination to stay in engineering and science, pushed him to overcome obstacles and overlook others' criticisms in order to continue following his passion and ambitions. During Kamen's college years at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute, his brother approached him with a medical problem involving drug doses for diabetic children and patients. While Kamen worked intently to find an innovative solution with his AutoSyringe, it led him to forfeit his studies at the Institute and: "...after five years as a student, Kamen was deemed to have made insufficient progress toward a degree and was asked to leave...[However], Kamen was undeterred  by his experiences with formal education and continued inventing" ("Dean Kamen" Gale Biography in Context). Kamen's refusal to let his educational faults set him back from his passion, even when it was something as important as failing to receive a degree, exemplifies his firm determination to follow his goals. From the start, Kamen's strong mindset pushed him to follow through with his convictions even when there were risks and consequences. Years later, the inventor still possessed that strong sense of persistence to continue down his own path despite the discouragement around him. This was accurately portrayed when he created: "...the Segway...[it] was futuristic, innovative, but a disappointment...the hype surrounding the device before its releases apparently made out the Segway to be much more than it actually was...Undaunted, Kamen continued to invent devices that...[liberated, accommodated, and even saved lives]..." (McDonald). He remained focused on his dedication for engineering and science, even when confronted by obstacles. Although people thought negatively of his inventions and the critics provided constant censure, Kamen did not let that bother him and continued to invent other life-saving and innovative creations. His determination to stick to his goals later earned him the title of a renowned scientist and inventor and regained him a degree awarded by the Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Although he faced many major obstacles, Kamen's strong mindset refused to let him be inhibited by such setbacks and urged him to pursue his love for science and technology.

His naturally humble personality allowed him to remain focused and diligent with his work, even when he was taunted by fame and fortune. When asked about his unique choice of daily work clothes, Kamen, a multimillionaire, explained, "'...I wear these clothes [jeans and work shirt] because I work. And frankly, the message sent by suits and ties--which is 'I don't really work'--is offensive to me'" ("Dean Kamen" Biography Today). Although already an affluent businessman, Kamen however does not believe that fancy formal clothing is befit of him. He does not hesitate to wear casual work clothes every day because he is a worker like any other employee, and will use his own hands to perform tasks. Kamen's humility affects his overall work character, allowing him to work alongside any other employee despite his different financial status, and thus defining him as a hard worker. Although he is a successful and wealthy CEO, Kamen is different from other businessmen in that: "No one has accused Kamen of not working. It's not uncommon for him to spend as much as 20 hours a day on the job. Sometimes he's attending to the details of business operations, sometimes he's bounding around the DEKA offices to check on the progress of the other engineers. He also performs hands-on tasks himself, both in the office and in the machine shop he has at his home, where he sometimes continues to experiment with designs long after midnight" ("Dean Kamen" Biography Today). Rather than having his employees do the work for him, Kamen is a firm believer of self-work. He works just as hard as everyone else in his company if not more, and continues to act as another employee while maintaining the position of a boss, not just someone who simply bosses others around. Kamen's humility causes him to not differentiate himself from his employees and therefore allows him to diligently pursue his work.

Kamen's aim to promote goodness by assisting and easing the lives of those in need are passionately shown through his inventions and work ethics. When asked as to the reasoning behind his work, Kamen explains, "'I'm looking to give people alternatives and options that give them a better quality of life,' he said...most interested in providing essential goods to the poorer inhabitants of the globe...'...let's make devices to give people water and electricity and education.' he reasoned. 'The solution...is to give people hope...'" ("Dean Kamen" Biography Today). As an inventor and scientist, Kamen believes in the potential of both technology and science, and wishes to harness that potential to better the lives of the less fortunate. His belief motivates him to find solutions by means of his inventions and share them with the world. This altruistic aspect of Kamen's makes him an admirable figure in the world of science and innovation. Besides his belief in the potential of engineering and science, Kamen also believes there is a difference between inventing something and creating a breakthrough discovery: "In order for an invention to become an innovation," he says, "you have to have such a compelling story that people are willing to say, 'Yesterday, this is what I did and how I did it, but this represents such a big improvement that I am willing to change' " (Svoboda). The defining difference between a simple invention and an innovation is that one is something that is although useful and helpful to an extent, it is not a needed necessity, whereas the other is a momentous, life-altering creation. This driving aspect of Kamen's has led to the invention of countless devices that have either saved lives or allowed those less fortunate to live a normal life, such as the iBot, a motorized wheelchair that can climb stairs and travel through different terrain, or a robotic prosthetic arm nicknamed "Luke," which possesses detailed motor skills and is controlled through electrical signals sent by the nerve system. Kamen's inventions were created with the idea of helping the less fortunate, and more recently: "Kamen has embarked on yet another type of mission...with his work to develop a new water treatment system for underdeveloped nations. His energy-efficient system can turn contaminated water into clean water via a distilling process; Kamen maintains that his system has the potential to help sole serious health caused by waterborne pathogens around the world" (Lemelson-MIT). Kamen's inventions were meant to better the lives of others. Kamen has not thought of the money or fame his inventions would bring him; he simply wishes to follow his passion for science and engineering and create a better world with it. Kamen continues to look for solutions to problems from all around the world even though his current inventions have already gained him national fame and wealth. His kindness and concern for others is shown as he looks out for the welfare of others in his own unique way, through the power of technology and science. Although an already renowned inventor and scientist as well as a successful businessman, Kamen still seeks out ways to better the lives of those in need through his inventions.

Eminence and opulence does not define one's success, rather it is one's resoluteness and morality that determines it. Despite being constantly told that, "People make plans and God laughs," Kamen continued to follow his love for inventing. He remained steadfast to his aim for helping others through his inventions and use of technology and science. As a result, he achieved much success in life as well as an elevated financial status. However that did not hinder him either and besides staying true to his goal, he remained modest with his work. Kamen inspires people by setting an example of himself through his loyalty and determination to aid the less fortunate while also being humble. As a maturing adolescent, I learn from Kamen's persistence to fight for my dreams and to triumph over any obstacles before me. Kamen's modesty and humanitarian goals remind me to look past the materialism in the world and live altruistically. His dream turned into reality, the once confused young boy now lives in a world of gadgets and the latest in technology and inventions - one where he is also a respectable inventor and scientist likened to that of a modern-day Thomas Edison. Unfortunately, this world is not what he thought it would be and so he continues striving towards a better, revised version of his original dream. When asked why he continues following his passion despite his successes, he responds with: "'Life is really, really short...This perspective gives me a sense of urgency. With that sense of urgency, I get up every day and think that I do not want to waste any time. And if you don't want to waste time, you look at all the problems you can work on and say, "I only want to work on the big problems. I am only going to work on the ones that matter.'" (Lidwell).