Every night before bed, I test the ringer of my phone, double-checking its alertness. My accessibility has served as a vital resource to friends and family alike, knowing life does not always pause when sleep creeps in. My most difficult moments have been at night when support was furthest, so I vowed never to let a loved one suffer in the darkness alone. I aspire to be a light. My Jewish heritage instilled in me these values; selflessness and resilience rule my decisions, from being willingly awoken at 3 am, to sacrificing pleasure for work to take pressure off my Mom. I spent my childhood at the JCC, learning prayers and stories while my friends played video games and sports. I do not regret this for a moment; I have become so much more connected to the vivid and intense history that has blessed me with the opportunities I encounter today. Like my ancestors, I strive to heal. Tea time, an integral part of my childhood, has become a tried-and-true method to gather people and pause busy lives to enjoy momentary joy. Friends and family alike are treated to steaming mugs and sweet treats until laughter spills freely. I take pride in my work; laughter makes my heart happy. My upbringing has made me who I am not only personally but intellectually. I have always been pushed to pursue high goals and discover passions that will serve a greater purpose to the world. This is how I stumbled upon my fascination with the human mind—a vast and boundless canvas of neurons and ideas waiting to be explored. It is where every world-changing thought originates, where every record-breaking movement is sparked, and where every powerful word is conjured. The small glob of jello in our skulls has been responsible for every advancement of humanity since the beginning of time. It is the most complex, fascinating, funny-looking thing, and my studies of it have the power to produce tangible positive change in people's lives. My passion began in middle school, when I found myself wanting concrete reasons behind any new feelings. I conducted a simple Google search and was instantly immersed in psychology articles, amazed to find answers to questions I didn't even know I had. My discovery of the sheer unknown complexity of the brain sparked a flame of curiosity. The information I acquired became present in everyday life. I began to analyze conversations and body language, observing to see what psychological elements I could extract. I have since continued my search, learning about theories in-depth and falling further in love with cognitive science. I want to dedicate my life to it, to take a scientific approach to answer questions that, like my younger self, the world doesn't know it has yet. Specifically, I plan to pursue higher education to a Medical Doctorate level and enter the field of neurobiology, conducting research about the chemical, physical, and biological components of linguistics in the mind. I want to apply my findings to help individuals with sensory issues, from misophonia as my best friend lives with, to synesthesia which has changed how I listen to music my entire life. Additionally, I will use my knowledge to provide specialized care to individuals who may lack accessibility to life-saving treatments. I intend to never stop learning, and to use each lesson to help those in need, one neuron at a time.

My vision blurs and I feel moments from the past brought back to life. Memories of love and laughter, sadness and regret, in vivid color and focus as they flash through my mind. I see lyrics as they have lived in my life; I see melodies as they have made me feel. Scenes of life dance beautifully through my eyes as the real world falls away. I see music. I associate songs with strong emotions and the memories that accompany them. When I hear Saturday Sun by Vance Joy, I am transported to the most emotionally intimate trip of my life with my friends, driving with the windows down by Pismo Beach. When I hear I’m Still Standing by Elton John, I am brought back to 4 AM as my partner and I race to submit the yearbook by the deadline at sunrise. A Sky Full of Stars by Coldplay reminds me of a cold night, laying on a tarp on a hillside and watching a meteor shower, feeling pure love and safety under the cover of the surrounding pine trees. Some songs are bittersweet, like the music from the Russian movies I watched with my grandfather before he passed or the soundtrack to Mary Poppins, a show that shut down the night before we opened. My mind always has music playing, no matter the hour of the day. Nights have gone sleepless as I replay songs and memories alike. Music makes my heart ache, my face light up, my worries disappear. Music makes me feel.

The human mind–a vast and boundless canvas of neurons and ideas waiting to be explored. It is where every world-changing thought originates, where every record-breaking movement is sparked, and where every powerful word is conjured. The small glob of jello in our skulls has been responsible for every advancement of humanity since the beginning of time. It is the most complex, fascinating, funny-looking thing I have ever seen and it has a grip on my life that does not let up. Like most middle schoolers, I became a moody teenager trying to figure out the world. However, I soon found myself wanting concrete reasons behind my feelings. I conducted a simple Google search and introduced psychology into my life. I was immersed in articles and amazed to find answers to questions I didn’t even know I had. My discovery of the sheer unknown complexity of the brain, the very thing that drives our every move, thought, and feeling sparked a flame of curiosity. The information I acquired suddenly became present in my everyday life. I began to analyze conversations, body language, and every interaction I observed to see what psychological elements I could extract. I have since continued my search, learning about theories in-depth and falling further in love with cognitive science. I want to dedicate my life to it, to take a scientific approach to answer questions that, like my younger self, the world doesn’t know it has yet. My Jewish heritage instilled this curiosity, resilience, and selflessness in me. Like my ancestors, I strive to heal. Tea time, an integral part of my childhood, has become a tried-and-true method to gather people and pause busy lives to enjoy momentary joy. Friends and family alike are treated to steaming mugs and sweet treats until laughter spills freely. I take pride in my work; laughter makes my heart happy. My blood connects me to a people-group that has persevered since the dawn of time. Being raised Jewish and attending a Christian school has exposed me to countless stories of hardships and heroics by those who came before me. Though I never met them, I carry their spirit with me as I tackle times of stress and uncertainty. I look to them for inspiration, finding strength and comfort in knowing that even the greatest kings made mistakes. When I get a bad grade or say the wrong thing, I remember the grand scheme of life and remind myself of the battles fought for my existence. I am proud to be me and I intend to take every opportunity to serve and help others, whether that be through neurosurgery or tea.