Originally posted by Sonya
criticisms are fine on this thread. I really don't care how you give them. No, it's not for vanderbilt, vandrbilt doesn't give out secondaries till they interview.
This is the exact same essay, just with more spaces.
I was going to say i don't give a crap if someone wants to copy my essay, but i see what you mean it c ould bring me down. oh well, i've posted.
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Autobiography of Sonya
My unusual early education and family upbringing had a lasting impact on who I am. I grew up in a close family, where my parents were highly involved with my growth. I often turned to them for advice and support. My mom worked extra hard, pursuing side jobs, so my father could stay at home to raise my brother and I. Because of their guidance and encouragement, I have been able to find proper opportunities to pursue my ambitions. I admire their dedication to family, and hope to provide something similar for my family.
I emulate my father, especially in his confidence about pursuing what he desired. Thus, I developed a habit of accepting challenges and handling them by preparation, foreseeing difficulties, and, ultimately, accepting the outcome. An early, but memorable example is our family?s dream vacation hiking down Grand Canyon. I was only seven, and rangers insisted young children should not pursue such a strenuous hot trail. Rather then backing down, we extensively prepared for the trip with months of hikes on comparable trails in Yosemite and an afternoon drive through Death Valley. Then only, knowing we were capable, we pursued the trip. Through many experiences, whether a difficult course, a demanding career, or merely a hike, I opened myself to opportunities and developed my confidence.
Although my parents guided me, they gave me independence. I contributed in deciding family rules, and misbehavior was followed by constructive discussions of morality. Far from sternly disciplining me, my parents treated me with the respect of a peer and taught me to take responsibility for my actions. For instance, as early as six years, I was given a nickel per week allowance, provided I keep accurate records of money earned and spent. Soon I earned extra allowance for chores or excellent behavior, yet had to buy my own groceries. With a limited budget, I naturally became used to spending money maturely and appreciating commodities I earned.
While raising us, my parents instilled the importance of education, not by forcing us to get excellent grades, but rather by fostering an environment that encouraged our curiosity. Childhood afternoon were spent solving puzzles, doing backyard experiments, and designing educational computer games, to name a few. For instance, knowing our love for hiking, my father suggested my brother and I make a model of Yosemite. Soon, rummaging through maps and calling stores, I enjoyed learning about interpreting contour maps, negotiating prices, and scaling measurements. Through such experiences, I viewed education not as a process of absorbing facts, but rather self directed exploration and thorough understanding.
I naturally took responsibility over my education. My habits of independent and self directed learning reflected in my academic performance: I learned quickly, yet felt restricted by the repetitiveness of education in traditional schools. Thus, when I was in grade school, in 1993, my family sought an alternative education path for me. After a few months, I enrolled at a junior college, Foothill College, through a program allowing pre-college students to take accredited college courses, thus combining high school with college. I embraced the college learning environment, where independent learning and opinions discussion was essential. Because Foothill provided quality university level education, I stayed there for my early college work. This step had many lasting implications, far beyond the advanced pace education.
My early start with and the low cost of the community college allowed me the luxury of obtaining a broad education. I pursued many interesting courses such as economics, music cultures and theory, Japanese and Spanish, as well as sciences. My interests developed in sciences, and I decided to transfer to Washington University to pursue a degree in Biomedical Engineering. Nonetheless, my interest in medical and social sciences were not isolated: I combined them in projects such as a study of economic implications of the Balanced Budget Act on medical education. Beyond allowing me to appreciate other disciplines, this broad education helps me understand how my future career will fit into the society.
I explored my interests outside classes through various campus activities. I pursued my enthusiasm for art with classes in ceramics and piano. From 1996 to 1997, I improved our campus community as a student senator. While tutoring, I particularly enjoyed helping individual students. Besides developing life long passions, I enjoyed interacting with others. For instance, I admired the commitment of one my tutees, a recent immigrant who worked full time, while trying to improve her English at the college and provide opportunities for her teenage son. Later, volunteering at a Detention Center, I was equally impressed by the motivation of a teenage boy I worked with, who although growing up in a neighborhood of gangs, still wanted to excel in school and pursue his ambition of attending college.
Finally, because of this education, I was fortunate enough to have eight years to develop my career interests in the college environment of relevant classes, extra activities, and mentors. When my interest developed I medicine, in 1995, I joined Medical Explorers, a pre-health club for students to meet and discuss careers with physicians. Beyond a broad exposure to the field, I was amazed by the physicians? dedication to and enthusiasm with their career, and hoped, as a doctor I would feel the same way about my career. For five years, I obtained a more direct exposure volunteering in a variety of medical settings and participating in AMSA. My interest also developed in research, through four years of research during and full time after college. Through these activities, as well as critical career discussions with mentors, I developed a realistic understanding of a medical career.
With this background, I foresee a career of academic medicine, integrating research with clinical medicine. I will continue to seek opportunities, including further research, and advice from others to align my research and clinical interests.
