I was interested in life sciences from a young age. I watched nature documentaries and read informational books, fascinated by the way animal bodies function. I was curious of the world around me, yearning to learn more. However, I believe that one of the main reasons I decided to pursue a degree in STEM, biology in particular, was because of my biology and anatomy teachers, Ms. Larson and Mr. Quartana. When I first entered my AP biology class, I was nervous and was afraid I made a mistake. I was worried that I would not be able to succeed in the class or that I would not understand any of the materials. However, Ms. Larson was welcoming to me and was willing to answer my questions. Throughout the course, I found myself enjoying the labs and becoming invested in the subject. I was dedicated to succeeding in the class with my efforts being rewarded with a 5 on the AP test. I loved the course so much that I signed up to be part of the anatomy and physiology class next year. Entering the classroom, I met my anatomy teacher, Mr. Quartana. He was friendly and outgoing, creating a welcoming learning environment. When I did not understand a subject, I felt comfortable with coming up to him to ask for help. During dissections, I felt confident and capable. I remember that I was the one to dissect an entire mink for our final project. I was able to locate and remove the organs listed on our sheet. My only complaint about the class is that it only lasted for one semester. Nonetheless, my experiences in both classes influenced me to pursue a degree in biology. As a Hispanic woman, I hope to inspire others like me to follow their passions. I believe the field of STEM could benefit from a wide array of perspectives. I hope that when I start my STEM-related career, I could be a mentor figure to young women like me. I want to leave a positive impact on the next generation just like my teachers did. I personally believe STEM can be enjoyed by all if we just give others the opportunity to grow and learn. Everyone is born with a sense of curiosity and said curiosity spurs discovery. It is up to us to help nurture that curiosity and direct it towards innovation. What better field to embrace not only innovation but diversity as well than STEM?

To put it simply, I love math because it is structured and easily understandable. There is always a formula or equation to turn to when you are stuck on a problem. Math could also be applied to a variety of situations. As someone who is about to become a STEM major, I find myself using mathematics in my daily life. It plays such a significant role in our lives, yet most do not recognize it. Math is most apparent on tax forms, receipts, and bills. However, it also exists within architecture, medicine, and life itself. It is math that allows me to calculate how many calories I have consumed, how much my tuition will cost, and how much I can afford to spend on birthday presents. Even throughout my educational journey, math creates the foundation for other subjects such as chemistry, biology, and physics. With a basic understanding of math, a person would be able to flourish and succeed in both academics and their career. I consider myself as both curious and goal oriented. I want to do my best and I am constantly searching for the correct answer. This is an aspect of math that I truly enjoy. There is always a solution which means there are steps to reach that conclusion. Even I answer it incorrectly, I am able to see where exactly I made a mistake. I am able to learn from said mistake and do better next time. Once you fully understand the mathematical process, it becomes so much easier to do and repeat. To be honest, I may not be as good with math as I am in other subjects. Nonetheless, math plays an important part in not only my education but my life as well. Today, I cannot help but wonder how math will change the world for the better.

I am Lilia Quintana and I am going to be among the first of my family to attend college in the United States. I have a desire to pursue a degree and career that would not only make me happy but will also benefit others. To be completely honest, I am not quite sure about what career I want to have in my future. However, I am interested in dentistry and biology. Perhaps in the future, I may find myself working in the dental or medical field. Nonetheless, I am still young and have time to think about who I want to be. What I mainly hope for is that no matter who I become in the future, I will continue to help others. As far as I am aware, the world can be harsh and difficult yet it can also be beautiful and welcoming. I believe that if we all make the effort to be kind with one another, we can create a better place for not only ourselves but for the next generation. However, change has to start somewhere. My plan to make a positive impact on the world is simply having compassion and being kind to others. It may not seem as elaborate or grandiose as what others have in mind. Even so, by sharing our kindness and by extension our love in our day-to-day lives, we can inspire others to do the same. Community service is one of the many ways we can share our love with others. We are able to give back to the community that raised us and helped us grow. I want to volunteer and contribute more to my community in the future. By doing so, I will be able to make another person's day brighter. Now, one may be wondering where faith fits into these plans of mine. God cares and loves each and every one of us and I believe he would want us to do the same. By following his example, we can promote a world where we are accepting and loving to one another. We can invoke positive change by putting faith in God and ourselves. Therefore, even through tiny acts of kindness, love, and faith, we can leave the world a better place for our descendants. In conclusion, I want to make a positive impact on the world through the principles of love, faith, and community service. Life is difficult but the sheer amount of joy and love you can find makes overcoming challenges worthwhile. If I can make even a single person's life better, then I will be happy with what I accomplished.

In my opinion, I would like everyone to read Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie. I am a fan of true crime and mysteries so this book caught my attention when I first heard about it. I went to my local library and checked it out, unaware of just how invested I would become with the book. I was enthralled from the very first page. I was curious about each of the characters, their backgrounds, and their possible motivations. I personally enjoyed Hercules Poirot as a protagonist because as a reader, you really get to know who Poirot is as an individual. Sometimes, authors try to make a protagonist that the audience could project themselves onto. I do not have anything against this concept but I prefer a protagonist who is their own person. Through this method, I am able to be inspired by and invested in the protagonist. Within a few days, I completed the entire book and was yearning for more. When I went to the bookstore, I made sure to purchase a copy of Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile. In addition, the book itself gave me a new perspective about the world around me. One of the main ideas of the book is how a single person and the actions they take can impact the lives of many. Plenty of people feel like they are insignificant and that they would leave little to no impact on the world. However, this book proves that every person affects those around them for better or worse. As a result, we can be motivated to be a positive influence on the world. By treating each other with kindness, we inspire others to treat people well. Similarly, if we treat people negatively, they will most likely treat others negatively as well. We can become more aware about how we affect the world around us and use that information to change it for the better. In conclusion, I would recommend Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie to everyone.

To begin, I would consider myself as someone that loves what she does. Sometimes, I find myself so engrossed by a topic that I focus all my passion into it. For example, when I became interested in the Titanic, I read as many books and articles as I could. I was able to recite facts and information regarding the Titanic's size, capacity, and mechanics. Based on experience like the aforementioned. I know that if I enjoy a subject, I will put all my effort into learning as much as I can. To continue, if I could do anything with my life, I would like to pursue a career that not only I enjoy but is beneficial to everyone else. I had my loved ones supporting me through my educational journey and I desire to support them as well. I also want to give back to those who helped me to grow into the woman I am today. I have heard from many people that I should do something that I enjoy so I would not have to work a day in my life. At this point in my life, I enjoy learning about the natural sciences, specifically biology and anatomy. As a result, I am motivated to pursue a career in the field of biology. However, to ensure that this is the path I want to take, I plan on going to community college to complete my first two years. Overall, I am motivated by my passion and my family. To continue on, I find that there are multiple aspects of STEM that excite me. I specifically enjoy the science and mathematics aspects of the STEM field. As I mentioned beforehand, I enjoy the natural sciences such as biology. I find it fascinating how the bodies of organisms are structured and how they function overall. I also get excited when it comes to hands-on experiences. I loved a project in which my class studied the behavior of sowbugs and enjoyed another where we altered the genes of E.coli bacteria. Meanwhile, I like mathematics as it has its own system of equations and numbers that guides us to a solution. I know exactly what steps I need to take to solve a mathematical problem. However, what excites me most about STEM is how they are being applied in our modern day. There are so many pieces of technology that are being used to improve the world around us. As we further our understanding, we are able to progress and develop technology that will benefit everyone, especially those in need. With STEM, I am able to learn about the world around me in a way that is both understandable and enjoyable. To be honest, I do not find myself getting a job in information technology but I do believe that I could make a positive impact. I could help develop software that helps process biological data. Nonetheless, I feel that I am much better suited for the more scientific side of STEM. To be completely honest, one of the biggest challenges I had to overcome was my own self-doubts when it came to deciding what to do after high school. I struggled to decide which college I wanted to go to and what subject I wanted to major in. I doubted myself so much that I feared that when I eventually made a decision, it would be too late. Even when I whittled down my options between two community colleges, I found it hard to choose between them. I was extremely stressed, especially since I am among the first in my family to go to college in the United States. However, if I kept worrying about the future, I would not get anything done in the present. I decided to contact my school counselor about college applications. I also soon started to meet up with the school's college navigator, who helped me get a basic idea on applying and registering for college. I gathered the courage to apply to my top two colleges where I got accepted to both. Right now, I am completing the orientation and registration process for McHenry County College, which I intend to attend. I will admit that not all of my doubts have gone away but I am glad that I am on the path towards higher education. I am aware that this challenge isn't as great as what others had to face. However, I am overcoming it and there is no stopping my educational journey now.