Undergraduate /
'My Inspiration' - Cornell Essay College of Arts and Sciences [8]
Describe your intellectual interests, their evolution, and what makes them exciting to you. Tell us how you will utilize the academic programs in the College of Arts and Sciences to further explore your interests, intended major, or field of study.
Do I answer why Cornell is right for me enough?
My InspirationJagged protrusions of rock shot out of the crystal clear ocean. Almost like Gaia's own two fingers, the huge pillars of earth towered above our small powerless boat. We were about to jump into the Pacific Ocean with nothing but a few snorkels. I was the first one to take the leap.
From complete light to complete darkness, my dive poked a tiny hole into the grandiose expanse of water. I will never forget the sight I saw upon opening my eyes. A sixteen foot long Eagle Ray was gliding a mere two inches beneath my head! I was no longer scared; I was simply struck by the sheer awe of the scene. Such a massive creature was living in such a serene place. The ocean held me tightly and the humungous rocks shaded me from the hot Ecuadorian sun. Everything was perfect.
I fell in love. It was at that moment - five miles from San Cristobal - that my appreciation for nature became intertwined with my curriculum based knowledge of biology. For the rest of my time on the Galapagos Islands, I was seized by a genuine desire to learn about everything around me. It was like a dream: through some kind of magical moment of enlightenment, my view of the world was forever altered.
Today I see things for their natural beauty. Who would have predicted that a school trip to the Galapagos Islands would have totally reworked the foundation of my outlook on life? This once in a lifetime experience changed my development by adding grace to my intellectual endeavors. Now I read biological journals and lab reports because I cannot live without them; now I spend time conducting research with the science department supervisor because it makes me feel alive. Beit slowing down electrons in a compact fluorescent light bulb with liquid nitrogen or engineering bacteria to glow by injecting jellyfish plasmids, my thirst for insight into the natural world is insatiable. Through scientific pursuits, I am able to find the perfect balance between the concrete and the amorphous.
At Cornell, I will definitely major in biological sciences. Quite simply, biology excites me. It is an amalgamation of each and every aspect of my intellectual self. Studying biology involves creative critical thinking, an unwavering curiosity and absolute passion. The College of Arts and Sciences is dream come true for a student like myself. I have been following the research topics and opportunities in Cornell for quite some time; I am fascinated by Cynthia Leifer's research of immunology and microbiology. In the future, I aspire to becoming a surgeon at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, where I will simultaneously push the boundaries of medical research.
I have reached a point in my life where I face another leap. There is a vast ocean of opportunity before me. As I dive head first into the next chapter of my life, I can only hope to see Cornell in the depths as I once saw the glorious eagle ray...
