From a young age, I was captivated by the world of science. While many children dreamed of becoming teachers, athletes, or artists, I found myself most curious about the “why” and “how” behind the natural world. I wanted to understand how living things functioned and how tiny processes invisible to the eye could shape life itself. That curiosity only grew as I advanced in school, and by the time I reached high school, my love for chemistry and biology had become the foundation for what I knew would be my future: pursuing biochemistry. Today, as a freshman at Mississippi College, I am eager to continue building on that passion, preparing myself for a career that will allow me to make meaningful contributions in the medical or environmental fields. While I cannot point to a single moment that determined my path toward biochemistry, my journey has been shaped by years of fascination and discovery. High school courses in chemistry and biology gave me my first real opportunity to dive into the complexities of science, and I thrived on the challenge. Experiments in the classroom were never just assignments for me; they were glimpses into the hidden mechanisms that keep the world alive. My excitement only deepened when I had the opportunity to job shadow in a hospital laboratory last year. There, I witnessed biochemistry applied in real time—tests being run, samples being analyzed, and data being used to guide patient care. Seeing the critical role of biochemistry in medicine inspired me, not just because of the science itself, but because of its direct impact on people’s lives. This connection between science and service is also reflected in the work I have done outside of the classroom. Throughout high school, I completed over 200 hours of community service, volunteering at food banks, homeless shelters, and school events. These experiences taught me humility, compassion, and the importance of giving back to the community. They also reinforced my desire to pursue a career in biochemistry. Just as my volunteer work allowed me to support people in immediate, tangible ways, I see biochemistry as a path to contribute to the well-being of others on a broader scale—whether by advancing medical research, improving treatments, or addressing environmental challenges. What drives me most is the knowledge that science is not only about discovery but also about service. Biochemistry, in particular, holds the power to change lives. From developing therapies to combat disease to understanding how environmental factors affect health, biochemistry bridges the gap between the microscopic and the global. My goal is to be part of that work, using the education I receive at Mississippi College as a foundation for a career where curiosity, hard work, and compassion intersect. In pursuing biochemistry, I am not only following my lifelong passion but also committing myself to a future of service, discovery, and impact. I believe that the same qualities that guided me through my community service—dedication, humility, and a desire to help others—will guide me as I continue this journey. With every step forward in my education, I am reminded that science has always been my calling, and I am eager to see where it will allow me to serve the world.

Ever since I was younger, I told everyone I wanted to be a doctor. However I realized that I only wanted to be a doctor because everyone told me I should be a doctor. In my junior year of highschool, I spent time researching careers and found that I was really interested in being a biochemist. I began to work towards my passion of being a biochemist and decided to develop smaller goals in order to succeed. The goals that I developed that day involved one in which I would go to college debt free. I had always been an all “A” honor roll student, but colleges also care about an ACT score and community service. My goal, then, became to make at least a thirty or better on my ACT while maintaining my 4.0 grade point average and engaging in community service. Well, I exceeded my goal in February of my junior year by earning an ACT score of 31, which only led me to set higher goals. For as long as I can remember, I have always been dedicated and strived to be the best I can be, but setting goals seemed to push me even further. Currently, one of my goals is to graduate with distinguished honors and as valedictorian or salutatorian of my class. Graduating with distinguished honors means that I would have met the academic requirements and completed over two hundred hours of community service. However, the hours I have earned in community service has only inspired me to do more for my community, not just the bare minimum. The experience I gained from community service has caused me to be a well rounded person and become a leader, in which I am grateful. When I graduate, I plan to continue serving my community and others. I also plan to keep my dedication to my academics inside and outside of a school setting. In the fall of 2025, I plan to attend Mississippi College in Clinton, Ms. to earn a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry. With that degree, I hope to become a biochemist, which studies the chemical and physical processes of living things and of biological processes. These plans are dreams or goals of mine that of course with perseverance I can achieve. However, as I mentioned previously, another goal of mine was to go to college debt free. This goal I have been working towards for years and this is now the time I can achieve it. For as long as I can remember, I have always been dedicated and strived to be the best I can be, but setting goals seemed to push me even further.

For the longest time, my siblings and I thought our parents were rich. I grew up in a small town where there is no distinction between economic classes. It was not until I was much older that I realized we were considered a low income household because of how well my parents hid their financial struggles. However my parents did more than just hide their problems; they often went without so my siblings and I could have more. When I was in sixth grade, I realized the only way I would be able to go to college is if I earned scholarships or took out a student loan because my parents could not afford the cost of attendance. My parents never had the opportunity to go to college, and that seemed to encourage me to strive harder towards a college degree. I developed goals that day, one in which I would go to college debt free. I had always been an all “A” honor roll student, but colleges also care about an ACT score and community service. My goal, then, became to make at least a thirty or better on my ACT while maintaining my 4.0 grade point average and engaging in community service. Well, I exceeded my goal in February of my junior year, which only led me to set higher goals. For as long as I can remember, I have always been dedicated and strived to be the best I can be, but setting goals seemed to push me even further. Currently, one of my goals is to graduate with distinguished honors and as valedictorian or salutatorian of my class. Graduating with distinguished honors means that I would have met the academic requirements and completed over two hundred hours of community service. However, the hours I have earned in community service has only inspired me to do more for my community, not just the bare minimum. The experience I gained from community service has caused me to be a well rounded person and become a leader, in which I am grateful. When I graduate, I plan to continue serving my community and others. I also plan to keep my dedication to my academics inside and outside of a school setting. In the fall of 2025, I plan to attend Mississippi College in Clinton, Ms. to earn a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry. With that degree, I hope to become a biochemist, which studies the chemical and physical processes of living things and of biological processes. These plans are dreams or goals of mine that of course with perseverance I can achieve. However, as I mentioned previously, another goal of mine was to go to college debt free. This goal I have been working towards for years and this is now the time I can achieve it. This is now the time I can do what my parents never got the opportunity to do.

At age ninety, my great grandmother went into a nursing home. Over the last decade, she had been developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. It was heartbreaking knowing that we could no longer do anything for her, not even provide the constant care she needed. Our family watched as she no longer recognized us or herself. However, the day she died will never leave my memory and continues to play a role in my perspective and aspirations. Three years later, just a month after my great grandmother’s ninety-third birthday, she developed pneumonia and was transferred to the hospital. Her children stayed by her, but I was not allowed because of my age and school. On the morning of January 29, my mother received the call that she had passed on due to both lungs collapsing. My mother gave the news to me at lunch that day. My throat had that hot and hard lump that was impossible to swallow and my eyes began to burn. My chest grew tighter with a pain I had not felt before. I had watched other families grieve a loss of a loved one, but this was the first time I had experienced death personally. Death is kind of funny though. The thing about death is that it ends the suffering and hopefully provides the person with everlasting life. However, those left behind, the friends and family, are forced to cope with death and loss while time still carries on. That day at lunch time did not stop for me to dry my eyes, instead it left me exposed and vulnerable to all those around me. I suppose I had always taught that when a person dies everyone just pushes away that thought like when you lose a pet. When I got home from school that evening, I realized that no one was ignoring her death, but rather embracing it and feeling the stinging of losing a mother, grandmother, great grandmother, and more. I also learned that death did not mark the end of life, just the end of a chapter and the beginning of a new one. My great grandmother will live on forever, walk with the Lord, and wait for the rest of us to join her as we keep her memory alive. In a sense, the day she died I vowed to pray every night for her happiness in the world above. She was always happy on Earth and I can only hope she is happy still. I vowed to do things she never got the opportunity to do. She never had the opportunity to go to college and experience the opportunities women have now. However, I have those advantages and options and I strive to do better for her.

For the longest time, my siblings and I thought our parents were rich. I grew up in a small town where there is no distinction between economic classes. It was not until I was much older that I realized we were considered a low income household because of how well my parents hid their financial struggles. However my parents did more than just hide their problems; they often went without so my siblings and I could have more. When I was in sixth grade, I realized the only way I would be able to go to college is if I earned scholarships or took out a student loan because my parents could not afford the cost of attendance. My parents never had the opportunity to go to college, and that seemed to encourage me to strive harder towards a college degree. I developed goals that day, one in which I would go to college debt free. I had always been an all “A” honor roll student, but colleges also care about an ACT score and community service. My goal, then, became to make at least a thirty or better on my ACT while maintaining my 4.0 grade point average and engaging in community service. Well, I exceeded my goal in February of my junior year, which only led me to set higher goals. For as long as I can remember, I have always been dedicated and strived to be the best I can be, but setting goals seemed to push me even further. Currently, one of my goals is to graduate with distinguished honors and as valedictorian or salutatorian of my class. Graduating with distinguished honors means that I would have met the academic requirements and completed over two hundred hours of community service. However, the hours I have earned in community service has only inspired me to do more for my community, not just the bare minimum. The experience I gained from community service has caused me to be a well rounded person and become a leader, in which I am grateful. When I graduate, I plan to continue serving my community and others. I also plan to keep my dedication to my academics inside and outside of a school setting. In the fall of 2025, I plan to attend Mississippi College in Clinton, Ms. to earn a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry. With that degree, I hope to become a biochemist, which studies the chemical and physical processes of living things and of biological processes. These plans are dreams or goals of mine that of course with perseverance I can achieve. However, as I mentioned previously, another goal of mine was to go to college debt free. This goal I have been working towards for years and this is now the time I can achieve it. This is now the time I can do what my parents never got the opportunity to do.