From putting lotion on a paper towel to measure its effect on density to adding acids and bases in buffers to measure their impact on buffers, curiosity has always been a massive part of me. This curiosity led me to pursue Chemical and Molecular Engineering. A chemical and molecular engineering degree gives me a wide range of career options. Through my first year at Stony Brook University and my internship with Koehler Instrument Company, I learned that with a chemical engineering degree I can pursue careers in the oil industry, makeup industry, material industry, and many more. However, one industry that has always intrigued me was the pharmaceutical industry. As covid vaccines are distributed, I find myself intrigued by how they were made and how those vaccines have proven to be effective in reducing the number of covid cases and saving lives. When choosing a major, I was between pharmacy and chemical engineering. After research, I learned that with my skillset, I could best help the modern world through chemical engineering. I would like to develop drugs that help people. Through my experience working in a pharmacy, I learned that there are many different types of medications and I want to be a part of the process that develops these drugs. I know that the process will be tough as it may be proven ineffective and it would have to go through years of testing, but I know I can handle it because I am persistent and motivated to do so. During my time at Stony Brook, I plan to specialize in tissue engineering or specialize in biomedical engineering, as I am deeply interested in the pharmaceutical field and these specializations would allow me to learn more about pharmaceuticals. One might ask why not major in biomedical engineering instead? I chose to major in chemical and molecular engineering because I not only want to participate in the development of a pharmaceutical drug, but I would also like to upscale that product and commercialize the drug while keeping its effectiveness. With the knowledge I will gain through college, I can assist in the production of medicine by mass-producing the product without diminishing its effectiveness. With this scholarship, I would be able to focus more on my education instead of where I could find the money to continue my education without being a financial burden to my family. Without dividing my attention between education, extracurriculars, and finances, I would be able to give my education and extracurricular activities my full attention, allowing me to research under different professors and gain the knowledge to help me in my pursuit of working in the pharmaceutical industry.

"Hobbies are great distractions from the worries and troubles that plague daily living." - Bill Malone. When asked, many might claim they partake in hobbies because it is merely leisure whilst others may claim that they partake in hobbies to fill their time. I believe that people partake in hobbies because in addition to amusement, hobbies distract people from their problems even if it is for a minute. One of my favorite hobbies is playing my ukulele. When the world seems to be changing rapidly, I know I can always count on my ukulele to allow me peace. Playing the ukulele has been a relatively new hobby of mine as I have only started playing two years ago, at the beginning of the pandemic. I started playing to distract myself from the pandemic killing millions worldwide. But the minute I started playing, I fell in love with it. I played the ukulele as often as I could but as soon as school started again, I had less and less time for it. I wonder if I would eventually grow out of this hobby, but two years later and I am still obsessed with playing my ukulele. I love learning new songs, making fun tunes, and writing songs with my ukulele. Another one of my favorite hobbies is reading. I love that feeling of using my imagination to see a new world and escape from my reality. I love seeing the world through a character's perspective. Through this hobby, I learned to see the world from someone else's point of view which helped me a lot through my life. It helped me with my friendships and it made me stop "judging a book by its cover." Every chance I get, I would read a book and immerse myself into the character's life. To me, a hobby is a great way to relieve stress and care for your mental health. Without my hobbies I don't know if I could ever have gotten through the changes the pandemic provided or the changes that college provides. I know the prompt asks for one of my favorite hobbies, but I could not choose between the two. My other hobbies are important to me, but none of them could compare to my ukulele or books or the feeling they give me.

The quote that means a lot to me is "You only live once" which is known as "YOLO." This quote reminds me to live my life to the fullest. Although education is important, we must focus on other things as well like our mental, physical, and social health. As a chemical and molecular engineering major, I am swarmed with homework and stress. Whenever I feel stressed out, I try to remember this quote because it reminds me to take a break and relax. Because of this quote, I have joined the taekwondo club and an archery club at my university. I have always wanted to partake in these clubs, but I have been preoccupied with work. But then, a wise friend told me to live my life and I remembered this quote. Ever since then, I have tried my best to take time to relax and destress.

This past year, the world has completely changed. Everyone is quarantined and we all must stay six feet away from each other and wear a mask whenever we go out. As an only child, I have been stuck at home with my parents and it has been pretty lonely and boring without a sibling or someone my age to talk to. But this experience taught me to rely on myself. Instead of slumping my mood because of this newfound loneliness, I decided to purchase a ukulele and learn how to play this delicate instrument. I also started reading again which allowed me to be engulfed in a different world. I started doing daily exercises too, which I've never done before the pandemic. Although I wished this pandemic never happened, it gave me a lot of opportunities to focus less on others and more on myself. Through quarantine, I focused more on self-care than I have my entire life. I have always been the type of person who always puts others' needs before themselves but this year, I learned how to care about my own needs instead. And I shall forever remember to care for myself, both physically and mentally.