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. (500 words)
At six years old, a feather I found in my grandfather's backyard entranced me with reveries of drawing birds. At nine, an astronomy field trip captivated me with fantasies of years gazing at the stars. A biology class in seventh grade filled with diagrams of cells dividing; electrical signals running through nerves, muscle tissues contracting; and, a heart beating, rushing blood around the body. And after a childhood wondering what career path to follow, I find a life devoted to the science of life, a subject constantly changing and advancing, always moving forward.
Around the time that I was developing a passion for biology, I was fascinated by the science behind global warming. Honestly the first time I heard about the environmental crisis, I dismissed climate change as a political agenda. Little molecules of carbon dioxide changing the temperature of the earth? And catastrophe ensues? Yeah, sure. But after learning about an entire world of living organisms, of cycles and relationships between energy and matter, I started wondering about the theory's validity. Then in sophomore year at Model UN, as acting delegates in the United Nations Developmental Programme we put together a resolution for a future with a better relationship between nations and the air, sea, and land.
Climate change has been irrevocably drawn to human activities, and there has to be a revolution in how we live our lives. In the next hundred years, the effects of the Sixth Mass Extinction, as scientists are calling it, will reverberate throughout our lives. For humanity's continual survival, we must eliminate the pollution and misuse of resources that has become so ingrained in our society. I firmly believe that Cornell's education can help me work to improve the dynamics between society, the biosphere, and the earth.
The study of biology is complex. Species are constantly evolving, changing as their environment around them changes. There are so many questions still to answer, and even while struggle to determine the issues, the entire system is shifting. To make a difference, I need not only an education but also an infrastructure so that I can continue to learn, even as the world transforms around me. Surrounded by peers on their own journeys, and learning from professors that are experts in their fields, Cornell's College of the Arts and Sciences, can help me develop an evolving life of scientific study.
At six years old, a feather I found in my grandfather's backyard entranced me with reveries of drawing birds. At nine, an astronomy field trip captivated me with fantasies of years gazing at the stars. A biology class in seventh grade filled with diagrams of cells dividing; electrical signals running through nerves, muscle tissues contracting; and, a heart beating, rushing blood around the body. And after a childhood wondering what career path to follow, I find a life devoted to the science of life, a subject constantly changing and advancing, always moving forward.
Around the time that I was developing a passion for biology, I was fascinated by the science behind global warming. Honestly the first time I heard about the environmental crisis, I dismissed climate change as a political agenda. Little molecules of carbon dioxide changing the temperature of the earth? And catastrophe ensues? Yeah, sure. But after learning about an entire world of living organisms, of cycles and relationships between energy and matter, I started wondering about the theory's validity. Then in sophomore year at Model UN, as acting delegates in the United Nations Developmental Programme we put together a resolution for a future with a better relationship between nations and the air, sea, and land.
Climate change has been irrevocably drawn to human activities, and there has to be a revolution in how we live our lives. In the next hundred years, the effects of the Sixth Mass Extinction, as scientists are calling it, will reverberate throughout our lives. For humanity's continual survival, we must eliminate the pollution and misuse of resources that has become so ingrained in our society. I firmly believe that Cornell's education can help me work to improve the dynamics between society, the biosphere, and the earth.
The study of biology is complex. Species are constantly evolving, changing as their environment around them changes. There are so many questions still to answer, and even while struggle to determine the issues, the entire system is shifting. To make a difference, I need not only an education but also an infrastructure so that I can continue to learn, even as the world transforms around me. Surrounded by peers on their own journeys, and learning from professors that are experts in their fields, Cornell's College of the Arts and Sciences, can help me develop an evolving life of scientific study.
