How Chemistry Changed My Life

On January 3, 2009 around 11:00 PM the phone rang with what I thought was exciting news about my newly born sister, Tristyn ,but quickly turned to horror. I could heard the fright in my dad's shaken voice as he told me Tristyn had to go into immediate heart surgery because she needed a stent to open up the blood flow to her heart. Being eight at the time the only thing I could think about was how she might not make it. My dad said to me “look after your sisters, and tell them nothing about the surgery”, which terrified me more than before. I knew I needed to be brave and take charge of the situations for my sisters. Bravery is something I learned for a situation I never knew would happen.

It was not abnormal for my parents to reflect on their experiences surrounding my birth on my birthdays, when family and friends had their own children or when they saw glimpses of my personality which reminded them that I have been “strong willed”, as they refer to it, from day one. In fact, the regularity in which the story was told, and details included in their remembrance, resulted in me envisioning the events as if I could recall them from my own memory. Although I never knew the true significance of birth stories prior to beginnings to read Gaskin’s memoirs, I have always been thankful for parents’ commitment to telling me how I came into this world and the details they included, as it has greatly influenced my feelings towards birth.

And then, the day I had feared of most, finally arrived. We lost our father, the only figure I truly felt safe with. After months of mourning and painful transformations, our mother fell sick. In those terrible days, days during which I was locked in the basement most of the time, for my safety and even more: for the safety of my family, I was incapable of helping. To this, I regret even today.

I was so terrified. All I could think was how I was going to continue working with my finger bleeding and being in so much pain. The other children who were working with me ran and got towels to try and stop the blood and at one point it had finally stopped bleeding. I couldn’t wait to go home to my parents. I was so anxious to just get out of this factory and get some rest, it had been a long day full of misery and pain. The owners of the factory told me “You’ll be fine, come in tomorrow by 7 am, don’t be late!” I had no choice but to come in the next day, I couldn’t afford to lose this job because I had lost a part of my finger. I know that from that day on, I had to be really cautious and work slower to protect myself from being harmed again. I had come to realize that numerous companies similar to the cotton mill wanted children my age because our hands were tiny and swift enough to do work those elder employees could not do and that’s why they needed me. Even though we children did as much work as our parents did, what we got paid was lesser than what our parents were getting. My mother and father were struggling to make a living, working so much that I hardly saw them. We would all go out in the morning, kiss each other goodbye and come back at dark in our overpopulated home.

While I was on the boat, my mother asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I told her that I didn't know yet, but I would tell her when I did. I tried looking for my older sister and my father, but they were gone. I profusely demanded my mother to tell me where they went and why they left us here. She replied by saying, "They went on ahead, to make sure the area we stayed at was safe and clean for our arrival." I was so proud of what I thought they were doing that I said, "I want to be like father." After I said that, tears ran down her face as she smiled. There truth was, that my sister died of tuberculosis and father died of smallpox and were both thrown into the sea.

Throughout my life I never really had parents; coming home to a drug abuser who was constantly zoned out was a normal day. I wasn't loved or even thought of as a child. My biological parents never once came to my awards or conferences. I used to lie to my childhood friends and say that my parents had to constantly work. In reality they didn't care at all.As a child I had both of my parents; when I grew up everything collapsed. I was in 7th grade when I realized that my life would change dramatically. My biological mother fell deeply into drugs, as for my biological father he left without saying anything. At the age of 12 , I was placed with a family friend, while my biological mother was in rehabilitation.

On January 29, 2001 at around four o’clock in the afternoon, a beautiful little girl named Leslie Arreaga was born. It was the first time I was able to hold and see a baby so up close. When I saw her for the first time I didn’t know what to say. All I told my parents was “ I love her and she is perfect.” My parents laugh at me because I was only four years old when she was born. I just couldn’t believe that I was finally an older sister. I remember that every time a person would come in and try to hold her I would give them a look saying “ If you hurt her, I will hurt you.” Leslie was the most precious little baby I had ever seen in my little four year life. She was so chubby, with big brown eyes and a little heart shaped mouth. The day my

At first I had no idea why I hadn’t seen my dad in days and why I would have to take a long trip to Washington. After sometime my grandparents sat me down and informed me that my dad did something wrong and was going to jail. They also gave me the life-changing news that I was going to move in with them permanently and they were going to adopt me. After being adopted by my grandparents and taken from my father and home

2. Ozonolysis of compound Z yields the products shown below. What is the structure of Z?

Learning the different things in my science classes have inspired me to become a chemist and a pharmacist in the future. My teachers have a great impact on my decision that I have made. Mrs. Swiney was my Pre-AP Chemistry and Forensic teacher for two years and has taught me almost everything I know. She taught the subjects in such an interesting and exciting way that I wanted to learn more. The classes were easy to me as well, so it just made it better. Mrs. Smith, my AP Chemistry teacher, made me finally decide that chemistry is something I want to keep in my life in the future. I understand it very well and tend to help my classmates with the subject. In the future, I want to attend a college majoring in Chemistry, and hopefully I will go

Electromagnetic radiation behaves both as particles (called photons) and as waves. Wavelength () and frequency () are related according to the equation

Changes in matter occur every day. There are two types of ways matter can be altered; physically and chemically. Physical changes do not change the composition of the matter while chemical changes occur when one or more substances turn into a completely new substance.

Throughout my life, I’ve gone through everything that could possibly put me in emotional distress. I’ve been down a broken road with my father, the man I love so much I’ll make every excuse for whenever he disappoints me. I’ve encountered life where it’s not so enjoyable due to unacceptance and never ending judgment by my biggest critic, my mother, the woman whom I should feel most secure with. However despite the emotional mounds of pain these matters carry, I was able to lift the suffocating weight long enough to realize everything that burdened me, made me strong enough to have the will power to be independent and make life changing decisions on my own. At three years old, I met my biological father in a local supermarket’s parking lot; I remember vividly, the exact moment when this stranger held me in his broad, strong arms. I recall screaming at an immense volume not even laying eyes on him. All I had been focused on was finding my mother, the woman who played both parental roles in my life. This clearly justified the great state of confusion I was in in his presence since I wasn’t at all aware I even had a father. As I grew older, the visits to my father’s house became the norm and having begun developed a “best friend” type of relationship with him, I found myself crying more and more when I had to go back to my mom’s settlement. I never wanted to leave; my life became filled with happiness, filled with a father’s love I had never felt

Throughout my life I 've gone through many obstacles, up and downs, and changes that could more than likely affect me forever.

Maths is ubiquitous in our lives, but depending on the learning received as a child it could inspire or frighten. If a child has a negative experience in mathematics, that experience has the ability to affect his/her attitude toward mathematics as an adult. Solso (2009) explains that math has the ability to confuse, frighten, and frustrate learners of all ages; Math also has the ability to inspire, encourage and achieve. Almost all daily activities include some form of mathematical procedure, whether people are aware of it or not. Possessing a solid learning foundation for math is vital to ensure a lifelong understanding of math. This essay will discuss why it is crucial to develop in children the ability to tackle problems with initiative and confidence (Anghileri, 2006, p. 2) and why mathematics has changed from careful rehearsal of standard procedures to a focus on mathematical thinking and communication to prepare them for the world of tomorrow (Anghileri).