Biochemistry Personal Statement

The study of biology at a molecular level allows me to continue with the A-levels I enjoy whilst being able to specialise in fields that interest me such as genetics and pathology.

I began my undergraduate education with the aim of pursuing a career as a physician. However, after exposure to laboratory research and the discovery of my passion for teaching, I have now been considering obtaining an MD/PhD. I would like to help patients not only as a compassionate physician but also by conducting research that will open doors to health issues faced by many around the world. My interest in obtaining research experience at UT Southwestern is twofold: it will give me an opportunity to conduct full-time biological research and resolve my interest in pursuing a career as a physician-scientist.

Why are you pursuing higher education? I have always dreamed of being a research scientist. I plan on receiving at least a Masters in Biochemistry. With this degree, or one similar to it, I would then become a research scientist in regards to plants and discover a way to train crops to be drought and insect resistant through plant communication. This would increase crop yields, and farmers would not have to rely on the weather as much in order to receive an income and/or food, decreasing the world hunger problem.

Once I graduate from Stony Brook University with a B.S. in Biochemistry, I intend on pursuing a fifth-year master’s degree in Biochemistry and Cell Biology. Since my first science class in elementary school, I’ve been engrossed by the interactions between various molecules and cells, especially as they relate to the functions of the human body. Graduate study in biochemistry and doing research in this field would take me further into my passion and help me develop the fundamentals of a researcher: focus, critical thinking, problem solving, and imagination. I plan on educating myself even further; the human body is complex and intricate, while there has been much advancement in our understanding of its capabilities, so much has yet to be unveiled.

In four years of undergraduate study at Simon Fraser University, I have found my interests neither lie completely in chemistry or completely in molecular biology and biochemistry. Consequently, I am doing a joint major in molecular biology and biochemistry, and chemistry. The lack of polarization was not because of any apathy toward the two disciplines, but because I have found that my interests lie on the cusp of these fields of study. For me, classes that were pure chemistry or pure molecular biology were remarkable in their own regard; but my full attention was only captured when the fields overlapped. It was only when the discussion became one that centered around the chemistry behind and used to control metabolism and cell-signaling that I became fully fascinated.

As a child, science had always been a significant interest for me. Growing up, I watched the show Bill Nye the Science Guy with passion and curiosity. I wanted to know more about the topics he spoke about and the background behind these ideas. It was not until high school that my inquisitiveness for science was fully answered. It was 9th grade honors Biology and I had never experienced a science course as in depth and thorough.

Upon my arrival at Stevenson University, I was interested in pursuing a career in nursing, just as my mother. It was not until I went to the Accepted Students Day and went on a tour with the wrong group that I realized I was more fascinated by biological sciences. My current goal is to complete my undergraduate studies in biochemistry and continue to graduate school, where I plan to pursue a Ph.D. in biochemistry. My career goals are to work on research involving proteins and chaperones in a pharmacological setting.

The focus of The College of Charleston Study Abroad program in Costa Rica is water quality chemistry. We will be collecting water samples throughout the local environment of Costa Rica and analyze them to understand the physical, chemical and biological processes that impact their quality. It is essential to test the quality of water to maintain a reliable and healthy source and limit any issues that would negatively influence human and environmental health. As a chemistry major and someone who aspires to someday work in the health field, it is not only important that a dependable water source is readily available for medical procedures in this country, but also that the water quality is not the cause of any health issues among the population. The course will focus on the collection and the analytical processes for determining pollutants, sources, and fixes for different water types as they impact the local environment.

Following high school, I plan to attend a 4-year college and work towards a bachelor’s degree with a major in biology or biochemistry. Afterwards, I hope to complete a doctoral program and ultimately become a professor of biochemistry at a university, alongside conducting and publishing scientific research. I’m greatly interested in all academic subjects and am always open to learn about the topics thrown at me, even those not related to education. I have a natural affinity for subjects both from school and outside of the classroom that wouldn’t interest most. Because of this, I will be able to be more successful in college and afterwards.

After completing my Bachelor’s in Microbiology, I plan on applying to Medical School. I believe that everyone has a right to comprehensive and quality health care. Growing up in Kenya I’ve witnessed how the lack of resources and good doctors can be detrimental. Money is one of the biggest hindrances to seeking medical care, especially in third world countries. I would like to give back to the community that I grew up in after obtaining my MD by providing the needed care at low prices or free for people that can’t afford it and the current system isn’t working for them.

I chose my area of interest to be in biology because I am fascinated by how all organisms work; how plants grow, how the human body digests food, how cells differ from different organisms. The sciences have always intrigued me because there are thousands of questions that I ponder, and thousands of answers that I strive to find. I know that U of M will help me reach those questions and answers.  I lean more towards the medical field, with the College of Pharmacy choice, due to my desire to help people. I am interested in expanding my knowledge of how the body works, and what we humans can create to better ourselves physically.

The STEM field that most interests me is Biology. I became interested in biology in middle school once we started going in depth about the STEM topic. In the beginning, I wanted to learn about the evolution of living things and the misconceptions of evolution and its true meaning. I then began to dive more in depth to what biology truly is, a pathway to learn about the structures that make up life. I enjoyed learning about the structure of living organisms, in specific, the human body and how we relate to our common ancestor and how we function now compared to then.

Vanderbilt defines itself as “a center for scholarly research, informed and creative teaching, and service to the community and society at large.” That definition directly aligns with why I am drawn to both political science and molecular biology. I am drawn to both political science and molecular biology because growing up, I witnessed systematic failures firsthand; from my parents being sued for over twenty years over property that was rightfully and legally theirs to blatant governmental corruption in India, to the inequalities in my school district in Oklahoma. Rather than being disheartened, my parents made a conscious effort to give back from starting a school in rural India, to putting two "untouchable" girls through college. Now, I want to meld the attributes my parents exemplify into a life of service.

I’ve had an immense passion for learning all of my life. The drive I have to understand the world I inhabit in an incredibly intimate way has led me into the world of biology. And studying the living world and my role in its functioning is exactly what I strive to do everyday. The summer after highschool I worked as a natural resource crew member for the Shawnee National Forest, where I finally had the opportunity to know what it meant to study and manage a forest ecosystem. Through my college curriculum and every summer in between I made sure that I found opportunities in the field so that I could continue to engage with and learn from the natural world.

For my entire life, I have wanted to pursue a career in Biology. As I have grown older and changed, I have narrowed my field of study to becoming a Pediatric Surgeon with a specialty in Fetal Surgery. But as I have grown and changed, so has the world around me, and the climate. The rapid climate change could affect my field of biological study by increasing the number of patients I will see in my career that present with heat related illnesses; such as heat stroke, dehydration, sunburns, etc. Also by increasing the number of patients I will see with respiratory issues due to low air quality from increased CO2 in the air.