Empowerly

Student profile

Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes or contributed to group efforts over time. 

While I’ve qualified within the top 8 long jumpers in my league for the past 3 seasons, my individual accomplishments are certainly not my greatest contributions to my high school track team. Through both mentorship and education, I have been able to work with numerous athletes to help them achieve their own personal goals. As a leader, I am most proud of my ability to use my knowledge and expertise to benefit others.

After arriving at the first day of track practice last year, I was devastated to hear that the long jump coach had suddenly resigned and would not be replaced. Both confused and frustrated by this new information, I drove home racking my brain for a solution. Suddenly, I realized that in order for anyone on the team to improve this coming season, the athletes with more experience would have to coach the newest members of the team. Throughout the next week, I spent countless hours watching videos and reading articles created by long jumping experts. During each practice, I would stand by the long jump pit, watch each athlete on my team attempt his or her jumps, and try to give them the best advice to help them perfect their technique. By the end of the season, I could be seen sitting by that same pit, a massive grin covering my face, as I watched many of my friends jump multiple feet farther than they had before.

This experience allowed me to not only improve as an athlete, but also as a person. Assuming the role of a coach enabled me to realize that through my own hard work and knowledge, I could also benefit others. Instead of entering each practice and competition solely  focused on my own success, I began to take a genuine interest in the success of those around me. By the end of the season, going to my third straight WCAL finals wasn’t what made me feel most accomplished. It was seeing the athletes I had helped to nurture and develop succeed that made me feel like a true champion.

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

I'll never forget the moment when Dr. Anand told me we had the power to change patients’ lives. After receiving funding from the NIH to research pediatric chronic stress responses, I was given the opportunity to work with Dr. Anand in Stanford’s Pain and Stress Neurology Lab. Throughout this internship, I spent countless hours working to build our study from the ground up. Combining information from expert statisticians, lab managers, and pediatricians alike, we were able to establish patient requirements, procedures, and indices. One of our proudest accomplishments was being able to create a family poverty index that is the first of its kind within our field. By comparing the results of this index to the chemical results we obtained in the lab, Dr [name] and I were able to successfully pinpoint demographic groups in which children experience the most stress. With these results we hope to provide a launching pad for further developments that can lead to the reduction of stress in all young children, especially those undergoing long term medical treatments.

In order to better understand the needs of the patients our research would hopefully benefit, Dr. Anand and I also spent time in [name] Pediatric Intensive Care unit. A strong connection between knowledge and a desire to alleviate the suffering of others became evident to me as I worked in the hospital. Witnessing small children lying in their cribs, their chests rising and falling with each breath, enabled me to see that both scientific knowledge and compassion play a key role in the survival and success of these young children. My time in the lab, as well as my work in the hospital, allowed me to experience the tangible impact my own hard work has on others. From the original instruments and analyses I developed, to the care given to children fighting for their lives, I was able to fully engage with the internship I earned. My passion for scientific investigation allowed me to take advantage of this educational opportunity by expanding my own knowledge, pioneering research methods, and applying myself in the service of others.

Think about an academic subject that inspires you. Describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom.

There was one thought running through my head: I don’t know how I am going to do this anymore. As my dog barked incessantly, it remained nearly impossible for me to study for my upcoming test. However,  just then, another thought came to mind: I could use the principles of classical conditioning from my AP Psychology class to retrain my dog. Sitting at my kitchen table, I repeatedly said the word “quiet” until he stopped barking. Then, I rewarded him with praise and a delicious treat. In response, he looked at me with big eyes and remained completely silent. At that moment, a smile grew cross my face, and I felt delighted that I was able to utilize the very concept I had learned in class to my own benefit. This instance, and many others like it, have allowed me to come to the realization that my fervent love for psychology is fed by the subject’s applicability to my everyday life. 

As time progressed, and my interest in psychology grew, I began to see more meaningful connections between the subject and my own personal experiences. Maslow's hierarchy of needs challenged me to restructure my own priorities. The Freudian principles of Id, Ego and Superego allowed me to better understand my motivations regarding school, sports and relationships. Applying these ideas not only enabled me to improve different aspects of my life, but also helped me to better understand psychological principles within an academic setting. While taking my AP psychology test, I had no trouble recollecting the intricacies of various concepts, as I only had to think back to the days when I had successfully used these very ideas in my own life. 

Eventually, I was also able to recognize how an interest in psychology could contribute to my future career. My interest in psychology drove me to acquire a research internship with the NIH which I have discussed in other portions of my application. Now, I see that psychological principles can be used not only to train my dog, but to help alleviate the suffering of patients from around the world.

Beyond what has already been shared in your application, what do you believe makes you stand out as a strong candidate for admissions to the University of California?

As a child, I was ignorant to what many truly thought of me. I saw my culture as the perfect mix between loving family values, intellectual curiosity, and hard work in the face of adversity. However, as I grew older, the meaning of my deeply rooted heritage morphed into something I could barely recognize. Hispanic, African-American, and Indigenous became synonymous with inarticulate, uneducated, and impoverished. My academic abilities made me an exception from the very cultures I cherished, and the complex English words I used drew a sharp line between me and the ‘stereotypical’ Mexican, African American, or Indigenous boy others imagined.

It wasn't until I started working with other Hispanic children that I realized I had the power to fight the very stereotypes that haunted me. During 7th grade, I began to volunteer at my local library, where I tutored young children from underrepresented demographic backgrounds and extremely low income households. To my dismay, I discovered that most of the children I tutored were satisfied with the subpar academic performance that others expected of them. In an effort to combat this, I began to talk to each of the kids I tutored about my own academic challenges and successes. Acting as their role model, I was able to motivate each of the children I worked with to achieve their own academic excellence. 

This experience not only inspired the children I tutored, but it also inspired me. I now use the very stereotypes that once held me down to motivate myself, and achieve what few imagined I would. I am Mexican, African American, and Indigenous, and my heritage will serve to empower me as I continue my academic journey.