mog
Nov 27, 2012
Undergraduate / UC Personal Statement #1 & #2 - Humanity; Hackerspaces [2]
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.
Many of those I have loved have been lost to the ravages of disease and aging. When I was nine, I witnessed my once quick-as-a-whip aunt slowly succumb to dementia. It began with mild forgetfulness here and there, but ultimately culminated in violent hallucinations no recollection of anyone she once known loved - including her devastated husband of fifty years. There was nothing I could do but watch her humanity slowly bleed away until she became just a shell of what she once was.
Five months later, I saw cancer eat my grandma alive -- she was fully conscious as rogue cells in her pancreas spread throughout her body and shut down her organs one by one. I was there as she suffered unbearable pain, as she went from strong and active to weak and frail, and as she desperately tried every treatment available only to be met with the inevitable progression of stage four cancer.
While I helplessly watched both slowly decline, I resolved not to let it happen again. I would do everything in my power to prevent the suffering of those I love and billions of others. This is the driving force behind my dreams and aspirations. Every day, people afflicted by egregious diseases are suffering and dying because medicine has not yet progressed enough to help them. If I, or my future research, can offer hope to one nine year old girl who has to watch her grandma die horribly or old man who has to watch his wife lose her mind, then my efforts will not be in vain. Humanity has strength in numbers. If I can add one to the number of people working towards a disease-free world, maybe we will move one step closer to eliminating needless suffering.
Prompt 2:
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?
Noisebridge, Hacker Dojo, Hacker Lab. These 3 places, also known as Hackerspaces, are where I have spent much of my high school years. Here, there is an all-inclusive atmosphere of learning and knowledge. Everyone, of any age, race, or background, can learn something new, teach others something new, or find like-minded peers to discuss the newest OS or co-found the next Google.
It was here that I discovered my love for programming. While I'd previously designed websites and made simple applications in Java, I hadn't really understood what it means to code. That all changed when I took advantage of the numerous course offerings, online courses and study groups available. Once I started learning how to really code, I couldn't get enough. I voraciously consumed a number of online courses from emerging online education initiatives, joined tech meetups and classes, and attended developer conferences.
Out of everything I dabbled in, game development was something that I especially took to. Every Monday, for four to five hours, I met with a group designed to teach you the basics. As you progressed in skill level, you would then teach the newcomers what you had learned whilst simultaneously learning from more advanced members.
At first, all I could do was draw a sphere on the screen. Over time, however, that sphere began to move, to interact with other game objects, and to turn into a simple landscape which began to actually resemble a real game. Before I knew it, I was actually quite knowledgeable. I was able to lead the group of newcomers effectively.
While programming is not necessarily something I plan to do as a career, it was an integral part of the past few years of my life and something that I will certainly continue to pursue in university.
I sort of just wrote them today, and I'm sure they suck. I miiiiight have put off applications a bit too long (due Saturday) so rip them apart :D
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.
Many of those I have loved have been lost to the ravages of disease and aging. When I was nine, I witnessed my once quick-as-a-whip aunt slowly succumb to dementia. It began with mild forgetfulness here and there, but ultimately culminated in violent hallucinations no recollection of anyone she once known loved - including her devastated husband of fifty years. There was nothing I could do but watch her humanity slowly bleed away until she became just a shell of what she once was.
Five months later, I saw cancer eat my grandma alive -- she was fully conscious as rogue cells in her pancreas spread throughout her body and shut down her organs one by one. I was there as she suffered unbearable pain, as she went from strong and active to weak and frail, and as she desperately tried every treatment available only to be met with the inevitable progression of stage four cancer.
While I helplessly watched both slowly decline, I resolved not to let it happen again. I would do everything in my power to prevent the suffering of those I love and billions of others. This is the driving force behind my dreams and aspirations. Every day, people afflicted by egregious diseases are suffering and dying because medicine has not yet progressed enough to help them. If I, or my future research, can offer hope to one nine year old girl who has to watch her grandma die horribly or old man who has to watch his wife lose her mind, then my efforts will not be in vain. Humanity has strength in numbers. If I can add one to the number of people working towards a disease-free world, maybe we will move one step closer to eliminating needless suffering.
Prompt 2:
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?
Noisebridge, Hacker Dojo, Hacker Lab. These 3 places, also known as Hackerspaces, are where I have spent much of my high school years. Here, there is an all-inclusive atmosphere of learning and knowledge. Everyone, of any age, race, or background, can learn something new, teach others something new, or find like-minded peers to discuss the newest OS or co-found the next Google.
It was here that I discovered my love for programming. While I'd previously designed websites and made simple applications in Java, I hadn't really understood what it means to code. That all changed when I took advantage of the numerous course offerings, online courses and study groups available. Once I started learning how to really code, I couldn't get enough. I voraciously consumed a number of online courses from emerging online education initiatives, joined tech meetups and classes, and attended developer conferences.
Out of everything I dabbled in, game development was something that I especially took to. Every Monday, for four to five hours, I met with a group designed to teach you the basics. As you progressed in skill level, you would then teach the newcomers what you had learned whilst simultaneously learning from more advanced members.
At first, all I could do was draw a sphere on the screen. Over time, however, that sphere began to move, to interact with other game objects, and to turn into a simple landscape which began to actually resemble a real game. Before I knew it, I was actually quite knowledgeable. I was able to lead the group of newcomers effectively.
While programming is not necessarily something I plan to do as a career, it was an integral part of the past few years of my life and something that I will certainly continue to pursue in university.
I sort of just wrote them today, and I'm sure they suck. I miiiiight have put off applications a bit too long (due Saturday) so rip them apart :D