Undergraduate / Summer Program (Contribution to the diversity of the culture) [5]

Lots of doubts on this one.. Is the first paragraph really necessary?.. Does it answer the prompt? .. Am I being to biased?..

Please critique harshly!!

How your admittance into the program would contribute to the diversity of the culture at Rice?

Culture is a multifaceted, complicated conception. It is an expression comprised in part by the social structure, languages, beliefs, institutions, technology, art, foods, and traditions of particular groups of people. The term is used to describe a group's way of life and its own view of itself and of other groups, as well as to illustrate the material goods it creates and uses, the skills it has cultivate, and the behaviors it passes on to each future generation. Diversity in culture can then be defined as the all of the characteristics that make members a particular group different from others

In an educational environment having diversity of cultures is of utmost importance, particularly in the sciences. In this field it is imperative that in order for a problem to be solved, it be looked at from multiple perspectives and calling on past experiences of the people involved, things that people accumulate with the passing of time. I believe these perspectives and experiences are highly influenced by a person's cultural background.

In my case, as a Puerto Rican, my cultural background has its foundation on strong family values. My family values were passed along not only by parents and siblings, but also by grandparents, uncles, cousins and even some people that aren't even blood related that become part of this extended family through bonds of close friendship. Not only do we share important events, like birthdays or graduations, but we also take part in each other's daily lives as next-door neighbors. As the oldest of all 12 cousins I realized the importance of teaching by example; becoming someone worthy of emulating but still remaining true to myself. The experience of sharing my life with this extended family has significantly marked who I have become. Growing up with such a great support system, taught me a valuable sense of family, of helping others and teamwork. I witnessed firsthand, that respecting and learning from differences in opinions actually makes teams, in this case a family, come closer together, one of my first lessons on the importance of diversity.

I feel confident that what I would contribute to the cultural diversity at Rice University would be an illustration of these values my family has passed on to me, in hopes of enriching the lives of others. At the same time, since my family dynamics are a little unique, I have always wondered about the aspects of culture in the lives of other people that differ from mine. This is where l embark on next part of my journey through life, the part that separates me from my comfortable niche, in search for opportunities to learn from other perspectives and to listen to the life experiences of all the people I meet in the way.

Undergraduate / Summer Program Why biomedical research? [5]

Hi This short essay is for a summer program that is very important to me, so please take the time to critique it and make as many suggestions as possible to make it the best!

Briefly explain why you are interested in biomedical research? 200 words.(I'm over by 30)

As a child, I was recognized for my tendency to probe my surroundings and ask a great deal of questions, even more so than the typical youngster. My parents, unable to answer my every inquiry, would lead me to a collection of encyclopedias in our home. This was my first exposure to the large volume of scientific information available and the beginning of my fascination with the human body; I read about anatomy over and over and to my captivated eyes, the most perfect machine ever built. As I grew up, I realized that there was no such thing as perfection and this sparked an interest in the imperfection or complications of the human body, like sickness and disease, its causes and remedies.

Once in secondary school, now possessing more maturity and academic experience, what started as mere curiosity evolved into the force that drove me to pursue an education in biomedical research. When I took my first undergraduate genetics course I fell in love with the mystery of the unknown in all of us, our genetics. I saw for the first time the exquisite beauty in the complexity and challenge of all that is yet to be discovered. I perceive biomedical research as the guiding light towards unearthing the secrets to improving the lives of millions of people, something I dream of taking part in.

Did I answer the prompt correctly or did I completely vear off course?

Undergraduate / Short essay for Summer Program (infallible set of skills) [8]

Is this short essay any good? am I answering the prompt? English is not my first language so I have a little difficulty and will need your help

Please describe what you hope to gain through your participation in the Summer Undergraduate Research Focus. (200 words) (I have 224)

Since childhood, I have had an inclination towards the unknown or the yet to be discovered, deriving pleasure from challenging myself; an ability my parents encouraged from an early age, making their best effort to teach me the importance of learning and a good education, an endeavor they did not make in vain. Because of my family's support and my personal intellectual curiosity, at age fourteen I decided to leave home and attend the only magnet/boarding school on the island of Puerto Rico, CROEM, since it offered a more challenging high school curriculum. Here I had the chance; not only to immensely expand my academic alternatives, but also to interact with students from all over the island, an occurrence that had not been available to me before and that definitely changed my life.

I am looking forward to repeating that experience, in a whole new way, by participating in the Summer Undergraduate Research Focus and interacting with people from varies parts of the globe. This program will expose me to the world of genetics research, prepare me for the world of graduate education and take me many steps closer of reaching my goal of continuing on to receive a Ph.D. in Human Genetics. I plan to develop an infallible set of skills that will one day make me a better scientist, colleague and possible mentor.