As an American Council on Exercise (ACE) certified Personal Trainer, fitness brings me great joy. I stay fit with high-intensity interval training, running, yoga, and pilates. Yet, I first began my fitness journey when I trained in classical ballet during my adolescent years. During my dance career, I placed third in the 2012 LA Classical Ballet Division at YAGP and was accepted into The Perm State Choreographic College in Russia. However, in 2015, I was injured and forced to discontinue dancing. Though my dance career came to an abrupt end, my training taught me the importance of fitness in everyday life. I believe that the surest way to positive physical, emotional, and mental health is through exercise. After I left ballet, my intimate familiarity and experience with health and fitness, directed me towards health/medical professions. I plan on pursuing my MD-PhD. Additionally, when I moved to East Harlem in New York City (2015), I became increasingly aware of health disparities around me. One drastic health disparity that a large population of my community faces is obesity. Obesity is a significant health problem for many communities and is worth addressing. Obesity is significant because it leads to major chronic diseases, death, and also causes societal burdens. I believe that affordable health care, easy access to healthful foods, and proper exercise are all necessary to combat this issue. Obesity has been proven to be statistically higher in disadvantaged groups. According to the New York Food Policy, “About 31% of adults in East Harlem are obese compared to an NYC average of 20%.” These statistics reveal that my community holds the highest proportion of obesity in both adults and children amongst all neighborhoods in NYC. Since 2018, I have engaged in scientific research based on preventative health. I studied the antioxidant capacity and total phenolic content of Peperina, an Argentinian herb. This research proved that the medicinal properties and traditional uses of Peperina were directly associated with the accumulation of chemical compounds in its tissues. This research furthered my passion for health, wellness, and fitness. Access to healthcare and healthy readily-available foods begins at policy changes. However, as a fitness professional, I believe that I help combat the obesity epidemic. I have found that routine physical activity may be intimidating to some, so part of my job is to be patient and encouraging. When it comes to my practice, from strength training to cardiorespiratory endurance, my client's successes are built upon their own intrinsic motivation. Yet, I try to construct positive and individually focused environments for each of my clients while encouraging accountability. By making healthier options more desirable and accessible to my clients, our outcomes are often more often positive! From my dance career to my current and future practices, fitness is paramount!

When I was six to seventeen, my world revolved around ballet. I dedicated over eleven years to my craft and was accepted to the prestigious Russian ballet school Perm State Choreographic College. I was also awarded multiple merit-based National Training Scholarships from the American Ballet Theatre, America’s foremost ballet company, for four consecutive years. However, in 2015, during the audition season, I was injured and forced to discontinue dancing. It sounds strange to say that I am thankful for this failure... but I am. Although I was devastated by this event, it forced me to confront the need to expand my professional horizons beyond ballet. At just eighteen, I left my home in California and moved to New York with two hundred dollars to my name. I resolved to make a new life for myself. Though my experience was immensely difficult and likely the greatest challenge that I've ever faced, New York enabled me to clear my mind and offered me the necessary freedom to grow and develop as an individual. Though I am not living the life that I saw fit for myself when I was growing up, I am still living a fulfilling life. Now as a Pre-Medical student at Columbia University, I am proud to be learning something new every day and am immensely grateful for my experience. Since I began college, extracurriculars have greatly contributed to my academic experience. Firstly, I am currently a Research Assistant at the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center. I assist in providing oversight for the development of cancer-related biobanks and clinical databases for biospecimen collections. This position is a great learning opportunity for me. It has not only taught me clinical practices for collecting data but also more about patient care and empathy. Before I experienced clinical research, I had the honor of receiving one of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM). With the assistance of the S-STEM scholarship, I was permitted to conduct laboratory research-based on plant biology. Under these programs, I studied the antioxidant capacity and total phenolic content of Minthostacys Verticillata, a plant native and constrained in Argentina. My research proved that the plant's chemical compounds were directly related to it's preventative and medicinal remedies. This January I am very excited to be participating in NASA's L'Space Academy. In this program, I will be working with a team to complete a NASA mission-related team-project. In summary, my failures did not define me. Instead, my experiences taught me that I am resilient! I believe that I am just as worthy of higher learning, even though I failed at first. My actions will continue to echo that conviction. Though I would prefer not to repeat the time where I was forced to leave classical ballet, I am happy that everything worked out the way that it did. Thank you for this opportunity!

At just eighteen, I left my home in California and moved to New York with two hundred dollars to my name. I resolved to make a new life for myself. Though my experience was immensely difficult, New York enabled me to clear my mind and offered me the necessary freedom to grow and develop as an individual. From nearly being homeless as a low-income and first-generation college student, I am now a Pre-Medical student at Columbia University. Since I began college, extracurriculars have greatly contributed to my academic experience. Firstly, I have experienced both laboratory and clinical research. These research experiences inspire me to continue to do well in school because they have shown me how amazing science and medicine really are. I am currently a Research Assistant at the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center. I assist in providing oversight for the development of cancer-related biobanks and clinical databases for biospecimen collections. This position is a great learning opportunity for me. It has not only taught me clinical practices for collecting data but also more about patient care and empathy. Before I experienced clinical research, I had the honor of receiving one of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM). With the assistance of the S-STEM scholarship, I was permitted to conduct laboratory research based in plant biology under the CUNY Research Scholars Program (CRSP), BMCC Foundation Fund for Undergraduate Research (BFF), Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP), and the Minority Science and Engineering Improvement Program (MSEIP) foundations. Under these programs, I studied the antioxidant capacity and total phenolic content of Minthostacys Verticillata, a plant native and constrained in Argentina. My research proved that the plant's chemical compounds were directly related to it's preventative and medicinal remedies. In addition to my research, I volunteer in the emergency department at Mt. Sinai Hospital. Volunteering gives me the opportunity to experience first-hand the work of health-care professionals. I serve an important role in patient-nurse communication. I help lower the stress levels of Mt. Sinai patients and their loved ones. Volunteering has provided me with an excellent opportunity to gain experience in a hospital environment. I have also developed my leadership skills as the President of my last college's Science Club (The Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC)). BMCC's Science Club was a vital part of my school experience. As the Science Club President, I committed time and effort to ensure that the organization flourished. I developed goals for the organization and guided its mission. I considered it important that my fellow students and I pursued careers in STEM fields and gained the knowledge and skills to succeed. Science Club also helped us meet our goals with science-based lectures, activities, and trips. Finally, I also participated in the Goldman Sachs Collaboration program. In this program, I collaborated with a team of students working on a case study. We reconstructed the marketing, branding, and content of Salesforce, a cloud-based software company. We also presented our ideas to the company with the assistance of weekly instruction from professionals in the global banking and investment firm community. This experience enabled me to learn outside of my comfort zone and develop broad-based leadership and career readiness training. I believe that experiences like this will continue to help me become a more well-rounded academic. I am looking forward to continuing my experiences outside of the classroom. This January I am very excited to be participating in NASA's L'Space Academy. In this program, I will be working with a team to complete a NASA mission-related team-project. I am especially excited to learn more about the space industry. Outside of the classroom college experiences have taught me that I am resilient and a boss! Being a first-generation college student and coming from a family of low income, means that I have faced difficulties that others may have not. However, I believe that I am just as worthy of higher learning and my actions will continue to echo that conviction. Thank you for this opportunity!

When I was six to seventeen, my world revolved around ballet. I dedicated over eleven years to my craft and was accepted to the prestigious Russian ballet school Perm State Choreographic College. I was also awarded multiple merit-based National Training Scholarships from the American Ballet Theatre, America’s foremost ballet company, for four consecutive years. During my dance career, I also placed third in the 2012 Classical Ballet Division at Youth America Grand Prix LA, the world’s largest international ballet competition. However, in 2015, during the audition season, I was injured and forced to discontinue dancing. Although I was devastated by this event, it forced me to confront the need to expand my professional horizons beyond ballet. At just eighteen, I left my home in California and moved to New York with two hundred dollars to my name. I resolved to make a new life for myself. Though my experience was immensely difficult and likely the greatest challenge that I've ever faced, New York enabled me to clear my mind and offered me the necessary freedom to grow and develop as an individual. Since then, I have learned to pay attention and take advantage of opportunities (that I wouldn't have been aware of previously). I believe that that is my greatest achievement. Though I am not living the life that I saw fit for myself when I was growing up, I am still living a fulfilling life. Now as a Pre-Medical student at Columbia University, I am proud to be learning something new every day and am immensely grateful for my experience. Since I decided to pursue Medical School, I have experienced both laboratory and clinical research. I am currently a Research Assistant at the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center. I assist in providing oversight for the development of cancer-related biobanks and clinical databases for biospecimen collections. Before that, I had the honor of receiving one of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM). With the assistance of S-STEM, I was permitted to conduct scientific research based in plant biology under the CUNY Research Scholars Program (CRSP), BMCC Foundation Fund for Undergraduate Research (BFF), Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP), and the Minority Science and Engineering Improvement Program (MSEIP) foundations. Though I would prefer not to repeat the time where I was forced to leave classical ballet, I am happy that everything worked out the way that it did. In my process, I have learned that I am resilient and a boss! Thank you for this opportunity!

When I was six to seventeen, my world revolved around ballet. I dedicated over eleven years to my craft and was accepted to the prestigious Russian ballet school Perm State Choreographic College. I was also awarded multiple merit-based National Training Scholarships from the American Ballet Theatre, America’s foremost ballet company, for four consecutive years. During my dance career, I also placed third in the 2012 Classical Ballet Division at Youth America Grand Prix LA, the world’s largest international ballet competition. However, in 2015, during the audition season, I was injured and forced to discontinue dancing. Although I was devastated by this event, it forced me to confront the need to expand my professional horizons beyond ballet. At just eighteen, I left my home in California and moved to New York with two hundred dollars to my name. I resolved to make a new life for myself. Though my experience was immensely difficult, New York enabled me to clear my mind and offered me the necessary freedom to grow and develop as an individual. Since then, I have learned to pay attention and take advantage of opportunities (that I wouldn't have been aware of previously). I believe that that is my greatest achievement. Though I am not living the life that I saw fit for myself when I was growing up, I am still living a fulfilling life. Now as a Pre-Medical student at Columbia University, I am proud to be learning something new every day and am immensely grateful for my experience. Since I decided to pursue Medical School, I have experienced both laboratory and clinical research. I am currently a Research Assistant at the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center. I assist in providing oversight for the development of cancer-related biobanks and clinical databases for biospecimen collections. Before that, I had the honor of receiving one of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM). With the assistance of S-STEM, I was permitted to conduct scientific research based in plant biology under the CUNY Research Scholars Program (CRSP), BMCC Foundation Fund for Undergraduate Research (BFF), Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP), and the Minority Science and Engineering Improvement Program (MSEIP) foundations. Though I would prefer not to repeat the time where I was forced to leave classical ballet, I am happy that everything worked out the way that it did. In my process, I have learned that I am resilient and a boss! Thank you for this opportunity!

My name is Anna Miller and I am an undergraduate student at The School of General Studies of Columbia University. I am a scientist, innovator and would like to receive my PhD or MD. The reason that I am applying to this scholarship is because I could visualize myself pursuing a degree in dental medicine. I believe dental school to be a realistic goal for me, because my passions for the health and well-being of my community will likely drive my journey. I appreciate the work that dentists and other healthcare workers in the dentistry industry engage in. Dentistry is amazing because not only does it permit patients more self-confidence to smile, but it also allows personal wellness and hygienic oral health. To introduce myself, I have had very diverse experiences during my undergraduate career. I am currently employed as a research assistant with Herbert Irving's Comprehensive Cancer Center. Contributorily, as an Entrepreneurial Lead of the 2020 NCAT-NCCU-WSSU-NYCRIN Virtual I-Corps, I practice refining my skills as an innovator. (Along with fellow teammates, I am working towards creating a new technology that detects symptoms of COVID-19 in patients)! I've also participated in the Goldman Sachs 2020 Local College Collaborative. The training that I received under professionals at Goldman Sachs and other partner companies, was immensely important to my development as a student. In the Fall of 2019, I was the President of the BMCC’s Science Club and from 2019-2020 I volunteered in the Emergency Department at Mt. Sinai Hospital. I also enjoyed mentor led research in plant biology for three consecutive years. I have been funded by the CUNY Research Scholars Program, the Minority Science and Engineering Improvement Program and the BMCC Foundation Fund. I love health sciences and am thankful for your consideration!