Thanks in advance! Any help will be appreciated, especially with cutting down the word count (currently at 583 and can't be over 550). =] -Miranda
Unless you were directed earlier in the application to clarify or expand on other information (e.g., to list additional names, explain citizenship/visa issues, discuss reasons for applying to EOP, etc.), this section is optional. If you wish, you may use this space to tell us anything else you want us to know about you or your academic record that you have not had the opportunity to describe elsewhere in the application.
When most people think of high school students having a job, a summer internship at a world-renown research institute is probably the last thing on their mind.
Over the summer, I had the opportunity to work at The Scripps Research Institute through a program called Biocom's Life Sciences Summer Institute. This program gives students who just completed their sophomore or junior year of high school the opportunity to intern at three main San Diego biotechnology research institutes: Burnham Institute for Medical Research, The Salk Institute, or The Scripps Research Institute. Through my six-week internship, I was exposed to the hard work of a research scientist.
Unlike most high school students my age, my summer consisted of working in a molecular biology research laboratory. For my project, my mentor had allowed me to work on a part of her research for a cure for cancer. Over the course of six weeks, I helped to mutate a protein sequence for the insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor, which is known to be present in the genes of cancerous tumors. It felt great to know that I was actually conducting real science experiments and trying to find an answer to an age-old question: What is the cure for cancer?
Before my internship, I knew very little about science outside of the projects and labs that I had done in my high school science classes. However, by the end of my time at The Scripps Research Institute, I had been drawn to the idea and a future career as a research scientist. Although it was difficult at first, I learned to love the unpredictability of science. When my project would not work, I learned to be patient and persevere through experimental failures.
One of the main lessons I learned dealt with failure I experienced in the lab. Whenever an experiment was not successful, my mentor remained optimistic by telling me to start over and helped provide new approaches to the experiment. She taught me that although failure may occur, I needed to pick myself up, remain hopeful, and start over. When I successfully completed my mutation, I felt a type of excitement that was completely indescribable. At that point, I wanted to continue conducting other experiments, but my internship was almost over!
(might cut out this entire paragraph) Throughout my internship, I started questioning if research science was the career I wanted to pursue instead of becoming a pediatrician. Research science, especially in the growing field of biotechnology, helps make a difference in people's lives worldwide by trying to find cures to various diseases, such as cancer and HIV. Because of my exposure to this part of the science community, I have grown a deep love and appreciation for research science. Another question also arose to: what if I became both? There are some doctors who practice on one day and conduct research the next day! Although this seems like a perfect solution, it involves probably more work than choosing between one career and the other.
I really enjoyed working in a research lab this summer as my first job. I am so thankful to have worked at such a famous research institute, as well as learn valuable lessons that can be applied in other parts of my life. Not only did I learn about scientific careers, but I also learned about reasoning, problem solving, and risk taking that I can apply to other aspects of my life. Working at The Scripps Research Institute was such a memorable experience that I will never forget.
Hi
After first reading your essay, my gut instinct was to say remover the paragraph as it seems so indecisive comapared to the rest of the writing. But after reading it again, i think it's the first and last senstences that don't sit comfortably with me. They just seem to jar with the rest of essay. The lines seem to be out of sync, whereas they rest of the paragraph convery your focus and interest of the subject and of the work you were doing.
Hope my humble opinion helps a little.
