- 2018 Highlights
Personal Statement
Becoming a neuroscientist has always been a dream that I’ve strived towards, my grandpa being my biggest influence in stepping into the medical field. Besides my family, my grandpa always supported and pushed me to follow my dreams no matter how outrageously ridiculous they were. Growing up in New York and then moving to Florida at the age of six was a large culture shock, considering there was way more grass than in the city where I grew up. My dad played a role in me wanting to play soccer because he himself played in college and as a child for 17 years of his youth, always reminiscing his glory days when he could move a little faster and didn't have his belly to weigh him down, it inspired me to want to try out for the U-7 travel team in our area. I can say starting off playing competitive and continuing to play competitive for 8 or 9 more years after that was a real character builder. I learned the importance of communicating with others, working together as a unit, and creating a bond with the girls you'll be playing with on the field. Academics always come first in my household, my parents are strong advocates for bringing home straight A's and keeping up your grades in order to continue playing soccer. I've always been told, "You are a student before you are an athlete, keep that in mind as you move forward". I've had some racial slurs and negative comments thrown at me when I was younger after I first started playing soccer and learning the sport. It helped me grow a tough exterior, made me learn how to be confident in myself and helped me learn to be the bigger person in any situation.
