At eight years old, my view of the world shifted when my grandfather had his first stroke. It was a frightening experience because it was my first time witnessing a loved one deal with the negative effects of aging. Since then, I have watched my grandfather’s memory change to the point where it has become somewhat of a paradox. I have seen him be at a complete loss for the word “pizza” and not two hours later quote the musical, The Music Man, verbatim. This change in my grandpa is what initially sparked my interest in studying the aging mind in hopes to eventually help improve the quality of life for those living with dementia and other age-related diseases. Throughout high school, I had several volunteer opportunities in which I interacted with elderly persons. Occasionally, on Sundays, I would go to the local nursing home to sing to the residents. I found this to be a very rewarding experience. Not only were the residents incredibly kind when I sang off key, but they were more than willing to tell me stories and to impart to me some of the wisdom they had …show more content…
I am particularly interested in the aging and development emphasis that is offered within NSCS. I know the next four years will bring challenges, but I look forward to facing them with resilience. Throughout high school, I learned valuable lessons in diligence, hard work and time management. I learned to prioritize my time and balance myself in the midst of school, music, social, student council, volunteer and religious obligations. Ultimately, this helped me achieve my goal of graduating as valedictorian and receiving a scholarship to a reputable university. I believe the abilities of organization and hard work that I developed throughout my younger years are skills that will help me through the different opportunities and responsibilities I face at the University of