The Brain Behind It All by Ryleigh

The Brain Behind It All by Ryleigh - April 2025 Scholarship Essay

Why do people behave the way they do? Why do some people say things knowing they will get a reaction? Why is everything in life so complicated, yet so simple? These are a few of the hundreds of questions I have been asking myself throughout my life. The experiences and memories each of us have determine our outlook on life. Every single person on this planet is different, yet so alike, and one thing controls that the brain.
The brain is so fascinating to me, the way I can think of words, process information and ideas, type out a sentence, and breathe simultaneously is nothing short of amazing. How can I breathe without thinking about it, but the moment I do, I am manually breathing? It’s fanatical! I could talk about psychology, philosophy, and the brain all day and not get tired of it. Which is why I want to study neuroscience and become a neurologist in the future.
Besides the brain being absolutely fascinating, I have been personally affected by the unhappy endings that result from brain diseases. My great-grandmother, known as Granny to me, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease along with Dementia when I was in fifth grade. The worst part about Alzheimer’s is that my Granny didn’t even recognize me after about three months of being diagnosed. It was heartbreaking, and I want to contribute to the ending of the dejected experiences so many families affected by Alzheimer's face.
Currently, I know clinical trials and medications are being tested to help stop and prevent Alzheimer’s from progressing, but what if I could be a part of the cure? The fact that I could one day end up finding a cure for any disease is inspiring, and the thought contributes to the idea of how much personal power everyone truly has within them.
No one truly knows their personal power until they reach a major goal or they affect someone else. I, unfortunately, was the affected person growing up. I was the one who walked in the grass because there wasn’t enough room on the sidewalk; the one who had to have the teacher ask for a group to work in; the one who didn’t have a group Halloween costume - long story short, I was left out quite a lot, and being quiet did not help. I guess the 13 year-old in me wants to be able to have real, educational answers to why my life was like that, and by studying neuroscience and psychology I’ll be able to receive those answers. (I won’t, but it brings me comfort in a sense.)
Overall, the brain is the coolest subject matter I have ever learned or talked about, and I want to further my education in regards to the brain because I know it is a topic I could never become tired of. I want to take advantage of my hefty amount of curiosity and fuel it towards potentially curing and acknowledging some of the colossal brain problems that the world faces today. Who knows, maybe someday Alzheimer’s will only be in the history books.