tiffateyou
Nov 9, 2010
Undergraduate / As I sit at dawn, the rising sun hovers over the awoken daisy: Personal Statment 2011 [3]
Revised Version
Prompt 1- Describe the world you come from - for example, your family, community or school - and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations.
On a cold crisp night on January 2004, I walked through the door with a feeling of emptiness, as if something was wrong. I was right. My mother was lying in bed, writhing in pain. The pulse within her nerves beating meticulously at an incredible rate. She was outraged, confused and unable to explain to me what was wrong.
Like many parents, mine wanted my brother and me to succeed and pursue our interests and goals. In order for us to be granted these opportunities, my mother took a full time job to work for the U.S. Postal Service. She proceeded to carry the heavy burdens of workload inconspicuously implanted on her shoulders until January of 2004. She became ill and was diagnosed with lung cancer. After weeks of extensive amounts of aggressive chemotherapy and radiation treatments, her body began to deteriorate drastically. Days ended with piteous crying, I knew I could not do anything to ease or relieve the pain my mother has suffered through. All I could do was analyze the severity and cause of her case. I eventually spent countless hours researching various cancers, genetic disorders and the source of these unfortunate diseases, fascinated by the workings of life. Through out high school, this curiosity in the field of sciences only grew.
Furthering my insight, I relished the chance of taking Advanced Placement Biology which taught me the depths of cellular reactions, molecular biology, and ecology. I also took Principles of Biotechnology and Briefings in Biotechnology which allowed me to gain hands on experience, on how to sex fruit flies, separate and lyse our own DNA, micropipette, and denature proteins. Although these were basic experiments, they continuously lured my curiosity of wanting to learn more.
S.M.A.R.T (Students Modeling A Research Topic) team was another hand that fed my scientific desires. I was able to learn how to use a 3-D printing technology called Rasmol and participated with UCSF to research a protein called P-glycoprotein. I gained insight on why medications did not work against cancer due to this protein. I visited labs and learned about the work that is being done and designed and built a physical model of a P-glycoprotein. A novice like me was introduced to a professional community of the social scientists. My group and I traveled to Anaheim to present our poster and model at a convention. Gaining innumerable knowledge through this program has made me appreciate science even more. As this program was not enough, I attended a program with graduate students from UC Berkley and UCSF, in which collected and analyzed field laboratory data and built sophisticated machines that detected pollutants and radon gas, which is the root of lung cancer.
People still suffer from diseases all over the world, even though the world has more than enough technology and resources to alleviate much of this suffering. Having my mother lying in bed in excruciating pain determined my interest. I dream of working directly with the poor through such international agencies as the World Health Organization or Doctors without Borders to help people live in comfort. I would never let anybody suffer the same as what my mother had gone through.
Revised Version
Prompt 1- Describe the world you come from - for example, your family, community or school - and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations.
On a cold crisp night on January 2004, I walked through the door with a feeling of emptiness, as if something was wrong. I was right. My mother was lying in bed, writhing in pain. The pulse within her nerves beating meticulously at an incredible rate. She was outraged, confused and unable to explain to me what was wrong.
Like many parents, mine wanted my brother and me to succeed and pursue our interests and goals. In order for us to be granted these opportunities, my mother took a full time job to work for the U.S. Postal Service. She proceeded to carry the heavy burdens of workload inconspicuously implanted on her shoulders until January of 2004. She became ill and was diagnosed with lung cancer. After weeks of extensive amounts of aggressive chemotherapy and radiation treatments, her body began to deteriorate drastically. Days ended with piteous crying, I knew I could not do anything to ease or relieve the pain my mother has suffered through. All I could do was analyze the severity and cause of her case. I eventually spent countless hours researching various cancers, genetic disorders and the source of these unfortunate diseases, fascinated by the workings of life. Through out high school, this curiosity in the field of sciences only grew.
Furthering my insight, I relished the chance of taking Advanced Placement Biology which taught me the depths of cellular reactions, molecular biology, and ecology. I also took Principles of Biotechnology and Briefings in Biotechnology which allowed me to gain hands on experience, on how to sex fruit flies, separate and lyse our own DNA, micropipette, and denature proteins. Although these were basic experiments, they continuously lured my curiosity of wanting to learn more.
S.M.A.R.T (Students Modeling A Research Topic) team was another hand that fed my scientific desires. I was able to learn how to use a 3-D printing technology called Rasmol and participated with UCSF to research a protein called P-glycoprotein. I gained insight on why medications did not work against cancer due to this protein. I visited labs and learned about the work that is being done and designed and built a physical model of a P-glycoprotein. A novice like me was introduced to a professional community of the social scientists. My group and I traveled to Anaheim to present our poster and model at a convention. Gaining innumerable knowledge through this program has made me appreciate science even more. As this program was not enough, I attended a program with graduate students from UC Berkley and UCSF, in which collected and analyzed field laboratory data and built sophisticated machines that detected pollutants and radon gas, which is the root of lung cancer.
People still suffer from diseases all over the world, even though the world has more than enough technology and resources to alleviate much of this suffering. Having my mother lying in bed in excruciating pain determined my interest. I dream of working directly with the poor through such international agencies as the World Health Organization or Doctors without Borders to help people live in comfort. I would never let anybody suffer the same as what my mother had gone through.
