The spark of my dream was ignited by my best friend, Andrew. Since birth, Andrew has lost thirty percent of his hearing. When he was in middle school, his parents took him to the most prestigious hospital in my state to cure his hearing disability. Unfortunately, after a series of tests, the doctor informed them that there are no surgeries or treatments that could restore his hearing. The only solution was to wear a bulky, ugly hearing aid. As the only student in my school wearing a hearing aid, Andrew was viewed either as a senile hospital patient who must be treated with extra care and pity or as a freak who deserved nothing but isolation and hurtful mockeries. Andrew wished only to be viewed as the confident and self-assured person he truly is. He returned the hearing aid and hoped life could return back to normal. Being his best friend, I fully understood his feelings and pains. Because of his moderate hearing loss, Andrew had to put in more time and effort than others to achieve his 3.98 GPA. In addition, his inability to hear subdued voices often resulted in several awkward situations, which in turn made him taciturn and confident. Nevertheless, I don't think Andrew has reached his full potential. Indeed, his success was only limited by his hearing impairment. Had his efforts not been hampered by this disability, his achievements would have been even more outstanding.
I often wonder how many people are like Andrew, unable to reach their full potential because they're embarrassed to wear a hearing aid. If the nearsighted can undergo Lasik Laser eye surgery to restore their vision then why can't hearing loss be cured as well? On the same token, if the nearsighted are able to wear contact lenses in order to hide their disability, then surely the hearing impaired should have hearing aids that are equally unnoticeable. There's a great need for an effective treatment for permanent hearing loss and microscopic hearing aids. Through my best friend, I recognize the weight of my mission, and I consider attending Johns Hopkins University to be the first step toward this dream.
With either a biology major or a biomedical engineering major, I have the capability of lessening the burdens of the hearing impaired. As a biologist, I will take advantage of Johns Hopkins' world class research facilities by further developing the hair cell regeneration research-an experiment aimed to revive damaged hair cells. As a biomedical engineer, I shall explore alongside of world-renowned, yet unpretentious facilities to design and produce affordable micro-hearing aids.
Hopkins' emphasis on biology and biomedical engineering, its incessant focus on extensive research, and its wide variety of majors have compelled me to call it my alma mater. I'm ready to be a Blue Jay, and I am cognizant that attending Hopkins will make me successful in accomplishing my dream.
I often wonder how many people are like Andrew, unable to reach their full potential because they're embarrassed to wear a hearing aid. If the nearsighted can undergo Lasik Laser eye surgery to restore their vision then why can't hearing loss be cured as well? On the same token, if the nearsighted are able to wear contact lenses in order to hide their disability, then surely the hearing impaired should have hearing aids that are equally unnoticeable. There's a great need for an effective treatment for permanent hearing loss and microscopic hearing aids. Through my best friend, I recognize the weight of my mission, and I consider attending Johns Hopkins University to be the first step toward this dream.
With either a biology major or a biomedical engineering major, I have the capability of lessening the burdens of the hearing impaired. As a biologist, I will take advantage of Johns Hopkins' world class research facilities by further developing the hair cell regeneration research-an experiment aimed to revive damaged hair cells. As a biomedical engineer, I shall explore alongside of world-renowned, yet unpretentious facilities to design and produce affordable micro-hearing aids.
Hopkins' emphasis on biology and biomedical engineering, its incessant focus on extensive research, and its wide variety of majors have compelled me to call it my alma mater. I'm ready to be a Blue Jay, and I am cognizant that attending Hopkins will make me successful in accomplishing my dream.