As a little girl, I always saw myself in a white lab coat, making advancements in the world of science. For as long as I can remember, I've yearned to know all about the inner workings of the world. How do the leaves know when to change colors? How does the flip of a switch turn on a light? I always knew science would be my passion. However, it wasn't until a couple years ago when I realized the specific field of science I wanted to study: neuroscience. Furthermore, my revelation came in perhaps the most peculiar place possible-- a ten year old's birthday party. It was my cousin Allorah's 10th birthday, and as usual, her two sisters and her were running rampant, causing chaos wherever they went. I had always known that my cousins and I were different- they grew up with two parents, I grew up with one; they had sisters to keep them company, I was an only child. Yet, the stark differences that would arise from these vastly different developmental conditions made themselves evident on this day at that birthday party. My introverted, mature-for-my-age self watched in horror as my cousins stuck their fingers into the cake, blew out each other's candles, ripped open each other's presents, and caused a ruckus. I could hardly believe that my cousins and I were so closely related, yet so fundamentally different from each other. From this point on, my interest in neuroscience that had always lingered was fully kindled. How come my cousins and I turned out so different? Do genetics really play a role at all in determining the characteristics of a child, or is it purely environmental? Through studying neuroscience, I would find the answers to the questions that I've longed to know for so long. I think neuroscience is the perfect field for me. A combination of biology and principles of psychology, it features aspects of all of the topics that have peaked my interest in school. A career in this field would allow me to do fulfilling, interesting research, while treating patients and discovering more about the inner workings of the human body, especially the brain. I plan to pursue a BS in neuroscience at Case Western Reserve University, then eventually attend their medical school. I hope to get a job as a neurologist at Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland and specialize in the research and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. As someone who has witnessed firsthand the devastating effects of neurodegenerative diseases on a loved one, I hope to be able to give people affected by these diseases more time with their loved ones and a better quality of life through extensive research and experimentation.

As a little girl, I always saw myself in a white lab coat, making advancements in the world of science. For as long as I can remember, I've yearned to know all about the inner workings of the world. How do the leaves know when to change colors? How does the flip of a switch turn on a light? I always knew science would be my passion. However, it wasn't until a couple years ago when I realized the specific field of science I wanted to study: neuroscience. Furthermore, my revelation came in perhaps the most peculiar place possible-- a ten year old's birthday party. It was my cousin Allorah's 10th birthday, and as usual, her two sisters and her were running rampant, causing chaos wherever they went. I had always known that my cousins and I were different- they grew up with two parents, I grew up with one; they had sisters to keep them company, I was an only child. Yet, the stark differences that would arise from these vastly different developmental conditions made themselves evident on this day at that birthday party. My introverted, mature-for-my-age self watched in horror as my cousins stuck their fingers into the cake, blew out each other's candles, ripped open each other's presents, and caused a ruckus. I could hardly believe that my cousins and I were so closely related, yet so fundamentally different from each other. From this point on, my interest in neuroscience that had always lingered was fully kindled. How come my cousins and I turned out so different? Do genetics really play a role at all in determining the characteristics of a child, or is it purely environmental? Through studying neuroscience, I would find the answers to the questions that I've longed to know for so long. I think neuroscience is the perfect field for me. A combination of biology and principles of psychology, it features aspects of all of the topics that have peaked my interest in school. A career in this field would allow me to do fulfilling, interesting research, while treating patients and discovering more about the inner workings of the human body, especially the brain. I plan to pursue a BS in neuroscience at Case Western Reserve University, then eventually attend their medical school. I hope to get a job as a neurologist at Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland and specialize in the research and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. As someone who has witnessed firsthand the devastating effects of neurodegenerative diseases on a loved one, I hope to be able to give people affected by these diseases more time with their loved ones and a better quality of life through extensive research and experimentation.

As a little girl, I always saw myself in a white lab coat, making advancements in the world of science. For as long as I can remember, I've yearned to know all about the inner workings of the world. How do the leaves know when to change colors? How does the flip of a switch turn on a light? I always knew science would be my passion. However, it wasn't until a couple years ago when I realized the specific field of science I wanted to study: neuroscience. Furthermore, my revelation came in perhaps the most peculiar place possible-- a ten year old's birthday party. It was my cousin Allorah's 10th birthday, and as usual, her two sisters and her were running rampant, causing chaos wherever they went. I had always known that my cousins and I were different- they grew up with two parents, I grew up with one; they had sisters to keep them company, I was an only child. Yet, the stark differences that would arise from these vastly different developmental conditions made themselves evident on this day at that birthday party. My introverted, mature-for-my-age self watched in horror as my cousins stuck their fingers into the cake, blew out each other's candles, ripped open each other's presents, and caused a ruckus. I could hardly believe that my cousins and I were so closely related, yet so fundamentally different from each other. From this point on, my interest in neuroscience that had always lingered was fully kindled. How come my cousins and I turned out so different? Do genetics really play a role at all in determining the characteristics of a child, or is it purely environmental? Through studying neuroscience, I would find the answers to the questions that I've longed to know for so long. I think neuroscience is the perfect field for me. A combination of biology and principles of psychology, it features aspects of all of the topics that have peaked my interest in school. A career in this field would allow me to do fulfilling, interesting research, while treating patients and discovering more about the inner workings of the human body, especially the brain. I plan to pursue a BS in neuroscience at Case Western Reserve University, then eventually attend their medical school. I hope to get a job as a neurologist at Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland and specialize in the research and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. As someone who has witnessed firsthand the devastating effects of neurodegenerative diseases on a loved one, I hope to be able to give people affected by these diseases more time with their loved ones and a better quality of life through extensive research and experimentation.

As a little girl, I always saw myself in a white lab coat, making advancements in the world of science. For as long as I can remember, I've yearned to know all about the inner workings of the world. How do the leaves know when to change colors? How does the flip of a switch turn on a light? I always knew science would be my passion. However, it wasn't until a couple years ago when I realized the specific field of science I wanted to study: neuroscience. Furthermore, my revelation came in perhaps the most peculiar place possible-- a ten year old's birthday party. It was my cousin Allorah's 10th birthday, and as usual, her two sisters and her were running rampant, causing chaos wherever they went. I had always known that my cousins and I were different- they grew up with two parents, I grew up with one; they had sisters to keep them company, I was an only child. Yet, the stark differences that would arise from these vastly different developmental conditions made themselves evident on this day at that birthday party. My introverted, mature-for-my-age self watched in horror as my cousins stuck their fingers into the cake, blew out each other's candles, ripped open each other's presents, and caused a ruckus. I could hardly believe that my cousins and I were so closely related, yet so fundamentally different from each other. From this point on, my interest in neuroscience that had always lingered was fully kindled. How come my cousins and I turned out so different? Do genetics really play a role at all in determining the characteristics of a child, or is it purely environmental? Through studying neuroscience, I would find the answers to the questions that I've longed to know for so long. I think neuroscience is the perfect field for me. A combination of biology and principles of psychology, it features aspects of all of the topics that have peaked my interest in school. A career in this field would allow me to do fulfilling, interesting research, while treating patients and discovering more about the inner workings of the human body, especially the brain. I plan to pursue a BS in neuroscience at Case Western Reserve University, then eventually attend their medical school. I hope to get a job as a neurologist at Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland and specialize in the research and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. As someone who has witnessed firsthand the devastating effects of neurodegenerative diseases on a loved one, I hope to be able to give people affected by these diseases more time with their loved ones and a better quality of life through extensive research and experimentation.

As a little girl, I always saw myself in a white lab coat, making advancements in the world of science. For as long as I can remember, I've yearned to know all about the inner workings of the world. How do the leaves know when to change colors? How does the flip of a switch turn on a light? I always knew science would be my passion. However, it wasn't until a couple years ago that I realized what specific field of science I wanted to study: neuroscience. My revelation came at perhaps the most peculiar place possible-- a 10 year old's birthday party. It was my cousin Allorah's 10th birthday, and as usual, her two sisters and her were running rampant, causing chaos wherever they went. I had always known that my cousins and I were different- they grew up with two parents, I grew up with one; they had sisters to keep them company, I was an only child. Yet, the stark differences that would arise from these vastly different developmental conditions made themselves evident on this day at that birthday party. My introverted, mature-for-my-age self watched in horror as my cousins stuck their fingers into the cake, blew out each other's candles, and ripped open each other's presents. I held my breath, waiting for their mom to reprimand them, but it never came. I could hardly believe that my cousins and I were so closely related, yet so fundamentally different from each other. From this point on, my interest in neuroscience that had always lingered was fully kindled. How come my cousins and I turned out so different? Do genetics really play a role at all in determining the characteristics of a child, or is it purely environmental? Through studying neuroscience, I would find the answers to the questions that I've longed to know for so long. I think neuroscience is the perfect field for me. A blend of biology and principles of psychology, it is the perfect combination of all the topics that have intrigued me in school. A career in this field would allow me to do fulfilling, interesting research, while treating patients and discovering more about the inner workings of the human body, especially the brain. I plan to pursue a BS in neuroscience at Case Western Reserve University, then eventually attend their medical school. I hope to get a job as a neurologist at Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland and specialize in the research and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

As a little girl, I always saw myself in a white lab coat, making advancements in the science field. For as long as I can remember, I've yearned to know all about the inner workings of the world. How do the leaves know when to change colors? How does the flip of a switch turn on a light? I always knew science would be my passion. A couple years ago, I realized I wanted to study neuroscience at the most peculiar place to have this kind of revelation- a 10 year old's birthday party. It was my cousin Allorah's 10th birthday, and as usual, her two sisters and her were running rampant, causing chaos wherever they went. I had always known that my cousins and I were different- they grew up with two parents, I grew up with one; they had sisters to keep them company, I was an only child. Yet, the stark differences that would arise from these vastly different developmental conditions had never made themselves so evident as they did on this day. My introverted, mature-for-my-age self watched in horror as my cousins stuck their fingers into the birthday cake and licked them. What was even more surprising to me was the reaction that their parents gave: a very disheartened, monotonous "don't do that", and then nothing else. "Can I pleeeeeeease open one of your presents?" pleaded my youngest cousin. Too eager to wait for a response, she lunged for a nearby gift and started tearing into it, with no regard for the fact that it was her sister's birthday, not hers. It amazed me that my cousins and I could be so closely related yet so fundamentally different. Do genetics really play a role as all in determining character traits? Is the development of a child's personality based on their environmental conditions and personal experiences. Why were my cousins and I as similar as non-related strangers? From this point on, my interest in neuroscience that had always lingered was fully kindled. Through studying neuroscience, I can find the answers to the questions that I've longed to know for so long. I think neuroscience is the perfect field for me. A career in this field would allow me to do fulfilling, interesting research, while treating patients and discovering more about the inner workings of the human body, especially the brain. I plan to pursue a BS in neuroscience at Case Western Reserve University, then eventually attend their medical school. I hope to get a job as a neurologist at Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland and specialize in the research and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases or the study of developmental psychology.

Even as a little kid, I knew I loved music. I loved listening to music on the radio, singing when I thought no one else could hear me. I was entranced by my grandma’s piano and always tried to teach myself songs. However, it wasn’t until I was nine years old that I decided to formally take up music as a hobby. In fourth grade I made a decision that would alter the course of my life forever- I chose to start playing the clarinet. The day I first put my clarinet together was the day we became inseparable. I spent hours everyday practicing, extending my range, and teaching myself tunes. I quickly learned the inner workings of the instrument and my love for the clarinet as well as band grew exponentially. I started taking lessons to further my skills. Today, I’m a senior in high school and I’ve been studying with the same teacher for eight years. Throughout my musical career, I’ve played in several honor bands locally and nationally. I’ve studied with college professors and played in many ensemble groups. Whether it be playing with a band, orchestra, clarinet choir, or as a soloist, I find that my love for music grows more and more with every musical endeavor I take on. I am infinitely grateful for the friendships that music has granted me over the years. I’m grateful for the skills that it has taught me, tactical and intellectual. I’m thankful that it has taught me how to be more emotionally sensitive and how to better express myself to others. But most of all, I’m thankful that music has always been there for me- always in my corner, the little light at the end of the tunnel encouraging me to keep pushing. I’ve had a very difficult upbringing. Several years ago, my mother passed away unexpectedly. Since then, I’ve experienced abuse, physical and emotional. I’ve had to fend for myself as a child with no one to turn to. My life has been ever changing. However, the one thing that has always been a constant is music. Music has been a refuge for me over the past several years. It has been an outlet for me when I felt the weight of the world on my shoulders. It has been a way for me to get away from the darkness in my life, at least momentarily. Music has saved my life. Though college might seem daunting to the average senior, I’m counting down the days until I get to go to college. I’m not sure where I want to go, but I do know that wherever I go, I’ll carry my passion for clarinet and music-making with me as always. I can’t wait to see where music will take me.

In my opinion, calculus gets a bad rap. When the average high schooler hears the word "calculus", their heart rate increases and their palms start sweating- understandably. When someone who hasn't been introduced to calculus yet first sees a derivative or an integral, it can seem very daunting. That is, until, you're able to understand where it all comes from. Then, suddenly, it all makes sense. I got my first taste of a calculus course last year. Going into the course, I had no idea what to expect. I, too, was the nervous high schooler, dreading the word "calculus". However, with a little studying and extra practice, the concept became increasingly clear to me. This year, I'm taking AP Calculus. Up until this point, I've felt that my mathematics education has had little real world value. I could find the slope of a tangent line just fine, but I couldn't understand how to use the idea to solve real world problems. However, this year, I have finally begun to understand just how crucial calculus is to solving complex, real world problems. This year, I was formally introduced to derivatives, and s(t), v(t), and a(t). By using rates of change, we are able to then figure out the rate of acceleration of an object, or the position of an object at a certain point in time. With this knowledge, I learned how to tackle real life problems. For example, if a lollipop is shrinking in volume at a rate of 0.08 mL/minute, how fast will the radius be decreasing when the lollipop is 20 mm across? Using calculus, we can determine the radius of the lollipop at a certain point in time. Currently in my calculus class, we are studying Riemann sums and finding area under a curve. For a little bit, I had a hard time grasping the concept because I didn't understand the real world application. However, with some research, I learned that area under a curve becomes especially useful when used in the 3D plane. Additionally, I learned directly from someone who has used area under a curve in their STEM job, which made me appreciate my calculus class that much more. In the future, I intend to pursue a career in the field of neuroscience. My STEM courses have always fascinated me, thus my interest in neuroscience. In the future, I will definitely benefit from knowing how to do calculus, whether that be knowing how to find rates of change or finding the area under a curve to solve a real life problem. Calculus is quintessential in the STEM field because we need calculations to guide us to make decisions. For example, an anesthesiologist needs to know how to calculate the exact amounts of different substances to combine in order to administer anesthesia to a patient. Though calculus can seem scary initially, it is not at all bad. In fact, calculus provides us with the knowledge and calculations to keep the world functioning.

My sophomore year of high school, I received my very first paycheck. I remember the day vividly. I was so excited to finally have my own money- almost $200, too, which seemed like a ton back then. Immediately, I started thinking of all of the things I could spend it on: new clothes, books, food, coffee, and so much more. And then I did just that. In just a couple of days, I was back to square one, no remnants of my hard work to be found. This pattern persisted for a couple of months. I would work for hours on end, receive my paycheck, and spend virtually its entirety in the next couple of days. It was exciting to have some of my own money and be able to buy things entirely by myself, however, this lifestyle started to become unfulfilling and impractical. Fast forward to 2022, I started at a new job as a server. Once again, I faced the same dilemma as before. I was making hundreds of dollars a week, but within a few days, I found myself with little profit left over. I hated how my hard work at my job, demonstrated by the money I made, could be erased so easily. It was at my second job that I began to make a concerted effort to save my money, and it left me feeling much more fulfilled. When I was younger, I didn't have much of a concept of money. I had always heard people say "save your money!", but I never understood how crucial this was until I grew up. Today, I'm a 17 year old independent, totally responsible for my own financials with little fiscal support from anyone else in my life. Now more than ever, I understand the importance of fiscal responsibility, especially after buying my own car, paying for insurance, gas, a new phone, school fees, and so much more. All of my life, going to college has been a sort of fantasy. However, I'm now in the second semester of my senior year, and college is just around the corner. I realize now that I not only have to worry about the qualifications that will get me into my top schools, like ACT scores and extracurriculars, but also a feasible way to pay my way through college. With a down payment date fast approaching, my spending has decreased significantly and my search for sources of money has begun. Now that I realize how important saving up is, I am better equipped to enter the "real world" and be a fiscally financial adult.