For as long as I can remember, I have had a deep fascination with the natural world. I have always been a very curious person. Some of my earliest memories are composed of me sitting in the dirt and studying the anatomy of the many ants that would come marching by. As I worked my way up, questioning all that I saw, I learned. This learning sprouted new questions and new fascinations. After learning about large scientific concepts and theories in school, I started to see the world differently. I saw a universal jig-saw puzzle. I saw pieces to it everywhere I looked, waiting to be put together. I saw a world of clarity forming before me as I strived to lay piece after piece. My fascination with the universe is endless, similar to the puzzle itself. This grand puzzle is composed of smaller puzzles and those puzzles are composed of more puzzles. The pattern goes on. Each puzzle piece is simply the answer to a question. To answer that question, one must ask more questions and so on. I continue to question, and I continue to add pieces to my understanding. My fascination only grows. I start to see my worlds of interest collide when, for example, I see the puzzle of chemistry attach to the puzzle of biology or when I discover that the puzzle of plate tectonics is elucidated by the puzzle of physics.  

I have always known that I have wanted to be a scientist, and I have seen the miraculous products of the scientific method. I could talk endlessly about why I love science but I digress. I have found myself developing more of a scientific mindset every year. I have become very open-minded and started to catch myself before I introduce any personal bias into new information. I have learned to problem solve and keep asking the question; “I could if I…?” whenever I would have felt in the past that I could not. One of the most important changes that I have noticed is that I desire, more every day than the last, to be the best version of myself that I possibly can. I fill up my schedule with internships and extra science classes whenever the opportunity presents itself. I have worked for several years now on a scientific, independent research project to make the world’s waterways a better place. Through all my struggles and stress, I feel my path reaching closer and closer to becoming a strong scientist. I have learned a lot through my research. My project tests a symbiotic relationship between the bacterial strain, Pseudomonas migulae 8R6 and the aquatic plant, Vallisneria Americana. The goal of my research is to create a mutual symbiosis that allows the plant to more efficiently grow, spread, and remediate pollutants from our waterways. From my work, I have learned how to maintain professional relationships with fellow scientists, how to network and work with others, how to organize large amounts of information, how to oversee a project, and numerous other valuable skills.

There are many factors that motivate me to be a scientist, as listed above, but perhaps the most important reason is that I want to make a difference. I want to ease the harm done to our neglected planet. I want to see the communities, near and far, thriving. I want to see a peaceful coexistence between humans and nature. I find comfort in serving a cause much larger than me, and I seek to contribute my life’s work to the universal puzzle. The idea of pushing the boundaries of humanity's knowledge is elating. I am dedicated to making myself and the world better.