For most of my life, my grandparents have encouraged me to go into science and become a doctor, like many other Asian families. I didn’t want to become a doctor, and even now, I feel hesitant about being one. When I was younger, I rebelled against their ideas and wanted to pursue the arts. I felt grateful to my mother for nurturing this side of me, and I still enjoy the arts. However, as I explore more and learn about science, I find myself falling in love with biology and neuroscience. I enjoy the challenge, puzzles, and curiosity of science. Even though I have explored almost every possible field, I always circle back to neuroscience. It feels nice to know that I am only becoming closer to being a doctor through my own choices and passions.

In my junior year, I was a member of the Student Environmental Action Society. It was a small club at Central compared to others, but everyone there would always enjoy themselves. It was a moment I could take outside of academics and instead enjoy the company of others while helping the environment. I then became the president in my senior year, and taking on a passion project with activities of my choice felt freeing. I especially enjoy collaborating with different clubs like Botanical Gardening, GEMS, or Feeding Philly and even organizations like Team Sunshine. There are so many different aspects that go into an environmental action society, such as community work, building bonds, and confronting our emotions about our current climate. I really believe that making these collaborations happen allowed us to have a little bit of everything.

For my senior project, I chose behavioral and social science because I am fascinated by the human brain. I have been exposed to the complications of neurological conditions since I was young, with many of my family members having autism spectrum disorder (ASD). I have always wanted to know more about why this came to be or how cognition is affected, pushing me into the direction of child development. Human behavior is something we encounter every day, and I impulsively want to know more about it. 

My project essentially relates the efficiency of brain structure with cognitive ability after the disruption of a disease. It follows how white matter connectivity, the efficiency of signal transmission, associates with executive functioning, the ability to do everyday tasks, in survivors of pediatric brain tumors. The harsh disease and treatment the survivors experience are predicted to harm their white matter. 

I had two conclusions:

1. That as their white matter connectivity decreases, their executive function abilities also decrease, proving that neural growth interruption is related to cognitive ability. 

2. Depending on their treatment and disease severity, white matter connectivity decreased accordingly. 

When I won both the Delaware Valley Science Fair and Carver Science Fair— I felt more concerned about the many awards my friends received than my own, as we have gone through preparing for the science fair the entire year together. I know how much effort and astonishing knowledge they put into their project. In return, they also knew about how much I put into mine. I don’t believe that winning would have been as exciting without their enthusiasm, and now I have so much pride in my awards. 

Central High School shaped the person I am today. Central is known for its advancements and rigorous courses in STEM. It was only after taking these classes that I realized that Central’s success wasn’t based on the amount of knowledge the students had. Instead, it was how the teachers ignited curiosity in their students and the burning desire to continue their efforts outside of class. I am grateful for my science teachers like Mr. Herbstritt, who taught with enthusiasm, challenged me, and believed in my abilities. I am also thankful for the students in my research class, as being in a room with ambitious students pushed me to continue my project and ask the harder questions.

However, Central’s English department has also trained me to look closer and find meaning in the details. Therefore, I thank Mr. Kannengieszer for my writing ability and inquiry.

I am proud to have been an intern at AACHS since freshman year. It was a great way to get to know my school’s history and connection with all of its alumni. Being a part of such a large network of Central alumni is comforting because everyone is rooting for your success. Meeting the alumni of Central is always exciting as each of them have an extensive background. No matter who I meet, they offer me advice and their help if I ever need it. I’m proud of being so involved in my school’s community, both inside and outside of my class. 

The most important thing I learned at Central was to never say “no” to an opportunity. If I could take on that position or project responsibly, I always said “yes.” It felt better to have an impact on something than to wonder what could have been. Even saying “yes” to the smaller things leads to greater possibilities that allow you to say “yes!” 

Mentorship has been very important to me. I’ve found that there are many people who are willing to mentor aspiring scientists and as a high schooler, I am grateful that they took me in. The science community is very giving, offering  help and constantly building up inexperienced people with virtually no personal benefit. I feel that it is my duty to mentor other young women in STEM so I can pass on the good deeds to future generations for the development of science. For me, mentoring is about allowing insight into what your career path is, involving the mentee in every step of your career as possible and helping them develop their own path. 

For most of high school, I thought that there was one definition of success. I thought success was only about getting into a good college or getting a high paying job and if you were anything but that, you were behind. I was trying to follow my peers but in reality, no one knew where they were going. In Senior year, I realized that everyone has a different path after school and that my path was a choice only I could make. People are always going in different directions in their life and it isn’t your job to follow them. I’ve learned that doing what’s best for one’s self looks different for each person.

Next year, I am planning to continue my education at Temple University School of Science and Technology. I hope to find internships with different laboratories in the field of neuroscience. I am going to get a bachelors in neuroscience and take a year to work for a laboratory before continuing my education to become a neuroradiologist. 

In the future, I see myself using neuroradiology clinically and for research. I am interested in connectomics and I want to use MRIs to provide a physical explanation for mental disabilities, especially for children with autism.