My name is Melaina Yender, and I am a college freshman from Colorado. I am striving for a Ph.D. in Neuroscience. I have aspired to study the brain since I was 10 and have done everything in my power to do so. In the summer of 2023, I had an internship at the Scripps Research Institute conducting research relating to drug binding in the brain using Clearing-Assisted Tissue Click Chemistry, with authorship of a research paper in the process of being published. I am very hard-working and always determined to perform my best. This is demonstrated by my academic career and extracurriculars. I have always enjoyed learning, and my motivation to learn and to work hard in classes has resulted in me excelling in all academics. Having a weighted GPA of 4.3 and taking 10 AP classes in high school and taking many difficult STEM classes as a freshman in college, I have always taken any opportunity I can to challenge myself. I am very hard working outside of academics and put a lot of effort into my extracurriculars. I've played tennis since I was 4 years old and have played all my life. I also compete in Cowboy Action Shooting and have greatly excelled in only five years. I place 16th in the world and have won over 70 awards. I do not believe in placing limits on myself and what I can do in my life as I see that there is always room for improvement. My priority in life is to continuously expand my knowledge and abilities in order to grow as a person. I am determined to achieve many more accomplishments in my life.