Growing up in the former Soviet Union with poor healthcare, my maternal grandmother died at the young age of 48, a victim of metastatic melanoma. My mother was just 18 years old. As I grew up, she would constantly talk about my grandmother. The biggest thing that I remember about my grandma was her love for languages. Obsessed with romance languages, particularly French, she was inseparable from French literature, movies, and language. She was enthralled with the language’s sophisticated, flowing, passionate, emphatic, and radiant sound and style. I never heard her speak, but I can only imagine the charismatic and passionate scholar of French she was. In our living room hangs a bookshelf with approximately 200 of grandma’s French books. She lived with the dream to visit the City of Lights one day. Unfortunately, she died before she was able to fulfill her dream of traveling to Paris.
I did not know this in seventh grade. When choosing languages to take, I thought that since everyone was taking Spanish, I could take French and be different. I know my grandma’s spirit lived on in me and guided me to take French, similar to the way dream but it would also expose me to a beautiful, timeless language.
While I hold a great affinity toward French, I also hold a deep passion for the sciences. Last summer, I participated in Boston University’s RISE program for high school students. Much of the research I performed was centered around the transformation of recombinant DNA into Escherichia coli. As the six weeks progressed, I developed an affinity towards biology and genetics. My final research project was entitled: The Effect of Calcium on E. coli Transformed with Phosphodiesterase Type II. The experience I had at Boston University forged my current interest in the sciences and genetics, and my laboratory experiences in Boston cemented my commitment.
My interest in biology and genetics has grown even more during the genetics unit in my AP Biology class. Learning about inherited genetic disorders as well as various inheritance patterns fascinated me, as I learned that simple, miniscule chains and sequences of basic nucleotides have the power to shape and influence all living organisms. My passion for genetics and the natural sciences has convinced me that I will be successful at Georgetown in a biology major. I know my studies at Georgetown College will further my interest in genetics and molecular biology and will instill in me the thinking skills required for a career in genetics. I look forward to a rewarding experience at Georgetown, studying both French and biology.