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Aryanna Paulena

1x

Finalist

1x

Winner

General information

Hobbies & Interests

  • Reading
  • Track and Field

Reading

  • Christian Fiction
  • Christianity

I read books multiple times a month.

Bio

My long‑term goal has stayed the same since childhood: I want to become a dentist. I’ve always been drawn to understanding the human body, how lifestyle affects health, and how meaningful it is to help people feel confident in their smile. That passion has shaped my academic path from a young age. I pushed myself early, earning my AA degree in high school and beginning college with a strong foundation in science. Although I originally planned to major in biochemistry, I became increasingly interested in chemical engineering as I learned more about the field and realized how much I enjoyed its rigor and problem‑solving. A family friend who studied chemical engineering inspired me by showing what it looks like to truly love what you study, and his example encouraged me to pursue a degree that would challenge and excite me. Switching my major was not easy. I had to complete additional math prerequisites at a community college without the support of Bright Futures, which placed a financial burden on my family. That experience taught me resilience, discipline, and how to advocate for my education. Today, chemical engineering strengthens the analytical thinking, precision, and problem‑solving skills that will make me a stronger dental school applicant and future clinician. I believe I am a great candidate because my journey reflects persistence, intentionality, and passion. Every challenge has pushed me to grow, and every step has brought me closer to the future I’ve been working toward since I was a child.

Education

University of South Florida-Main Campus

Bachelor's degree program

2026 – 2029

Majors:
  • Chemical Engineering

Palm Beach State College

Associate's degree program

2021 – 2024

Majors:
  • Science Technologies/Technicians, Other

John I. Leonard High School

High School

2020 – 2024

Miscellaneous

Desired degree level:
Doctoral degree program (PhD, MD, JD, etc.)
Graduate schools of interest:
University of Florida, New York University
Majors of interest:
Dentistry
Desired degree modality:
In-Person
Medical school interest:
Yes

Career

Miscellaneous

Dream career field:
Dentistry
Work experience:
0 years
Has nursing license:
No

Future Interests

  • Volunteering
Byte into STEM Scholarship
I have always been someone who tries to plan every detail of my life, especially when it comes to my education and future career. For years, I had a plan mapped out: major in biochemistry and become a dentist. I pushed myself early on by taking dual enrollment courses to earn my AA degree before graduating high school. But as I grew physically, mentally, and spiritually, I realized that even the most carefully constructed plans can shift, and sometimes those shifts lead to something better. I have learned that no matter how carefully you plan, life may unfold differently, and sometimes the best opportunities appear when you stop trying to control everything. My faith has been the foundation of that realization. I was raised to trust God’s plan over my own, but it wasn’t until my freshman year of college that I truly began to understand what that meant. During that year, I felt an unexpected pull toward chemical engineering, a field that challenged me intellectually in ways biochemistry never had. A family friend played a meaningful role in this shift. His passion for chemical engineering was infectious, inspiring me because I got to see what it looked like when someone truly loves what they study. Following that calling required sacrifice. My first university did not offer chemical engineering, so I attempted a double major in biochemistry and engineering science before realizing I needed a stronger foundation. I took a year away from university to complete some core engineering prerequisites at a community college. However, doing so made me ineligible for Bright Futures and required my family to cover the full cost. That season taught me about resilience, patience, and the importance of advocating for my education. It reminded me that the path to a dream is rarely straightforward. Service has also shaped who I am. Since childhood my parents taught me to be selfless, generous, and compassionate. Through years of community service, I gained values such as dependability, humility, honesty, and open‑mindedness. Community service helped me learn that a little bit of help goes a long way. These experiences strengthened my desire to uplift others and confirmed that my career must be rooted in service. Dentistry is where my passions, values, and long‑term goals align. I have wanted to become a dentist since first grade, proudly declaring that dream in a small book I wrote as a child. I have always loved learning about the human body, how lifestyle affects health, and how meaningful it is to help people feel confident in their smile. Chemical engineering may not be the traditional path, but it will give me rigorous training in mathematics, problem solving, and scientific analysis. All of which are skills essential for dental school and clinical practice. More importantly, it will help me become more disciplined, resilient, and grounded in purpose. My ultimate goal is to use my education to create lasting impact. I hope to establish a program modeled after Homeless Not Toothless, offering free dental care days for homeless individuals in my community. I want to be able to use my career to help as many people as possible, whether they can afford it or not because I believe that everyone should have the right to care for the body God has blessed us with. What made me is my faith. What shaped me are the challenges I have overcome. What drives me is the desire to serve. And where I am heading is towards a future in dentistry, built on a foundation stronger and more intentional than anything I could have planned alone.
Khalil Mack 52 Scholars Program
Winner
I have always been someone who tries to plan every detail of my life. For years, that plan was simple: become a dentist and major in biochemistry. That goal shaped nearly every academic decision I made. I pushed myself early, took dual‑enrollment courses throughout high school, and earned my AA degree before graduation. I believed that if I worked hard enough and followed that plan perfectly, everything would fall into place. But as I grew physically, mentally, and spiritually, I learned two important lessons: no matter how carefully you plan, life may unfold differently, and sometimes the best opportunities appear when you stop trying to control everything. As a Christian, I was taught to trust God’s plan over my own, but it wasn’t until about a year ago that I truly began to understand what that meant. Over the past year, a series of unexpected events shifted my perspective and became the turning point in my story. I started my first year of college confident that biochemistry was the right major for my future in dentistry. But as I took classes and explored new fields, I felt a gentle pull toward chemical engineering, one that grew stronger with time. The rigor, the problem‑solving, and the intellectual challenge excited me in a way biochemistry never had. A family friend that studied chemical engineering, played a meaningful role in this shift. Listening to him speak with genuine passion about the field made me curious, and that curiosity stayed with me. His example showed me what it looks like to truly love what you study, and it inspired me to pursue a path that would challenge me and help me grow. My first university did not offer engineering majors, so I attempted to double major in Biochemistry and Engineering Science to gain some exposure. Even then, I knew I needed a program that fully aligned with the calling I felt. Chemical engineering requires a stronger foundation in mathematics, and I did not yet have the prerequisites to transfer directly into the major. To complete them, I took a year off from my university and enrolled at a community college. Because I already held an AA degree and Palm Beach State does not offer a chemical engineering track, I was placed in a major that made me ineligible for Bright Futures. My family had to cover the full cost of that year. It was a difficult season, but it taught me resilience, patience, and how to advocate for my education. It reminded me that the path to a dream is rarely straightforward, and that growth often comes from the challenges we never expected. These experiences have shaped my commitment to my education and my future. They taught me to trust God’s timing, to embrace opportunities even when they disrupt my plans, and to pursue the path that inspires me. Chemical engineering will strengthen the analytical thinking, precision, and problem‑solving skills I need to pursue a career in the dental field. More importantly, it will help me become the kind of person I aspire to be disciplined, resilient, and grounded in purpose. What made me is my faith. What moves me is the desire to serve others. Where I’m headed is toward a future in dentistry, built on a foundation stronger and more intentional than anything I could have planned on my own.
Aryanna Paulena Student Profile | Bold.org