Undergraduate / 'Young Chemists and Physicists Competitions' - UC essay [NEW]

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.

The day I first opened a volume of an encyclopedia, was the day that I fell in love with natural sciences. By the time I completed fifth grade I have participated in two state-wide Young Chemists and Physicists Competitions held in the city of Kiev, Ukraine. Discovering the processes that govern nature and the interdependence of everything in existence, was a source of bliss and excitement as it still remains true for me to this day. However, in time, my curiosities evolved from ones driven by pure fascination and strive toward comprehension of sciences to a matured fascination with the observer itself - the human mind.

Regretfully the tranquil state of my scientific aspiration and endeavors was shattered in 1996 by the tragic death of my father, who was not only a loving parent but also a mentor and supporter of my passion. Subsequent immigration to the United States a year later prevented me from fully recovering my childhood fascination under the stresses caused by these abrupt changes in my life. Within two years I transformed from a gifted, inquisitive, studious child into a troubled youth, a person unrecognizable even to myself.

Perhaps I would have never emerged from this decline if I wouldn't have discovered Academic Decathlon competition. The challenge presented by the comprehensive curriculum of the competition served as a saving rope to which I gladly clung. The rejuvenating effect of competing and winning rekindled my forgotten interest in the workings of the human brain. The expedience with which my mind, given proper stimulation, overcame the seemingly insurmountable hurdles of my recent past, served as a gateway of my directly understanding of the tremendous potential of the human mind and to the importance of a sound mental health.

This experience forced me back on the road of reestablishing a sound base from which I could plan my future. Through my newly regained capacity of objective analysis, I was able to further reassess the long-term benefits contributed to my life by the virtue of my immigration to the United States of America. Such realization evoked a sense of obligation to my newly-adopted country, followed by an urgency to repay the debt which I felt I owed. This was the time when the Operation Iraqi Freedom began. I've decided to serve my country by putting personal needs aside and enlisting in the armed forces. At the time I was confident that I will return unaffected to my studies upon completion of my contract. However, the fourteen-month deployment to Tikrit, Iraq has fundamentally altered my perception of the world and sent into disarray aspirations of academic pursuit.

I, like many others from my battalion, have seen profound combat confrontation and have suffered true privation. To preserve the sanity, my mind withdrew and distanced itself from the immediate reality. The intent of service during the deployment was now clouded by feelings of isolation and rejection upon my return to the States. However, I refused to accept defeat and to succumb to the forces that have reduced so many of my comrades to the meek and regrettable states of existence to which they've permitted themselves to succumb.

While attending mandatory deployment debriefings I became alert to the benefits of the work performed by mental health professionals, consequently, by interests led me to befriend some of the specialists. From them I learned of the challenges presented by the new nature of war, and further of the recent advances in critical care medicine. My mental state was no longer an unknown ailment, it had a designation, and with that designation, arose a realization that difficulties can be overcome and balance can be fully restored.

The professionalism and helpfulness of the mental health staff was beyond reproach. Furthermore, I observed an increased effectiveness of treatment in cases where a deep understanding between the patient and a mental health specialist accelerated the progress of recovery. It seemed that empathy played an integral role in establishing a rapport. Because the armed forces are permeated with archaic notions of machismo it was important for the patient to be approached in a manner that would not be perceived as emasculating, less the patient would become hostile and attempt to deny and underplay the ailment. This was the Eureka moment. I understood that whether as a psychiatric nurse working directly with veterans or a cognitive scientist studying the minds response to periods of great stress, I will bring unique insight of one that has overcome the very ailment that is to be treated. Shortly thereafter I decided to leave the service in pursuit of a carrier that would allow me to do just that - help my fellow soldiers.