Science Olympiad Personal Statement

On March 15th 2018, I volunteered at the Science Olympiad being hosted at Kutztown University. At this event, I helped with an activity called “Write it, Do it.” This activity had students form group of twos to work together. One student would see an object made of random objects and then write down instructions on how to build it without any diagraphms. They would have 25 minutes to do this. Then, the other student would be in another room and be given their partner's instructions. They would then have 20 minutes to build the object based on the instructions. My job was to help hand out supplies, help time the students as well as direct them, and make sure that students did not use their cellphone during this event.

Studying to be a physician requires lots of effort and time. To an immigrant like me, I tried to manage my studies, volunteer work, and adjusting to a new culture at the same time. I like to stick with my plans, and it has always been my plan to enter medical school on 2018. However, my road to entering medical school didn’t come as easy to me. After transferring to University, two of my close family passed away.

Ever since I was young I have always had a passion for music. I love understanding what drove the artist or musician to write that song. I never thought I would take the time to really appreciate classical music until I took this music course. I attended two classical concerts that left me entirely speechless. Not only were the pieces that were played relaxing but also each musical piece had a beautiful and powerful meaning

Next, science is the light that keeps us out of the dark ages. If science did not evolve, we would have many unanswered questions related to real life, die with terrifying diseases, and starve without hygiene and nutritious food. Because science has an impact on every aspect of our lives, I am eager in exploring this immense field of study and improve society through healthcare. When it comes to STEM field and school, on top of maintaining good GPA and grades, I devote my time well to my extracurriculars. Starting 7th grade, my passion for opting the medical field has strengthened due to my influential pediatrician. This enhanced drastically as I started gaining many volunteering and shadowing experiences throughout high school. As a freshman, I started taking advantage of majority of the opportunities around me like joining HOSA (Health Occupations Students Of America), Steminism, NHS, UPMC Passavant, Senior Living Facility. Covering a wide range of areas in healthcare-- volunteering/shadowing a geriatrician, pharmacist, nurse, surgeon and more-- solidified my aspiration. However, when I think about the medical field, clinical is not the only side. Research plays a huge role in medicine because without this, we would have inadequate knowledge about science and also would not have access to all these sophisticated treatments. Bayer School Scholars Program is a great opportunity for students like me to

When you sit down to put together a puzzle, it can sometimes be a little overwhelming. So many

I learned about RSI through the Science Olympiad forums. I had just returned from a ten-day research trip in Costa Rica, and was looking for a longer summer research program. A Science Olympiad alumni and former Rickoid recommended RSI, describing it as the best six weeks of his life. What he described was exactly what I was looking for: an opportunity to experience the entire research process with others who loved science as much as I do.

It is an honor to be considered for The Ellen P. Williams Endowed Professorship in Music. For your consideration I am submitting this letter describing the scholarship that I would pursue with the assistance of the professorship’s research account, and my curriculum vita. An evaluative letter will be submitted electronically directly from the writer, Dr. Annie Randall, Professor of Music.

Denise Grab was in middle school and had no interest in the environment. However, in her second year of Science Olympiad, the coach gave her the event of Water Quality. She and her teammates entered the tournament and got first place at regionals and second place at state. After she had won the tournament, she became more interested in environmental sciences. It made her want to learn more about the environment. When she had to pick a major in college, her experience in Environmental Science affected her choice. Ever since she joined Science Olympiad, she learned more about science which led her to her current career, environmental lawyer. Science Olympiad, an organization that teaches science from Kindergarten to 12th grade, inspired Denise Grab to become an environmental lawyer.

Growing up, I was very lucky to receive and pursue the opportunities given to me that I know are rare in poor communities that I came from. For example, I was fortunate to have met Steve McGuiness who encouraged me to join the Science Olympiad team that he was creating, and challenged me to go farther than my classes did. However, after a few years, Mr. McGuiness eventually retired from Science Olympiad due to the high stress and the lack of community support, and thus silenced the opportunity for future students. Therefore, in my last year of high school, I started up a Science Olympiad team in the MESA club to rekindle the opportunity. I was able to get the team to perform, but it fell apart after I left since it wasn’t built strongly. Although

I look back at the personal statement I wrote when applying to undergraduate studies and feel the passion and excitement I had for a fascinating career that would allow me to serve my community; I was determined to pave my path in the medical field. Five years later, I realize I am still that driven, motivated and passionate student prepared to excel, but I now have a stronger sense of which career in medicine best suits me and will allow me to succeed. While still holding the fundamental values of providing for those in need and being part of a field that fascinates me, my answer to “Why do you want to be a Physician Assistant?” now entails more than the generic notion of wanting to help others. My experiences at Clinica Tepati, Dr. Gupta’s

Background: Every night as a kid, I would lay on my stomach with my mother on my flower-print bed, her reading the newest picture book to me from the batch we hand-picked every Sunday. Upon becoming capable of exploring literature independently, I selected more and more challenging books that introduced creative worlds to me, drawing me to the pages like a plant's kinesis towards sunlight. Later, I journeyed from the creative to the real through textbook reading. I gravitated towards mathematical and scientific principles that explained the world around and within me. They enthralled me, for I could apply these theories in everyday life, sometimes in small ways to improve lives.

Although my interests are numerous, my passions are very few. First and foremost, I have a passion for classical music. There is an indescribable sensation I feel when hearing Johann Pachelbel’s Gigue, “The Variations of The Canon,” preformed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. For three minutes and two-seconds, I was mesmerized and I realized why I persuaded my mother to buy me his CD. His music, in its grandeur and consonance is perfect, the climax of coloratura repertoire, hitting every F note with glorious precision as the forty piece orchestra projects their brilliant voice. The last movement of Beethoven’s “Pastorale” symphony overwhelms me with the simplicity of its majestic melody repeating itself through crescendos, building itself to toward a climax, only to resolve with a final electrifying current rendered by a solo French horn. However, the feeling composing this music lacks parallel. When I hum Mozart’s melodious lieder, I can hardly control my shivers, convinced Mozart wrote his famous song cycles especially form me. My love of classical music has been enriched, and has reached a point where it defines me, and its hold on me is unshakeable; to neglect it would be impossible.

I love to solve puzzles. From jigsaws to crosswords to brainteasers, I can never get enough. For as long as I can remember, completing them has been my favorite pastime. One of my fondest childhood memories involves me working on my first jigsaws. The puzzles, based on my then-favorite TV show, Scooby Doo, still sit on the shelf in my closet. While I have now moved on to more challenging undertakings, my beloved puzzles represent the start of a vital part of me.

Music has become the spark of my curiosity. Because of the many possibilities in music, I developed the ability to think around problems. There are endless combinations of chords, key signatures, clefs, time signatures, melodies, and rhythms all waiting to be attached to staves. As I begin to explore a minuscule fraction of these combinations starting from sixth grade, my mind began to mature and grow more and more every day. Playing the works of different composers such as Kӧhler, Hayden, and Motzart expands my musical vocabulary, my broadness of techniques, and my ability to practice.

I believe houses and buildings are miracles because they are brought into life from the drawings. The event that spark interest in civil engineering was my science fair project during junior high. “The Fire Breathing Dragon” that was the name of my science fair project. During my junior year of high school, I was given the experiment to produce an exothermic reaction with decomposition potassium chlorate and sugar. My real interest was creating a structure that could create the most interest among my peers of science fair projects. I decided that the dragon might well suit the flaming substance of the project. I researched and created a strong frame for the dragon with the construction of a solid foundation of wires entangled in the shapes