4. Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.

 

In my freshman year of high school, I dissected a heart in my biomedical sciences class. While other students in my class were reluctant to explore the inner workings of this complex organ, curiosity drove me to probe through and examine every chamber and ventricle as if I was a med student. 

 

The biomedical sciences pathway at my school was one of the options I considered before entering high school. At the time, I had no idea what career pathway I wanted to pursue. I was interested in several different fields, but nothing had jumped out as a serious career option. All this changed when I enrolled in Principles of Biomedical Sciences, the first of four classes I would take aimed towards preparing students for a career in medicine. 

 

The concepts I learned and explored in these classes inspired my love and passion for the biomedical sciences. Every project from analyzing blood spatter to designing an emergency room stimulated my excitement and enthusiasm for the subject. The classes shaped the person and student I am today, and provided me with the motivation to pursue a career as a doctor. I want to be able to help people while still being able to learn and work with the biomedical sciences. I am extremely grateful that I was able to have the opportunity to take these classes because without this pathway, I probably would not have discovered my love and passion for the biomedical field and would have entirely different plans for colleges and beyond. 

 

When I dissected that heart in my freshman year, I was a curious student with little to no idea about what the future holds for me. Today, three years later, I am confident that my dream to pursue a career as a doctor is the right decision for me because of the four pathway classes I took.

 

7. What have you done to make your school or your community a better place?  

 

It wasn’t until my mother pointed it out to me that I realized the unequal representation that had been under my nose for years. Right after the high school water polo season in my junior year, she noticed something intriguing just by looking at the team photos: I was one of just two people of color on the roster consisting of twenty players. Suddenly, I began to think back to my several years of experience with aquatic sports and noticed a similar trend. For the most part, minority groups and people of color were severely underrepresented.

 

This realization led me to do more research on the problem and its causes. I found that around seventy percent of all collegiate athletes who participate in aquatic sports are white, leaving only thirty percent to make up all other ethnicities, and that access to aquatics has been historically difficult for people of color due to several socioeconomic factors.

 

My goal was simple: to provide children of color with the opportunity to participate in aquatics. I reached out to SwimUpHill, a Los Angeles-based organization dedicated to teaching minority and low income children how to swim, and asked them if I could fundraise and raise awareness for their organization. They accepted my offer, and I began working tirelessly to make a change. I organized a GoFundMe page to raise money and a donation drive for swim equipment at my local swimming pool. I reached out to coaches, friends, family, and even local businesses for any sort of contribution. Months later, when I made my final donation to SwimUpHill, I had a much greater appreciation for the opportunities given to me as a child. Aquatic sports provided me with many memories and friends over the years, and the idea that some children do not get to have these experiences continues to disturb me.  

 

I like to think that I made a positive impact on my community through this project. If my contributions helped even one child learn how to swim, I would be happy.