During my sophomore year of high school, I participated in a research course, the TIME program, which allows students to conduct individual scientific research projects. When thinking of an idea for my project I found inspiration in my environment. I grew up in rural western North Carolina, where the majority of my county was protected forest. Many of my happiest memories from growing up are of hiking, camping, and swimming in the rivers, so the land there has a permanent place in my heart. After thinking about what I could do in the context of environmental research, I decided on a project related to water quality in the river that flows by my house (the Little River, which feeds into the French Broad). From my previous classes and club experiences, I knew that water quality was often measured using benthic macroinvertebrates, which are the larval forms of insects such as dragonflies that live at the bottom of the river. I also learned about the chemical testing typically performed on water, such as total carbon, pH, turbidity, nitrates, etc. At first, I planned to do a study mapping out the changes in water quality along the river, but after a few conversations with my mentors, I was reminded about microplastics, which was a prevalent topic in research at the time. Because of how clean the rivers where I live are thought to be, I was curious about how these were affecting the environment around me. After considering this, I thought of attempting to prove a correlation between the number of microplastics in the river and the water quality (based on the water quality index score obtained from sampling benthic macroinvertebrates). After I began this project, I ran into a major problem: there was no set way to quantify microplastics and no previous research on freshwater microplastics. Because of this, I had to create a new way to quantify and compare microplastics. To do this, I ended up taking samples of the sediment (where the macroinvertebrates live), drying it in an oven, then resuspending the sediment in a concentrated sodium iodide (NaI) solution. I chose sodium iodide because the density of the plastics is less than that of NaI while the density of rocks is greater. This meant that all of the plastics floated to the top while the rocks settled to the bottom. I then pipetted the suspended plastics off and ran the solution through a vacuum filtration system to extract the plastics on a piece of filter paper. After doing this, I was able to count the number of microplastics in the sample under a stereoscope. I then divided that number by the mass of the original sample to find the number of microplastics per gram (mp/g). Once I had this number for each sample site along the river, I was able to compare them to each other along with the index score, showing that areas with more mp/g had lower index scores than sites with less mp/g. Sadly, due to time restrictions and limited resources, I did not get enough data to officially prove my conclusions statistically. If given the time, resources, and money, I would continue this project with more sample sites and more samples at each site. I believe that this research would bring attention to the threat to our environment and allow for a greater understanding of how tiny pieces of plastic can impact our lives. This experience showed me the value of using my creativity to address an obstacle so I can achieve my goals.

Throughout my high school career, I have endeavored to make an impact through scientific research and use my talents to make a difference. The beginnings of this were found in the Time Inquiry Matter Explore (TIME) research program at Brevard High School, where I was able to conduct a project on the impact of microplastics in some of the most pristine waters of my home community, Dupont State Forest. This project helped show that even places we think are completely natural show microscopic evidence of our impact on the world and it showed me how important the research is to our future health and the quality of our environment. I shared my findings as part of emerging microplastic studies in my community and outside of it through presentations, competitions, and even having an article published in Education NC. I reached a broader audience by being featured in a micro documentary by S’well water bottles that was distributed on social media. This amazing process taught me how much I enjoy finding and sharing information with others, especially when it can have a positive impact on people's health and wellness. I have had jobs since I was 15 because I believe work gives me purpose and an opportunity to impact the lives of others. This past summer, after reaching out to express interest in their work, I was hired as an intern at Pisgah Labs, an international pharmaceutical company subsidiary in my home town. While working there, I learned about testing for quality and purity in pharmaceuticals, as well as the steps taken in the manufacturing process to prevent impurities. I conducted a project investigating possible microplastic contamination in pharmaceutical manufacturing and shared my findings with the biochemists, employees, and leaders of the company to introduce discussion on preventing microplastic contamination. Since this, the company has started looking into replacing plastic tubing with metal. This year, I am participating in the mentorship program through the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics. Through this program, I am learning more lab research skills and conducting a research project with my mentor, Dr. Oas at Duke University. My current project is attempting to find a way to prevent biofilm formation and clumping in Staphylococcus aureus (Staph), which forms biofilms that are able to attach to and grow along IVs in order to enter the bloodstreams of patients. By establishing ways to prevent the formation of these biofilms, we hope to find a way to lessen the harmful impact of Staph. Throughout all of these experiences, I have found that not only do I have the necessary skills, but also the motivation and interest, to help improve people's lives through the world of chemical research Because of this, I intend to continue researching and trying to make an impact in the world of science as I continue my education to aide in the development my career.

Throughout my high school career, I have endeavored to make an impact through scientific research and use my talents to make a difference. The beginnings of this were found in the Time Inquiry Matter Explore (TIME) research program at Brevard High School, where I was able to conduct a project on the impact of microplastics in some of the most pristine waters of my home community, Dupont State Forest. This project helped show that even places we think are completely natural show microscopic evidence of our impact on the world and it showed me how important the research is to our future health and the quality of our environment. I shared my findings as part of emerging microplastic studies in my community and outside of it through presentations, competitions, and even having an article published in Education NC. I reached a broader audience by being featured in a micro documentary by S’well water bottles that was distributed on social media. This amazing process taught me how much I enjoy finding and sharing information with others, especially when it can have a positive impact on people's health and wellness. I have had jobs since I was 15 because I believe work gives me purpose and an opportunity to impact the lives of others. This past summer, after reaching out to express interest in their work, I was hired as an intern at Pisgah Labs, an international pharmaceutical company subsidiary in my home town. While working there, I learned about testing for quality and purity in pharmaceuticals, as well as the steps taken in the manufacturing process to prevent impurities. I conducted a project investigating possible microplastic contamination in pharmaceutical manufacturing and shared my findings with the biochemists, employees, and leaders of the company to introduce discussion on preventing microplastic contamination. Since this, the company has started looking into replacing plastic tubing with metal. This year, I am participating in the mentorship program through the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics. Through this program, I am learning more lab research skills and conducting a research project with my mentor, Dr. Oas at Duke University. My current project is attempting to find a way to prevent biofilm formation and clumping in Staphylococcus aureus (Staph), which forms biofilms that are able to attach to and grow along IVs in order to enter the bloodstreams of patients. By establishing ways to prevent the formation of these biofilms, we hope to find a way to lessen the harmful impact of Staph. Throughout all of these experiences, I have found that I have the necessary skills to help improve people's lives through the world of chemical research. Because of this, I intend to continue researching and trying to make an impact in the world of science as I continue my education in chemical engineering and develop my career.

Hardships and obstacles are opportunities in life to grow. When I was four my parents divorced and navigating the years that followed living with my single mom, grandparents and little sister had their challenges financially and making our household work day to day. The last 14 years have involved a lot of change that instilled in me the confidence of resiliency. While sometimes the hardships were scary and out of our control, our family adapted together to find strength in each other. While those personal challenges were unfolding, I also struggled with ADHD and dyslexia, which I was diagnosed with last year. While English was a constant struggle, I found that science interested me, and was a topic I could study without being easily distracted. My reading improved because I wanted to read anything I could about Science. When I got to high school, I had the opportunity to perform independent research through the Time Inquiry Matter Explore program (TIME for short). In this program, students are given the choice of what they want to research. I chose to use benthic macroinvertebrates (BMIs), small animals that live at the bottom of bodies of water, and a known indicator of water quality, to conduct an investigation into the water quality of the Little River, which ran by my house. My research quickly took an interesting turn when I decided to include microplastic analysis as one of the tests for water quality. At the time, microplastics were a very new topic in environmental science, so there was no set way of measuring them nor was there any published research on microplastics in the Appalachian Mountains. This research led to the startling revelation that there was a significant amount of plastic in what is typically considered an extremely clean river in Dupont State Forest. I also noticed that as the number of plastics increased, the quality of the river indicated by the BMIs decreased. I knew how important this information could be to my community, so when I was asked by Education NC to write a perspective piece on it I jumped at the opportunity and my writing was published in 2021. This also gave me an opportunity to participate in a mini documentary sponsored by S’well water bottles about my project to raise awareness. Since then, microplastics have been perpetually on my mind. The summer before my senior year I was an internat Pisgah Labs Pharmaceuticals responsible for Quality Control and Research and Development. While I was there, I proposed, conducted, and presented a project investigating possible microplastic contamination in the purified water supply. This was very important because the water I was investigating is used to manufacture and purify pharmaceuticals. Quickly following this experience, I began participating in the Mentorship program at the North Carolina School of Science and Math after applying and being accepted my junior year.. Through this experience, I am currently investigating possible ways to prevent Staphylococcus aureus from forming biofilms at Duke University along with my mentor Dr. Terrence Oas, a professor of biochemistry at Duke. These biofilms, which can enter the bloodstream by growing along IV needles, are a major concern for human health. Through these opportunities in research, I found a place where I could think outside of the box and interact with my work, as well as a sense of belonging. Science gave me the motivation to persevere despite my learning disabilities and has shown me I have something to contribute to the world at large. I want to pursue an education and career that will allow me to do that.

Throughout my high school career, I have endeavored to make an impact through scientific research and use my talents to make a difference. The beginnings of this were found in the Time Inquiry Matter Explore (TIME) research program at Brevard High School, where I was able to conduct a project on the impact of microplastics in some of the most pristine waters of my home community, Dupont State Forest. This project helped show that even places we think are completely natural show microscopic evidence of our impact on the world and it showed me how important the research is to our future health and the quality of our environment. I shared my findings as part of emerging microplastic studies in my community and outside of it through presentations, competitions, and even having an article published in Education NC. I reached a broader audience by being featured in a micro documentary by S’well water bottles that was distributed on social media. This amazing process taught me how much I enjoy finding and sharing information with others, especially when it can have a positive impact on people's health and wellness. This past summer, after reaching out to express interest in their work, I was hired as an intern at Pisgah Labs, an international pharmaceutical company subsidiary in my home town. While working there, I learned about testing for quality and purity in pharmaceuticals, as well as the steps taken in the manufacturing process to prevent impurities. I conducted a project investigating possible microplastic contamination in pharmaceutical manufacturing and shared my findings with the biochemists, employees, and leaders of the company to introduce discussion on preventing microplastic contamination. Since this, the company has started looking into replacing plastic tubing with metal. I am currently participating in the mentorship program through the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics. Through this program, I am learning more lab research skills and conducting a research project with my mentor, Dr. Oas at Duke University. My current project is attempting to find a way to prevent biofilm formation and clumping in Staphylococcus aureus (Staph), which forms biofilms that are able to attach to and grow along IVs in order to enter the bloodstreams of patients. By establishing ways to prevent these biofilms, we hope to find a way to lessen the harmful impact of Staph. Throughout all of these experiences,I have found that I have the necessary skills to help improve people's lives through the world of chemical research. Because of this, I intend to continue researching and trying to make an impact in the world of science as I continue my education and develop my career. The Park Scholarship will allow me to continue pursuing a career that will put my skills to use and make the world a healthier place for everyone. Growing up in a rural community gave me many opportunities to be involved in helping others. One of my favorite contributions is my participation in Get Set Transylvania aimed at improving early childhood education, which was shown to be severely lacking in my county through the State of the Young Child Report in 2015. Volunteering with Get Set involves a wide variety of responsibilities: helping parents sign up for the online resources, handing out pamphlets and books, and helping set up for events such as the annual Kindergarten Readiness Rally. I have also had the opportunity to help families take pictures with Sesame Street characters (provided by Get Set’s partner organization Sesame Street in Communities) at these events. The characters helped get the public’s attention to reach a wider audience to raise awareness.

Become a successful person my family and myself can be proud of, and to surround myself with true friends and be content

Ever since I was young, my favorite class has always been math. Math can be used to describe the world around me in a concrete way, which makes it easier for me to understand. Math can also be used to take care of myself on a daily basis. For example, I use math to calculate how much money I can expect on my paycheck, what time I should wake up for school so I can get ready on time, and when I should start saving to buy a car. Without math, my life would lack vital structure. I also appreciate the beauty of math. When a function works out just right, something that was originally a page long can be simplified to just a few digits! In my favorite branch of math, multivariable calculus, part of the class was looking at the derivations for the formulas we used. Some theorems had proofs pages long just to be reduced into a couple letters by the end that we could easily plug values into! Since middle school, I have known that I want to be an anesthesiologist when I grow up. What l really interested me about this profession was the fields of STEM behind it. When administering an anesthetic (which has to be made and tested using chemistry), the anesthesiologist must figure out how much to give the patient by looking at factors such as the patients weight, height, metabolism, etc. They also have to calculate the rate at which to give the anesthetic, and how often based on the patients blood flow. Seeing how the different fields of STEM could come together in this profession inspired me to pursue it, the first step being a degree in chemical engineering.

Ever since I was young, my favorite class has always been math. Math can be used to describe the world around me in a concrete way, which makes it easier for me to understand. Math can also be used to take care of myself on a daily basis. For example, I use math to calculate how much money I can expect on my paycheck, what time I should wake up for school so I can get ready on time, and when I should start saving to buy a car. Without math, my life would lack vital structure. I also appreciate the beauty of math. When a function works out just right, something that was originally a page long can be simplified to just a few digits! In my favorite branch of math, multivariable calculus, part of the class was looking at the derivations for the formulas we used. Some theorems had proofs pages long just to be reduced into a couple letters by the end that we could easily plug values into! Since middle school, I have known that I want to be an anesthesiologist when I grow up. While chemistry is a major component of that profession, what really interested be was the math behind it. When administering an anesthetic, the anesthesiologist must figure out how much to give the patient by looking at factors such as the patients weight, height, metabolism, etc. They also have to calculate the rate at which to give the anesthetic, and how often based on the patients blood flow! This example of how math can be used in a profession to help others gives me the motivation to continue to purse mathematical learning.

I love superfoods because they are an efficient and easy way to incorporate plenty of nutrients into my diet. My favorite superfood is definitely açaí. I absolutely adore açaí. Anytime I make smoothies, I make sure to add açaí juice or, if I have them, berries. I have recently tried an açaí bowl too, which was, as expected, delicious.

The best way I have found to relax and clear my mind if stress has been to hang out with my friends and family. Doing an activity or even just sitting with loved ones bring me comfort, and let’s me know I can let my guard down. While my friends and family pudge me to be the best me I can be, they also understand that sometimes I need a break and are happy to assist! Hiking with my friends or watching a movie with my mom doesn’t take a lot of time or effort , but both have a big impact on making sure I remain happy and healthy.

The best financial advice I have ever received was from my mom. When I was younger and wanted to spend all of my allowance on candy, she advised me to wait and save it up, that way I could get something better later. At the time, that was not what I wanted to hear. Nevertheless, I followed her advice and saved my allowance for a few months. Then, one day we were walking through the store and I saw a paint set. At first I was disappointed because it cost more than I had hoped, but then I remembered that I had been saving my allowance, which meant I had more than enough to buy the paint set! This experience solidified the importance of saving money in my brain, and since then I have made ut a priority to save as much as I can for the future instead of sending it on frivolous things. Yup That is not to say I have bit indulged myself on occasion. When I was first able to start working, I took a small part of my paycheck to the store to buy an espresso machine so I didn’t have to go to Starbucks if I wanted a latte. The rest of my paycheck went into my savings account. When the next payday came, I was able to put the whole check into my savings account, go home, and make a coffee.

One of the biggest issues that has recently emerged is microplastics, and their effect on the environment and our health. They have been found everywhere, even inside of human bloodstreams and drinking water! While research finding where they are and where they come from has been successfully conducted, a common question is how will they effect humans in the futu When I had the opportunity in tenth grade to conduct independent research, I chose to focus on investigating their possible impact on the aquatic ecosystem in western North Carolina rivers. I sampled the sediment at the bottom of the rivers to find out how much plastic was there, and I ran tests for the water quality to prove that where more plastics were present, the water quality was worse. Currently I have a job in the quality control department of a pharmaceutical company, and am in the process of finding a way to test for microplastics in the pharmaceuticals, and hopefully a way to prevent contamination. This could help make medicines safer and more effective. While continued research will help understanding the issue, that does not tell us how to solve it. Because of how widespread microplastics are, it would not be feasible to try to remove them from the environment. Instead the best course of action would be to monitor the levels and try to prevent more from contaminating the ecosystems. Everyone can do their part by being mindful of their plastic consumption and how they dispose of it. Instead of throwing a bottle to the side of a road, reuse or recycle it!

Growing up with a single mom of two kids, we did not always have an easy time making ends meet. My mom worked hard every day to make sure I had everything I needed and all of the opportunities she could give me to help make sure I would be successful. Since then, she has been able to fight her way to a better life for both of us, but I always make sure to be thankful for all she has done for me. My favorite way to do this is to volunteer for organizations dedicated to early childhood education. Knowing that I have been able to help children and their parents get the resources they need helps me to thank my mom for and show my respect and gratitude for all she sacrificed for my sister and me. My mom's care and help when I was younger has put me on a path to success, and I feel I must try and help ensure other children have the same access to resources that I did.

Since I was young, I have always loved math and science. Humanities classes were enjoyable to an extent but never seemed to click. Math and science, however, allowed me to grow and give meaning to my learning. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and dyslexia made learning in traditional classrooms very difficult for me. Investigating my ideas and interests allowed me to engage in my learning and motivated me to keep trying. As a perpetually curious student, I found my place in scientific research, even conducting some of my own. Since discovering my passion for STEM, I knew my future would be in research. I took every opportunity I could find to learn and grow in the world of science and math, even applying, being accepted, and attending the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, a residential high school focused on the intensive study of science, mathematics, and technology. Attending NCSSM has opened many opportunities for me to explore STEM topics in further detail, finding a specific passion for biochemistry, biomedical engineering, and multivariable calculus. These insights have helped me better understand who I am as a scientist and student. In my most recent research, an investigation into how microplastics could be affecting water quality on a macrobiological level, I encountered many challenges. I quickly discovered during preliminary research how little there was about microplastics in freshwater, so I had no idea what to expect when I began taking samples from a local river. Once I had gotten further into the research, I met the greatest challenge yet posed: there was no standard way to quantify microplastics. I could not establish a correlation between microplastics and water quality if I could not get a measurement of microplastics. In response, I developed a method to quantify and compare my samples. Through this research, I saw for the first time the impact I could have on my community. Local groups concerned with water conservation even began testing rivers for microplastics! As a woman in STEM, I plan to impact the world by aiding in the research, innovation, and testing of new technologies. My dream is to use my work to help my community understand the ecosystem we live in and hopefully assist in finding ways to improve it. I also plan to show others the impacts new and innovative technology can have on the world around them, especially how it can help in understanding our role and impact on the ecosystem.

My favorite book of all time is The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan. When I was younger, I found that I related to the characters a lot more than I had in any other book, I myself being Greek and (though I did not know it at the time) dyslexic and adhd. In the first book, Percy Jackson, a young demigod is introduced, and goes on to complete seemingly impossible quests and make amazing friends, which gave me hope that I could do the same. The books kept me engaged and gave me motivation to read, which helped me succeed in school. They also taught me that it is okay to have faults and struggles, as long as one keeps fighting.

Growing up as a multiracial girl in a rural area, I never quite understood what made me different from my peers. Insults and rude comments rolled off my back. When my classmates in elementary school would mock my hair, I would respond with “there’s nothing wrong with it.” It was not until recently when I realized how awful those experiences were. The event that finally shined light on my past was when my little sister came home from school crying because someone at school made fun of her shoes, which were fringed moccasins. It was then that I remembered being mocked by my classmates too, a memory I had completely forgotten until then. At the time, I had not given it much thought, but seeing my little sister crying about it shocked me into a realization of how little comments could affect people. I spent the rest of the afternoon comforting my little sister, watching Saturday Night Live and eating popcorn. The knowledge that racist comments had hurt my sister stayed with me when I went to the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics the next fall for my junior year of high school. While there, I made a constant effort to include everyone and accept who their individual identities. Sometimes I still get FaceTime calls from my sister crying because of the hurtful comments of her classmates and all I can to is tell her to keep her head high and not accept anything they say as the truth. These experiences have shown me how a few thoughtless words can hurt people and how a few kind ones can empower them.