Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.
This summer, I took a neuroanatomy class at UC Berkeley. Since my own high school does not offer any neurology classes, I was ecstatic about the opportunity to develop my interest in this field. When the first day came around, I found myself overwhelmed, surrounded by 100 students - triple the amount of my high school classes - and most of them college students to boot. Lost without guidance, I wondered if I would even learn anything.
In the end though, the class taught me to be more independent and to advocate for myself, instead of waiting for my teachers or family to help. By attending office hours and getting to know the professor, I received an A. Through office hour conversations, I not only better understood the course material, but also learned about Professor Larue’s research in mammalian neurobiology. By reading his published work on the GABAergic organization of the auditory cortex, I understood the importance of neurotransmitters for our hearing senses.
While reviewing for the neurological disorders exam, I happened to sit across from a woman with cerebral palsy. Her guardian, who noticed me studying, started explaining how her sister got the disorder. The woman was unable to speak coherently and was confided to a wheelchair. I then understood the crucial importance of studying the brain in order to find cures for such diseases. The incident stuck with me and when I shared this with the class, I realized that it is one thing to study disorders, but to see them in real life is an unfortunate, yet strangely inspiring experience.
Though class itself was just an introduction to functional neuroanatomy, the experience of attending a college-level course and interacting with a professor was profound. Not only had my love for scientific discovery grown enormously, but my path ahead became more clear after seeing the real-world impacts of both a college education and neurology. Now, looking ahead to my four years of college, I yearn to discover more, and get further involved in this field I have come to love.