Undergraduate / New Rochelle Youth Council; Common app / Extracurricular Activity [2]

Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences in the space below (1000 character maximum).
It is true that helping someone makes you feel a "helpers high." Helping people out and giving back to my community has always been important to me. In ninth grade I joined the New Rochelle Youth Council, an organization which provides service to society. Our intergenerational events, Senior Citizen Prom and "Give-A-Gift" are my favorite. These events give me the helpers high most people long for. For example, the event "Give-A-Gift" is a holiday program we host which provides holiday cheer to many less affluent families in New Rochelle. Seeing a smile on a child's face as I hand them their bag full of gifts makes me happy to know that I can make a difference in their Christmas. In addition, the Senior Citizen is an event where we collaborate with the Office of Aging in New Rochelle, to give the senior citizens an evening of fun. Along with dancing to music and crowning a king and queen, the youth get to interact with the seniors and learn a lot about them. The endless effort of the New Rochelle Youth Council, reaching out to the community to help, has given me amazing helper's highs. This organization has allowed me to produce positive relationships among many caring adults. Lastly this organization helped me branch out in the community and allowed me grow as a person.

Undergraduate / Students can achieve their dreams; George Washington Supp [NEW]

After visiting Washington D.C., and seeing the landmarks, learning about the history and the abundance of great culture, I fell in love with the capital. This historic town allowed me to go out and meet so many new people. Walking down the streets of the District of Columbia, I felt a connection with different things like music, politics, the social scene, business or government. Returning to New York I started to search for colleges in the D.C. area that fulfilled my interest in biology and I knew would feel comfortable as an African American male. George Washington University, will offer me a vibrant setting, as a freshman that will give will me a chance to explore a different new culture.

Taking Biology in eighth grade, my favorite unit was genetics and heredity. In class when we started learned about Punnett Squares I became so fascinated with the fact that this can be used by biologists to determine the probability of an offspring's having a particular genotype. Attending the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences and majoring in Biological Sciences I can continue my knowledge in Biological Sciences. I plan to engage in many of the research projects the school offers and collaborate with researchers at many research institutes in the Washington, D.C.

The amount of diversity George Washington University has to offer, shows that it gives students a chance to achieve their dreams, no matter who they are or where they come from. Attending this university will give me an opportunity to flourish through diversity, and meet new people from international backgrounds. At a university where kids do not only study the world, GWU's amazing travel abroad opportunities will give me a chance to not only explore the world, but also figure out a way to change it. I can explore more diversity in countries such as Spain, France and England.

George Washington University will give me a chance to immerse myself in the excitement of Washington D.C., and allow me to take advantage of the amazing resources it has to offer. With an infinite array of internships, I can explore my career aspirations outside of George Washington University. The strong academics at the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences will allow me to achieve higher learning through the top professors, amazing research projects and state of the art labs. Lastly, what excites me most about George Washington University is that I know I will get a chance to achieve a higher education while surrounding myself with people who are academically motivated as I am.

Undergraduate / My dream school/Pediatrician/Library Assistant/Med school; Syracuse Sup [2]

1. Who or what influenced you to apply to Syracuse University?
Talking to a Syracuse University representative, at my schools college fair, Syracuse University sounded like my dream school. Picturing myself amongst the other oranges, taking advantage of the great offers Syracuse has to offer, getting into Syracuse became my new goal. Growing up in New Rochelle, a diverse city, only a train ride away from endless opportunities I was looking for a college with similar aspects. After doing further research on the university, I found out it was an institution of strong academics, opportunities and personal growth through its diversity. My main interests include biology and with Syracuse University's state of the art labs I can fulfill my dreams of studying genetics. It all started with a handshake and a quick info session, and I decided that Syracuse University will be one of my stepping stones to become the first male college graduate of my family and the first doctor in my family.

2. Who is the person you dream of becoming and how do you believe Syracuse University can help you achieve this?
The person I dream of becoming is a pediatrician. It has been my dream to be a doctor since I was about the age of ten. I was always one to help people, and seeing how doctors helped people on a day-to-day basis, I knew from the start that had to be my profession. After participating in the Sound Shore Medical Center Hospital Program in eighth grade, where I worked close with a doctor, my love for the medical field was confirmed. In addition, being what my nieces and nephews consider the "favorite uncle," I am always taking care of them and their friends, and seeing all kids happy in healthy makes me happy. Once becoming a doctor, I hope to become an inspiration for young kids who grew up in a single parent home, where their parents did not make a lot of money. I can share my story with kids and show that no matter what background you come from once you have your mind set on a goal you can achieve it, and if you work hard your dreams do come true. Many of times, I felt like giving up, but I see how my mom emigrated from the island of Barbados to give all of her children a better life, and becoming a doctor will make her proud of me. Syracuse University can help me achieve this by allowing me to get my undergraduate degree in Biology, so I can have a better platform in the sciences when I get to medical school, causing me to excel.

3. If you have had work experience, what skills and/or knowledge did you gain?
My first job was at the New Rochelle Library, as an assistant, to Ms. Kathy Cronin. From this job I learned how to master the art of multi-tasking. My job entailed dealing with people who did not speak English, putting kids on the computer, organizing books, and creating a mass list for the summer reading event. Living in New Rochelle, a very diverse town, I encountered a lot of non-English speaking parents and children. Just my luck, I took Spanish 3 Honors, and knew a great deal of Spanish. I was able to communicate with these people, making their day a bit easier, because there was someone who understands them. If I was not making parents and children feel comfortable, because they did not know English, I was putting kids on the computer, planning, and organizing one of the biggest summer event s of the New Rochelle Public Library. I had to organize a list of at least 400 kids and the amount of books they read and constantly update it. Within learning the art of multitasking, I learned the key skills of responsibility and priority. The key skills I learned in that summer will help my during my college career, and help me succeed.

4. Our mission of Scholarship in Action, education for the world in the world, extends beyond the classroom to include engagement opportunities with our campus community, the City of Syracuse, and locations across the globe. Based on your interests, tell us what real-world experiences you might pursue during your education at Syracuse as part of this mission.

I can remember interning as an eighth grader in Dr. Frank Watkins office and admiring the help he gave people. Getting to know him, I found out that he studied abroad at a university in Germany, and he told me it is important you study abroad while you are in college. One real world experience I plan to pursue at Syracuse University is the chance to study abroad. As a Syracuse student, I would like to study spend a semester studying Biology and Spanish in Madrid, Spain. I believe spending time learning here would help me to merge my two favorite subjects together by making new connections and acquiring a new perspective of life. Living on my own and not being supported by my family I will develop a better sense of responsibility and increase my confidence level. This is what I would like to accomplish before taking my next step, which is medical school. Lastly, I would like to participate in SUF Academic Internship Program to experience professional work environment and understand different perspectives from another culture.