Undergraduate / Laughter is the best med UC transfer Promp #2 [3]

Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experience that is important to you. What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud, and how does it relate to the person you are? *

If there is one motto that I follow the most its "laughter is the best medicine". All throughout my life, I have been the center of my friend's attention with my jokes and witty comments. As I grew older, I realized that there have been many times when laughing through a rough situation is the easiest and even the best way to cope with obstacles. In the midst of varsity swimming training season two years ago, my whole team's morale is generally low. Our bodies are broken down through a combined six hours of two-a-day practices and our minds are tired from the combination of school and competitions. One particular 5 am morning workout, we had a set of fifty back and forth laps on the one minute interval off the starting block. A wave of moans and grumbling fell over the cold and sleepy team but I decided to inject a bit of humor and words of inspiration in order to boast not only myself, but also those around me too. At the conclusion of each lap, I raced to get up first and yell out my teammates' names to encourage and even challenge them out of the water. For those who looked particularly winded, I would say a couple of inside jokes for them to chuckle it off. Of course deep down inside I was exhausted too; but with positive energy and some laughter, the pain was barely noticeable. The workouts continued to be tough for the rest of the year but so did my jesting. That season we rode our laughs and hard work to becoming Division II CIF champions and I went home with "Most Improved Swimmer" award. Times can get stressful whether it is during college or at work, but I know that I can get through my obstacles by having a clear goal and a sense of humor.

Undergraduate / "my interest in the medical and biotechnological world-UC transfer prompt 1 [2]

What is your intended major? Discuss how your interest in the subject developed and describe any experience you have had in the field - such as volunteer work, internships and employment, participation in student organizations and activities - and what you have gained from your involvement.

In retrospect, humans have exponentially increased their knowledge in every scientific field during the last couple of centuries. The unfortunate bottom line is that everyone still knows at least one person who is affected by some sort of sickness. Diseases have always been a factor in human history but through the advent of ever-improving technology, we have dramatically increased our lifespan and overall healthy. Biochemistry incorporates two of the biggest and fastest growing fields in science today. It has the versatility to allow us to work in numerous industries and look into life from the view of molecular interactions. With the increase of such pandemics as the bird flu and the ever resilient HIV virus, people are relying more than ever on drugs and the biotechnology industry, an industry that I ultimately belong in.

My father was a geothermal researcher at UCSD for a number of years. Naturally he had an affinity for science and that translated into science experiments and trips to the various museums in Balboa Park when I was young. During those trips, my love for science increased when my dad would quiz me on basic scientific ideas in the form of "puzzles" and I would answer them only to beg for more. Growing up in San Diego, I realized that I was in the epicenter of biotechnology when my gregarious dad would invite his colleagues and friends over for dinner to relax and talk about work. Many of them worked at large biotech companies like Amgen and Baxter and conversed about their projects on various drugs and diseases. Combined with their conversations and my inquisitive nature, I focused my interest in the medical and biotechnological world and biology became my favorite subject.

During freshman year of high school, thanks in part to one of the best biology teachers in the county, I was able to not only comprehend the various subjects and ideas, but also grow more fascinated with the intricacy of living organisms. I was fortunate enough to continue studying under this teacher the following year in A.P. Biology, a class that exposed me to the applications of biology through hands-on labs and field trips. Senior year, my high school was the first in the school district to start a biotechnology program, a class that required top biology students to jumpstart. Amongst twenty other students, I was among the first to test out all the equipments and labs that Invitrogen gave us. From extracting our own DNA from cheek cells to physically using such equipments as centrifuges and PCR machines, I got a glimpse at the biotechnology world and the way labs operate. Near the conclusion of the course, I was requested by my teacher to lead a group of five to make a logo and multimedia presentation regarding this class to present to the principle. It was an overwhelming success and to this day, the biotech class still uses my team's presentation to entice and welcome students into the class. The following semester, I volunteered to be the biotech teacher's student aide. From preparing samples of plasmids to setting up gel electrophoresis machines, I made sure weekly labs would run smoothly.

It was during freshman year of college, I had the honor to be in one of the most tenured and respected chemistry professors' class. Having graduated from UCSB herself, Professor van Koppen was able to connect with her students on a personal level. Combined with a charismatic personality and a love for chemistry that is reflected through her thought-provoking lectures, van Koppen showed me how essential chemistry is to biology. It is this revelation that I knew biology and chemistry intermingled to fit my personality and interest the most.

My background and experiences have served me with a strong will to continue my education in biochemistry. Although I only have high school experiences, I will continue to excel in my academics as well as finding an internship within the year to enhance my knowledge. My work ethic and desire to learn in this subject has provided me the necessary tools to excel make a difference in your university.