Footsteps by Bolong

Footsteps by Bolong - February 2024 Scholarship Essay

Footsteps, in all their variations, leave an indelible mark on our lives, shaping our values, memories, and aspirations.

7 years ago:
Footsteps in a hospital corridor symbolize comfort and hope. Awakening in a sterile, fluorescent-lit room, the harsh glare from the ceiling tubes washes over me, and the antiseptic scent of hand sanitizer lingers in the air. These pale, lifeless walls and the constant hum of the heart rate monitor have become my daily routine, offering neither solace nor distraction. My mouth yearns for a sip of water or anything other than hospital pizza. The IV line in my arm serves as a constant reminder of my reliance on the chemotherapy that battles my leukemia. Suddenly, my heart dances with joy as I hear my mom's soft footsteps drawing near. The rhythmic tap of her shoes on the linoleum floor brings comfort, warmth, and love after days in the hospital room in the company of nothing but nurses.

3 years ago:
Footsteps in a university lab echo the journey of perseverance and discovery. My battle with cancer inspired me to improve others' lives through medical technology. In middle school, I learned about programming and biology. Now in high school, I've dedicated the past several months to training a machine-learning model that will accurately predict diabetes prevalence based on patient data. The endless whir of computer fans and the soft glow of server lights have accompanied me through moments of discovery, frustration, and triumph. Today, however, the air is charged with anticipation, and my heart races as I execute the program a final time. As the results light up on the screen, I'm ecstatic. The model is finally able to achieve an accuracy of over ninety percent. As I hear the footsteps of my mentor approaching, I excitedly prepare to share the fruits of my hard work.

Last year:
Footsteps in a hospice hallway signify compassion and connection. This afternoon, I've brought some ice cream and Coca-Cola for Winnie, a 76-year-old former mailman who loves bowling and collecting rubber ducks. As I enter the building, I'm greeted by vintage WWII posters hanging on the walls and the lingering aroma of scrambled eggs from lunch. When I began volunteering at the hospice, I feared I would make mistakes or find it hard to connect with them. However, through attending various workshops and spending time with the residents, I've learned how to form bonds with many remarkable individuals who have transformed my perspective on life. I hope that when the patients hear my footsteps walking down the hall, they feel the same comfort and warmth I once found in my mom's footsteps.

Where I am now:
These unforgettable experiences, tied together through the common theme of footsteps, have inspired me to improve the lives of other patients through the use of technology. After spending hours of my time in hospitals, both as a patient and volunteer, I quickly realized the healthcare system was riddled with problems and inefficiencies due to the decades-old technology still being used in many hospitals, particularly in low-income areas. In middle school, I discovered the solution—coding. Initially, making games, websites, and animations for my friends was nothing more than a hobby of mine. However, as I got older, I discovered that there was a way to combine my two passions through bioinformatics to change the way we diagnose and treat patients.
During the lockdown, I became fascinated with machine learning as I began thinking about how it could be used to improve the lives of patients. In 2022, I worked with students at my high school to create a machine learning model that predicts the risk of developing AIDS in HIV patients for the Temple University Health Data Challenge. Ultimately, we received the Best Data Visualization award. This event proved to me that programming could be used to revolutionize medical technology and inspired me to pursue bioinformatics further.
I’ve continued exploring this passion by working with Professor Li as a research intern at Indiana University Indianapolis to train a model that determines a patient’s risk of developing diabetes. This fall, I’ll begin my college journey, majoring in Biomedical Computation. Seven years have passed since my treatment concluded, but the comfort I felt hearing my mom's footsteps in the hospital hallway will remain etched in my heart. The determination required to train a machine-learning model and the patience and courage needed to care for those in their time of need are lessons that will accompany me into college and beyond. I hope that one day, my footsteps leave a legacy of their own through my work in the medical technology field.