Satisfaction is Success by Alexis

Satisfaction is Success by Alexis - February 2021 Scholarship Essay

My elementary school provided about ten after school activities/clubs, my middle school 20, and my high school roughly 100. As I’ve progressed in my education, I’ve been afforded opportunities to explore a variety of topics in varying depths, from sports to arts to academic teams. For me, success in college means finding my specific interests at whatever institution I attend. While I already know that science is my passion, medicine my career goal, athletics my hobby, and art/music my source of relaxation, I’m certain that these interests will continue to expand and change as I’m exposed to new possibilities in college—just as they’ve adapted from elementary to high school

My career aspiration is to be a surgeon. The combined chemistry/physics course at my high school opened my eyes to possibilities in engineering, physics, and research. This leads me to pursuing a biomedical engineering background in undergrad, which would enable me to investigate this field at the intersections of engineering, biology, and medicine. The track provides students with the ability to study mathematical and scientific principles while learning to apply this knowledge to real-world problems. It’s the logical solution to join my two interests and gain the math/physics knowledge I crave, before pursuing years of training to become a surgeon. I’m certain that the engineering skills and experience I’ll acquire during college will benefit me as a physician due to the problem-solving and science-based nature of both fields.

If I’m able to both learn more about subjects that interest me (such as biomedical engineering) throughout my undergraduate education, while completing pre-medical requirements necessary to achieve the career I envision for myself, I will view this as a success. Although my specific interests will most definitely adapt as I’m exposed to a variety of new peers, professors, and professionals in undergrad, if from the experience I remain intellectually curious, happy, and engaged in my path of study, I’ll be very fulfilled with what I’ve accomplished. To me, success is not the bullet point list of what one’s done, but how one feels about the path taken and the satisfaction derived from what has been achieved and learned.