Watering My Seeds of Curiosity by Shannen
Shannen's entry into Varsity Tutor's June 2024 scholarship contest
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Watering My Seeds of Curiosity by Shannen - June 2024 Scholarship Essay
During freshman year of college, I was given cacti plants, which died by the end of the academic year. I used to be known as a neglectful plant-mom—a habit picked up by my mother who was born with a black thumb rather than a green one. Now, as I complete my junior year, I am proud to own five flourishing plants. My improved plant-tending techniques didn't come overnight but through patience and education from web services like YouTube. While I initially used YouTube for casual entertainment, it has become a source of education for me, nurturing my curiosity and allowing me to be a better student.
As I began consulting YouTube videos for plant care advice, I started to appreciate the access YouTube gave me to videos on random topics. I never thought to ask what would happen if everyone on Earth jumped at once, but VSauce’s videos taught me about the physics behind such an event, in addition to other niche scientific concepts. TEDx videos have become a valuable source for learning about current topics in the biotechnology industry and for teaching me smaller facts, such as how the muscular system functions.
Additionally, I have become a dedicated patron of platforms that critique trending movies and literature within the context of current events and social trends. Engaging with these platforms has increased my social awareness and made me more critical of my own thinking. I have set a personal expectation to always challenge my assumptions and go beyond my current understanding of the world around me. One of my goals is to ask “why” or “how”–no matter how small the observation–until it becomes second nature.
As a biochemistry major, I need to understand topics such as quantum theory and molecular orbital theory deeply. Persistently asking “why” and “how”–sometimes for the same concept multiple times–has helped me grasp the reactions I study. Beyond that, my curiosity has enriched my education in lab courses. This past semester, I experimented with catechol oxidase, an enzyme responsible for the browning of fruits such as bananas and apples. My partner and I concluded that acidic solutions can slow the rate of browning in apples. However, I wanted to understand the broader applications of these results. In conversation with my professor, we discussed how introducing inhibitors to oxidases in fruit can lengthen produce lifespan and reduce consumer food waste.
For as much as I know about plants now, I just learned yesterday that dried moss on soil can aid soil moisture regulation-once again, thanks to YouTube. My informal education takes the form of past-times that help me understand the world a little better but also question it some more. My aspirations to always be curious will make me a stronger researcher and valuable team member in the future. Within the field of biochemistry, there is always more to learn, and I am ready to tackle the challenges that arise.