Personal Statement

In high school courses, I worked in the lab on conducting basic research experiments. Even though I learned quite a lot through these experiences, my most valuable research exposure came at The University of Texas at Austin. During my first semester, I took a course called Scientific Inquiry Across the Disciplines. This course was focused on discovering what research entails. My professor Dr. Reichler taught us how to analyze data and how to conduct a scientific inquiry from scratch. During the semester, I worked in a group to develop two unique inquiries from the ground up using a one hundred dollar budget. In these projects, we collected data for 2-4 weeks and presented our findings to our peers. This course not only helped me improve as

I have focused on service, learning, and personal growth in my extracurricular involvement. I have volunteered at a variety of settings, including a community hospital, dialysis clinic, rehabilitation center, senior citizen center, and public library. What I found most valuable from these diverse environments was the combined value of research and service. I understood this value at a dialysis clinic where dialysis machines were used to detoxify a patient’s blood. It was the service of the physician and technicians that made sure that the dialysis machines effectively treated the patients. Seeing how intricate and complex the dialysis machines were, I realized the importance of research behind developing these machines. I started thinking about how the individuals responsible for developing this technology had to really know how the machines would affect the care of the patient. In addition, through the National Honor Society and World Language Honor Society, I had the opportunity to tutor younger students at the elementary school. While as a member of the National Society of High School Scholars, I was able to participate in environmental cleanups and food drives. My

My interest in neuroscience came from my grandmother who has Alzheimer’s Disease. At a young age, it was difficult to understand why she did not recognize me nor remember my mother’s name. My grandmother’s memory deteriorated over time and it was hard to see her losing connection with the family. Through the care of her neurologist, I was able to learn more about the central nervous system and the impact of Alzheimer’s. I also had the chance to learn about vital medications that were given to my grandmother by her neurologist. Due to the assistance of the neurologist, the medications my grandmother was taking helped her improve tremendously. From this experience, I realized I wanted to continue to discover more about the brain, the nervous system, and other components of neuroscience. My interest in cancer research came from a similar experience with my grandfather. When I was seven years old, my grandfather was suffering from gastric cancer. At the time, family members would use the term cancer, but I did not really know what it meant. I witnessed my grandfather feeling ill, not wanting to eat, and vomiting. In my mind, I was wondering why the doctor cannot just fix him with medication? The experience my grandfather was having was clearly difficult to grasp at that age. However, the part of this experience that I was able to understand was the toll it was having on my family. The cancer was