My name is Kennedy Woods and I currently attend Boca Raton Community Highschool. This fall I am enrolled at Howard University and plan on majoring in biology on a pre-med track. After completing my undergraduate degree in biology, I plan to further my education to receive my MD in neuroscience. Neuroscience science is the study of the nervous system and how it functions. I want to study how neurotransmitters and different diseases affect different parts of your body. I would also like to learn how the brain affects an individual's physical body & and how it responds to medicine. I believe furthering my education can also help to make a difference by helping to find cures for people with different neurodegenerative and neurocognitive disorders. Being able to help give individuals hope and to live long healthy lives is of utmost importance to me. In the future, I would like to do research and create cures for neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis. The classes I have taken during high school have initiated those passions I have in neuroscience and medicine. One class that helped me grow those passions was AP Psychology, which I am currently taking as a senior in high school. My favorite units we have learned were the neuroscience, psychoactive drugs, and mental illness units. In these units, I had to opportunity to learn about medicine, different brain functions, and what happens to the body when certain brain structures are damaged. I was fascinated and wanted to continue to learn more. AP Psychology pushed me to major in biology and further solidify what I want to do in the future. I believe one day, I may be able to help make a difference in the lives of some of my family members that have neurodegenerative diseases. Some obstacles that I may encounter during my college education experience are gender and racial discrimination because I am an African American Woman. I face racism daily, so I will not be surprised if I encounter it in college. However, I plan to overcome these obstacles by persevering. I will continue to push forward despite the comments or opportunities being taken away from me because I am an African American woman. I hope that my accomplishments by being an African American woman in the neuroscience field of study will encourage other women that look like me that they can do it too.

My name is Kennedy Woods, I'm currently a senior at Boca Raton Community High School. I plan to attend Howard University in the fall of 2023 to pursue a biology major. I have always had an interest in learning about different parts of the body, their functions, and how different substances can affect your body. Going into high school I have been trying to build my knowledge about our body by taking different courses such as anatomy, psychology, biology, and chemistry. These courses help me further confirm what I would like to study in the future. After completing my undergraduate degree in Biomedical Science/Biology, I plan to further my education to receive my MD degree in neuroscience & study how neurotransmitters affect different parts of your body as well as diseases. I would like to learn how the brain affects a person's physical body & and how it responds to medicine as well as technology. I believe furthering my education can also help to make a difference by helping to find cures for people with different immune disorders. Neuroscience is a very interesting major, and medicine is a vast subject with many career options. Being able to help give individuals hope and live longer healthier lives is of utmost importance to me. Biomedical science is the research for treatments for different diseases and health conditions. Neuroscientists today have made a difference in society with the recent developments of covid, and many other vaccines. In the future, I would like to create another treatment option for type 2 diabetes and mental illnesses. Neuroscience is neverending & has continued to make new developments all over the world. Learning about neurotransmitters & neurons allows me to learn about human body systems, how diseases affect those systems, cells, viruses, bacteria, and much more. Another reason why I want to pursue a graduate degree in neuroscience is because of the vast career options and subjects I get to learn about. Some include anatomy, genetics, microbiology, physiology, and immunology. In addition, biomedical science does not restrict me to one career choice. Some include clinical scientists, microbiologists, biomedical researchers, and epidemiologists. I believe one day, I may be able to even help make a difference in the lives of some of my family members that have a neuro or immune disease. I have always been interested in learning about medicine & even with me being able to take different classes in high school surrounding these topics, makes me want to learn even more.

After completing my undergraduate degree in Biomedical Science, I plan to further my education to receive my MD degree in neuroscience & study how neurotransmitters affect different parts of your body as well as diseases. I would like to learn how the brain affects a person's physical body & and how it responds to medicine as well as technology. I believe furthering my education can also help to make a difference by helping to find cures for people with different immune disorders. Neuroscience is a very interesting major, and medicine is a vast subject with many career options. Being able to help give individuals hope and live longer healthier lives is of utmost importance to me. Biomedical science is the research for treatments for different diseases and health conditions. Neuroscientists today have made a difference in society with the recent developments of covid, and many other vaccines. In the future, I would like to create another treatment option for type 2 diabetes and mental illnesses. NeuroScience is neverending & has continued to make new developments all over the world. Learning about neurotransmitters & neurons allows me to learn about human body systems, how diseases affect those systems, cells, viruses, bacteria, and much more. Another reason why I want to pursue a graduate degree in neuroscience is because of the vast career options and subjects I get to learn about. Some include anatomy, genetics, microbiology, physiology, and immunology. In addition, biomedical science does not restrict me to one career choice. Some include clinical scientists, microbiologists, biomedical researchers, and epidemiologists. I believe one day, I may be able to even help make a difference in the lives of some of my family members that have a neuro or immune disease. I have always been interested in learning about medicine & even with me being able to take different classes in high school surrounding these topics, makes me want to learn even more.

I will be pursuing a degree in Biomedical in Science to help women of color with breast cancer awareness & to obtain better care for Breast cancer treatment services. My grandmother died at the age of 62 from breast cancer. When she was first diagnosed she had breast cancer in left breast & 3 years later the doctor found a spot on her pancreas, hip & back. I would like to use my degree & research to find the relationship between food & increased risk for breast cancer around women of color. I would like to understand why eating certain foods puts a women of color more at risk for developing of breast cancer & a way to detect breast cancer earlier if it comes back & when a women has been out of remission. That is where I would use science & technology to help with better detection & the relationship it has to certain foods. I would also like to find better ways breast cancer women can manage their pain & decrease nausea. So, this includes finding other ways for breast cancer treatment & not always looking at chemotherapy or radiation as the only option. Both treatments are so harsh on the body & take away from your quality of life. Seeing my grandmother go through this every single day was horrible & my mom as well as other relatives were helpless. This topic as you can see is very dear to me & I plan to help make a change because so many women of color either go undetected or are not really sure what is their best options for treatment.

I am a picky eater. I do not enjoy most foods, so I tend to stick to the basics: rice, potatoes, chicken, and pasta. Traditionally, I have always ordered chicken tenders and fries, and on rare occasions I would select something different. My parents thought it might just be a phase, or something that I would grow out of. But, now in my senior year of high school, nothing has changed. I knew that being a picky eater would come with various challenges, but no one warned me of the judgment I might face. The constant criticism of what foods I choose to eat, or not eat, can be aggravating at times. I do not understand why people are so fascinated with why I don’t like a wide variety of foods. Maybe it’s the color, smell, texture or simply the taste. I cannot help that my taste buds don’t like certain foods. Being picky sometimes works in my favor. I don’t need a five-star meal to satisfy my hunger. I am fine with some plain pasta with butter with parmesan cheese! I work at a place called Raw Juce, where I have faced judgment and criticism for my eating habits. My job not only sells pressed juices, but we also offer salads, smoothies, acai bowls, and vegan desserts. A picky eater's worst nightmare. I got the job at Raw Juce because I loved the work environment. What I forgot to consider was that I didn’t like anything on the menu. It was okay at first because whenever I got hungry while working a shift, I would eat the quinoa and brown rice mix. This was a great option for me until they changed the menu and got rid of that grain mix - and I was left with nothing! I wouldn’t eat anything during my seven or eight-hour shifts and I didn’t want to spend twenty dollars getting food from Uber Eats every time I was hungry. Therefore, I would just let myself be hungry waiting for the shift to be over so I could go home and eat food that I enjoyed. Out of fear of more judgment, I gave in. Many picky eaters say, “I know I won’t like it” even though they have never tried the food before, and I found myself in that exact situation. As I assumed, I was not a fan of the blueberries or pineapples. It was the texture that I didn’t like. If it was that easy for me to expand my dining options, I would do it without hesitation. I don’t particularly enjoy having the food palate of a six-year-old, but it is hard to change that. However, I don’t judge or constantly ask people why they like certain foods. Raw Juce is one of the first times I experienced judgment for being a picky eater. The comments of my coworkers were extremely hurtful to me at first. But I learned that I should not hide from being a picky eater out of fear of being judged by others, because it is part of my personality. Instead, I should embrace and enjoy it. Also, when people eat processed foods it can have a negative impact on your health. I have also learned that the way you prepare different foods can make a huge difference on your health. So, eating chicken & rice can still be enjoyable & nutritious at the same time!

I plan to use my Biomedical in Science degree to help women of color with breast cancer awareness & to obtain better care for Breast cancer treatment services. My grandmother died at the age of 62 from breast cancer. When she was first diagnosed she had breast cancer in left breast & 3 years later the doctor found a spot on her pancreas, hip & back. I would like to use my degree & research to find the relationship between food & increased risk for breast cancer around women of color. I would like to understand why eating certain foods puts a women of color more at risk for developing of breast cancer & a way to detect breast cancer earlier if it comes back & when a women has been out of remission. That is where I would use science & technology to help with better detection & the relationship it has to certain foods. I would also like to find better ways breast cancer women can manage their pain & decrease nausea. So, this includes finding other ways for breast cancer treatment & not always looking at chemotherapy or radiation as the only option. Both treatments are so harsh on the body & take away from your quality of life. Seeing my grandmother go through this every single day was horrible & my mom as well as other relatives were helpless. This topic as you can see is very dear to me & I plan to help make a change because so many women of color either go undetected or are not really sure what is their best options for treatment.

I plan to use my Biomedical in Science degree to help women of color with breast cancer awareness & to obtain better care for Breast cancer treatment services. My grandmother died at the age of 62 from breast cancer. When she was first diagnosed she had breast cancer in left breast & 3 years later the doctor found a spot on her pancreas, hip & back. I would like to use my degree & research to find the relationship between food & increased risk for breast cancer around women of color. I would like to understand why eating certain foods puts a women of color more at risk for developing of breast cancer & a way to detect breast cancer earlier if it comes back & when a women has been out of remission. That is where I would use science & technology to help with better detection & the relationship it has to certain foods. I would also like to find better ways breast cancer women can manage their pain & decrease nausea. So, this includes finding other ways for breast cancer treatment & not always looking at chemotherapy or radiation as the only option. Both treatments are so harsh on the body & take away from your quality of life. Seeing my grandmother go through this every single day was horrible & my mom as well as other relatives were helpless. This topic as you can see is very dear to me & I plan to help make a change because so many women of color either go undetected or are not really sure what is their best options for treatment.