“And there is your beautiful brain.” To this day, I do not know why these words paired with the MRI image I was staring at made me so emotional. They just felt so…true. So honest. They cut through my day-dreaming nine-year-old whimsy and slapped me into the present: Suddenly, my delicate reality was inescapably laid out in front of me, and it brought more questions than long-awaited answers. For months, I had endured different tests, scans, drugs, and unanswered inquiries about what was wrong with me and what the “episodes” I had been having truly were. I would face all of the uncertainty a million times over, however, if it brought me back to right there–on that dreaded hospital bed, the crunchy sheet below my traitorous body, my neurologist’s smile brighter than the cruel fluorescent lights, and my teary eyes fixated on the image of my brain. In that moment–as Hallmark-movie-cliché as it sounds–I fell unconditionally in love with what makes us all us, what provides us with our unequivocally unique experiences: The brain. When I grew old enough to understand why I had epilepsy, I developed a relentless fascination with neuroscience–the delicacy of the blood-brain barrier, how slight weakness and imperfection in those tightly packed epithelial cells could lead to such beautifully dreadful diseases; brain cancer, dementia, and epilepsy included. A few short years later, my grandfather, Papa, developed Alzheimer’s. Then my grandmother was diagnosed with Lewy Body dementia. The fragility of the brain became even more apparent, but despite all of the emotional and physical pain it put me through, I couldn’t find it in myself to harbor anything but curiosity and awe towards it. The thing about neuroscience that makes its studies endlessly enticing is that there is always more to learn, and that is what I want to spend the rest of my life doing. Hence, I asked for a microscope for my twelfth birthday. Viewing the slow and inescapable degeneration caused by dementia firsthand has left me with several pivotal experiences in my life. At a very young age, I witnessed the harrowing effects of Papa’s brain falling to pieces while my family’s hearts did the same. Then, once it finally seemed like we had glued ourselves back together after losing him, I had to do it all over again with my grandmother. It’s torturous to watch someone you love forget who you are and lose themself in the process. It is also, however, eye-opening. It was through this experience that I developed my passion for discovering preventative measures that could help others from falling victim to the same arduous fate of my grandparents, and in turn, protect families and future generations from having to experience the same pain that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I want to be an advocate and educator on the topic of dementia and brain health in general through practicing neurology–just like my very own neurologist. My desire to help people and be a source of comfort and knowledge to those going through times of uncertainty is my biggest motivator while getting my B.S. in neuroscience at Michigan State University: This passion was only amplified when my family and I experienced the disease firsthand. I learned the importance of knowledgeable, empathetic caregivers during such a distressing time and was immediately inspired, jumping at any chance presented to become just like them and make a positive impact on others in any way I can. Thus, I am a volunteer for Hospice as a pen pal and a weekly check-in caller, and I am in the process of becoming a dementia doula. In three years, after completing my B.S. in neuroscience, I see myself attending graduate school in anticipation of becoming a Physician Assistant (PA) working in neurology. I also intend to participate in research laboratories throughout my education, preferably those investigating brain degeneration, and this scholarship will allow me to explore the curious field of dementia and build my background on the topic. This opportunity would provide me with the resources I need to chase my passion for helping people and my simple love for science. It will also enable me to dive deeply into the exact area of study that I have found so fascinating since witnessing two forms of dementia firsthand, and the prospect of having this chance truly excites me. I often feel marginalized and written off as inadequate as a woman in STEM, and having more experiences and education under my belt will provide me with a reassured sense of confidence in my intelligence, my abilities, and my potential. Moreover, it will help me stand out from my male counterparts in applying to graduate school. This scholarship is important to my family and I financially, but it is also important to my endless pursuit of knowledge. I am curious by nature and have spent my whole life raising questions and seeking answers, so to have the opportunity to pursue more specialized courses with the aid of this scholarship will only encourage me further to achieve my goals of becoming a PA and positively impacting many lives. I aspire to use my personal experiences with dementia as fuel as I tackle the disease head-on in my studies and my future career.