<p>Hi I am a freshmen majoring in Biomedical Sciences. It would help me tremendously if you guys could take a look at my statement of interest for a position doing undergraduate research in mechanisms neurodegeneration with alzheimers. </p>
<p>Growing up in a bad neighborhood has a devastating impact towards a child’s life. I was one of those children. Born in rural Vietnam, poverty and misfortune were no strangers to our family. In our town of Ba Ria-Vung Tau, there were no clinics or hospitals. Therefore, diseases were a very common plague that attacked the village. In fact, death was anticipated among on the citizens. Our house was predominately made out of tree branches. There was no electricity to keep us warm when it got cold, running water to clean ourselves, or even toilet papers. I understand the adversity of families who cannot afford health care or obtain medication.
However, I believe that our circumstances do not determine our dispositions. When I moved to the United States, I struggled terribly in school. Due to my parent’s low income, we were forced to live in the ghetto of Providence, Rhode Island. I was surrounded by drugs and gangs, which strayed me from my education at a point in my life. My grades suffered, and slowly I got behind in school. My parents knew I couldn’t stay in Rhode Island anymore, so they decided to move to Cape Coral, Florida. Going into high school was a new beginning for me. I was in a different setting, I made new friends, and I pushed myself to take hard classes that consist of honors and advance placements. By junior year, I excelled in my classes; I was captain of my high school’s Varsity long distance track team and became one of the dance instructors for my high school’s dance program. In four years, I turned my grades around and pursue all of the hobbies and interest that I am passionate about. I have learned that adaptability is key to success from survival to academia. Admittedly, overcoming the language barrier and adjusting to the new culture and environment when immigrating to America were some of the difficult challenges that I have faced. However, these challenges show that I am highly capable of adapting well to new circumstances, which will be an important asset in this position. These accomplishments lead me to where I am today, attending one of top Universities in Florida, and applying for a research position to further my future academic goals.
My interest in the brain and its biological behaviors relates back to my involvement working as a volunteer in the Department of Surgical Oncology under the supervision of my mentor, Dr. Steven Katz, the Surgical Oncology Fellowship at the Roger William Medical Center. As a volunteer at the Roger William Medical Center, I had the opportunity to assist postdoctoral fellows and research assistants. The focus of my study was on modifying T cells to treat refractory gastrointestinal stromal tumor. I practiced cell culturing, cell maintenance as well as mouse handling. I was trained in counting cells after it was stained and I oversaw and manage lab supplies along with lab maintenance.
In addition, I had the opportunity to shadow an Oncologist when he was in surgery removing a tumor from the brain, which was very awe-inspiring. I developed a huge interest towards neuropsychology since then, it was impressive to see how the brain can undergo so much stress and was still able to operate the human body. Throughout my research at the Roger Williams Medical Center, I learned that the changing of cells growing into something uncontrollable causes cancer. It starts off mild and gets progressively worse. Similarly, Alzheimer’s and cancer share an association in that Alzheimer’s is also uncontrollable; it starts off less severe and gets increasingly stringent. In other words, it could be called mental cancer.
Furthermore, I want to learn more about this disease and the memory processes between an individual with dementia compared to an individual without the disease. I know that my brain communicates in synch with my body, but I want to know what conducts the actions that my body makes. How is it different compared to someone suffering with Alzheimer’s? I am interested in the mechanisms of Neurodegeneration because they play a significant role that defines our species. The brain is one of the most important and complex organ in the body, with a better understanding of how it works, it can allow us to access many substantial information.
Through her struggle with severe chronic headaches, high blood pressure, my mother shown me nobility and persistence as she continues to fight for her health. Growing up, I watched my mother constantly battle against her conditions. I remember hearing her scream in the middle of the night from the agonizing headaches. Day after day, I saw my mother deteriorate and I only wished for the ability to ease her suffering; this hope gave me a fond interest in science and medication. With that being said, one of my biggest goals is to have a career that includes clinical and laboratory elements. More importantly, to be a part of a team bringing advances in basic science research to patients. I am confident that with the proper training in research it can prepare me to be a great asset in the medical field.</p>