Why science? by Estefania

Why science? by Estefania - November 2023 Scholarship Essay

I would say my biggest motivation started when on ninth grade when one of my teachers gave us an assignment in which we had to plan our life until we were thirty years old; because of this I had to plan a career that I wanted but at that moment I had no idea what I wanted to do. At the same time, this was the first year that I was taking chemistry and even though all my classmates hated the class I quite enjoyed it even if it was hard because I found it interesting to discover how everything in life involved chemistry, so it quickly became my favorite class. Therefore, I started to investigate careers and majors that used chemistry and quickly fell in love with the fact that chemistry could help battle climate change and could also make improvements in medicine since I have always wanted to leave my mark in the world by helping humanity. After my research I decided that biochemistry was the best option for me because of the merge of biology and chemistry which I feel will widen my perspective and give me a more well-rounded view on science.
Nowadays, I can say that my biggest motivation is making a change. Since our generation grew up with access to all kinds of information and news, we were very exposed to all the problems that affect people worldwide which scared me but at the same time instigated in me a curiosity and power to make a difference and create a better future. I can still be in sixth grade watching a documentary about climate change and completely bowling my eyes out, when my teacher had to call my mother to pick me up because I was frantic and inconsolable, and since then I have wanted to help our Earth. And during the pandemic that changed the world, I my curiosity expanded by the discovery that research, vaccines, and cures are still vastly needed and since then that has been something I want to explore and contribute to. Overall, my biggest motivation is life, the search for a better life and future for all humankind.