The most significant community/volunteer activity I've been involved with during high school was volunteering at Doctor’s Hospital of Sarasota during my junior year. My purpose in volunteering was to gain exposure to the medical field, though I never anticipated how gratifying and eye-opening those Saturday afternoons at the hospital would be. My dealings with the sick and grieving fostered in me a stronger sense of compassion and opened my eyes to the struggles of others. I feel that I can relate to people better now because of the situations and people I encountered at the hospital. I witnessed some challenging circumstances, but I feel that I am a better-rounded individual as a result. Most importantly, these experiences put my own life in perspective, because before I had been sheltered from any real hardship. I came to realize that my worries regarding where I would go to college or the vast amounts of homework I had were inconsequential when compared to what the people I met at the hospital were going through, with sickness or disease often plaguing a loved one. Some of my most memorable and rewarding experiences have been through my community service involvement, and the hospital was certainly no exception. The hours I spent volunteering there harbored in me the desire to help others in any way that I could. I intend to pursue more service opportunities throughout college because the positive effects of service and the personal satisfaction gained are unparalleled. From my volunteer experiences at the hospital, I further realized my desire to become a physician, as well, in that they provided me with the motivation and willingness to become a physician—where I will be able to provide care and emotional support to others on a daily basis.

"Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat." -Theodore Roosevelt

As I prepare to attend college this fall, I have decided to pursue a career in medicine. My interest in pursuing a medical degree, with the intention of becoming a doctor, has derived from my interest in the biological sciences and my genuine desire to serve others with regards to health and wellness. The concept of utilizing one’s knowledge and skills to serve others is one that I have come to value—particularly throughout the past several years--and it is for this that I will pursue a career in medicine: for as a physician, I will be equipped to use my abilities to help others.

My experiences volunteering throughout the community in past years have taught me the importance of giving back to the community and have influenced my overall career objective to be to serve others to the best of my abilities and resources, to help to exact change in the world where necessary, and to set an example for others regarding the benefits reaped by working to serve others. While I intend to become a practicing doctor, I would also love to use such a degree to work for a biotechnology company that researches disease cures, a non-profit global health organization such as Doctors without Borders, or the government as a political health adviser. I would like to travel extensively during and after college, as well, in order to gain a greater appreciation for other cultures and to broaden my perspective on the world.

Since music is my main extracurricular commitment outside of academics, I would like to continue to pursue music performance throughout college, as well, by earning a minor in the subject. Earlier this year I formed a volunteer organization called The Young Pianists—a group of local elementary, middle, and high-school piano students who perform charitable concerts at nursing homes and assisted-living facilities around the city--and so I would like to extend the organization to incorporate the area in which I attend college.

I want to a attend a four-year college or university, because while I acknowledge the fact that a strong, comprehensive education does not guarantee one success in the world, I do recognize the value of an education in terms of the knowledge, career preparation, and world-mindedness one receives as a result. I have always strived to be knowledgeable in a broad variety of subjects and to be aware of the happenings in the world, and I know that a college education is the most effective and rewarding way to attain such knowledge and insight.

I plan on attending Boston College this fall and double-majoring in biology and economics before attending medical school afterward.