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Stepping onto campus in August after hopping off the bus from Fish Camp, all I could think about was that I was about to experience and develop my adult life for the next four years. I entered the school year with goals to become an epidemiologist, fight pseudoscience with the hard facts, and take part in cutting edge scientific research that would have an impact on society. I was excited for the Honors experience; I had missed the Gifted and Talented curriculum from elementary and middle school and was convinced that the Honors program would be similar. Instead, I found a program that allowed me to collaborate with my peers who shared different opinions and experiences and learn from their points of view. By discussing current events, personal goals, and directed topics with my “family”, I grew in looking at the world and what’s going on from different angles. I realized that I couldn’t paint the world in the color of my glasses, but had to peer out to look at all the colors.
In these discussions, I recognized that I had a strong stance on social justice and couldn’t ignore it. This characteristic forced me to analyze my future plans and goals. I ended up adapting my goal of becoming an epidemiologist specializing in a specific disease to specialize in reproductive health instead. My goal is now to one day run a center for reproductive health that serves the community through research, programs, and policy. From the Honors weekly seminars and my Honors ENDS101 class, I learned to clearly communicate my vision and thoughts to my peers and work collaboratively. This aids my goals by allowing me to become a better communicator, which will not only aid me in my academics but help me when I one day run my own center. Communication is a vital skill for all professionals, so any opportunity to hone it is an advantage for me.
Since I am a Genetics major, the majority of my coursework has been in the STEM field. I approached Honors as the humanities “supplement” in my coursework. It is important to recognize the importance of integrating the humanities and STEM fields, one cannot be successful without the other. This prompted me to accept a minor in Public Health in order to apply the scientific knowledge I’d gain in my major in the social sciences. I wanted to remain connected to the social sciences, writing, and sociological topics, so the Public Health minor would allow me to gain a deeper understanding of the world around me while expanding my skill set. This will be advantageous when I apply for graduate school in the Public Health field and pursue a Public Health related career.
Interacting with people in Honors in my class and in classes above me has shown me that I want to take part in research in the science and social science interdisciplinaries. I have talked to so many people that are involved with research at A&M and it made me even more determined to take part in undergraduate research. Since Genetics majors must participate in genetics research to graduate, I decided to take all that I learned and form a plan for research. While on-campus, I will be part of Dr. Michael Golding’s lab studying the effects of alcohol on sperm, fulfilling my goals for scientific research. While off-campus in the summer, I will take part in social science research through internships, like my upcoming internship at the Center for Pediatric Population Health in Dallas.
Reflecting on my honors application essay and my experience this past year, I found a program that helped me grow and learn from my peers who are from a diverse range of backgrounds and opinions. I was surprised at how much I have in common with someone who was a different gender, sexuality, and ethnicity from me, yet still learn from the differences in experiences and beliefs. Such positive experiences reassured me that I made the right decision in joining the honors program.
A life “well-lived” includes impacting my community positively, helping spur change in the world, and raising a healthy family that will continue to shape the world in a positive direction. Observing my parents’ lives and how they raised me influenced my definition. I enjoyed how my parents always catered to my whims and I aim to also provide for my family the way my parents did to me. However, I am more similar to my dad in wanting to develop a successful career and modeled my life goals after how he balanced raising me and his work.
My personal values can be summarized in these phrases: “fighting for what’s right”, “empowering those who are not as privileged as I am”, and “serving my community”. My long term aspirations are to obtain a PhD in Public Health and to one day run a center for reproductive health that serves the community through research, programs, and policy. These can be seen in my academic discipline, a Genetics major and Public Health minor, as it integrates science with social justice. This leads to my career field of formally being an epidemiologist in the reproductive health field. All these together give clarity to my personal aspiration of being a positive force in the world that creates good change in the world and improves the lives of my community.
The main challenge within my field is that the state of reproductive health care and education in the United States is pitiable. Considering my personal experiences with sexual education, the statistics of sexual education around the country, and the current political climate regarding reproductive health, there is ample room for positive impact. Positive impact in my field can come from anywhere, locally, statewide, or nationally. This issue is authentic to my values as my field allows me to serve my community, empower it, and fight for what I believe is not only right, but a fundamental value for all citizens.
My academic involvement prepares for life by giving me the opportunity to develop a large skill set that can keep me relevant at all times by allowing me to know the ins-and-outs of the STEM and social sciences field. My co-curricular involvement allows me to enjoy simple pleasures in life and not always focus on my academics and career goals. My future research capstone will not only help me hone my skills but also add to my expertise and advance my career goals.