Describe an extracurricular activity you participated in for school and how it impacted yo by Yanlin

Describe an extracurricular activity you participated in for school and how it impacted yo by Yanlin - December 2013 Scholarship Essay

Science has always been my favorite subject, but my passion for it increased exponentially when I was first accepted to the Advanced Science Research program here at Manhattan Center for Science and Math. This college-level course completely altered my stereotypes about scientific research as I previously had pictured the activity as solitary and repetitive. This program provided me with the opportunity to participate in many science symposia, meet with scientists in different fields around the country, and visit their laboratories to see how they conducted their research projects. I then had a chance to design and conduct my own research experiment, having learned how to make a meticulous analysis of my observations, spot trends and patterns, and draw conclusions based on the data collected.

Afterwards, I took Advanced Placement Biology in my junior year where I was further attracted to new possibilities. As the class became more complex, I realized that there still exists many unanswered questions that I desired to explore, and the only way to unravel these mysteries was through scientific research. I did keep wondering, however, if the purpose of scientific research is only to explore the unknown?

Fortunately, I found the answer to my inquiry performing community service. I learned about issues of local and global concerns through Build-On and New York Cares. On the weekends, I participate in community services, such as visiting senior citizens and feeding homeless people. I have gradually started to realize that I can apply scientific research to complex community problems like public health, childhood obesity, poor nutrition, and environmental pollution. I also believe that there exists an incredible beauty in science as it has proven so essential to human progress through its limitless potential to impact and improve the lives of others.