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Frances Bartolome

985

Bold Points

1x

Finalist

Bio

I am a young Filipino-American woman from Memphis, Tennessee with intentions of becoming a physician. Immigrating from the Philippines at 13 years old, I came to realize how the world had just opened up to me as soon as I stepped foot on the United States. Living here has shown me what I am capable of both as a young woman fighting for women’s rights, and as a young academic fervent for the pursuit of knowledge. I have spent my days strengthening my relationship with my community as well sharpening my sense of advocacy by lending my time and energy to teaching martial arts and self-defense to young girls in the Memphis area. When I am not too busy with the rigors of an academic life, I read up on all sorts of books from fiction to nonfiction, as well as working out and enjoying the outdoors. I am the eldest of three, with two younger brothers in tow. I also live with my mother and grandparents. Having my family with me in the United States provides me with support and encouragement in every endeavor I find myself in. These people are a part of my village. Building a village of my own is one of my greatest goals in life. These are the people who offer me their unrelenting faith and support in realizing my dreams. And as I progress on my journey, I hope to meet more of you, dear reader.

Education

University of Memphis

Bachelor's degree program
2024 - 2028
  • Majors:
    • Chemistry

University of Memphis

Bachelor's degree program
2020 - 2024
  • Majors:
    • Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing

Miscellaneous

  • Desired degree level:

    Doctoral degree program (PhD, MD, JD, etc.)

  • Graduate schools of interest:

  • Transfer schools of interest:

  • Majors of interest:

  • Planning to go to medical school
  • Career

    • Dream career field:

      Medicine

    • Dream career goals:

      Medical Doctor

    • Instructor

      American Taekwondo Association
      2019 – 20223 years

    Sports

    Mixed Martial Arts

    Club
    2017 – Present8 years

    Awards

    • 1st Place - Traditional Forms
    • 3rd Place - Traditional Sparring

    Public services

    • Volunteering

      Girls Inc. of Memphis — Self-defense Instructor
      2019 – Present
    • Volunteering

      Independent — Volunteer
      2016 – 2020

    Future Interests

    Advocacy

    Volunteering

    Philanthropy

    JJ Savaunt's Women In STEM Scholarship
    I was a curious child. Always gazing upon the dark sky of scattered stars, I dreamt of becoming an astronaut as a four-year old. I wanted to get close to the stars, and possibly grab one. Or touch one, at least. After all, I was light years away from the nearest star. Later on, I realized that my juvenile desire of becoming an astronaut was actually just a manifestation of something deeper–my love for science. The pursuit of knowledge is an exciting one. No matter the topic that one may choose, it is always a worthy pursuit. And even as that four-year old who wondered about stars, I wondered about God and their existence. I am a cradle Catholic, so naturally I was taught of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. But even as I listened to the nuns, priests, and catechists, I always had this question in the back of my mind–does God exist? With almost 22 years of life experience on Earth, my resounding answer to that question is yes. My answer comes from a culmination of conclusions that I gathered from my encounters with science. I enjoyed working on experiments throughout my grade school years, and these experiments allowed me to have such encounters. One time when I was in 6th grade I was observing a single microbe under the microscope. I remembered thinking to myself, "God created you. Or rather, God has allowed you and your microbe-ancestors to thrive for possibly billions of years... for you to end up in a sample of pond of water so that I may think of you in this way." Similar thoughts have come up when I took my time to read up on string theory. Or when I found out that astrophysicists are not too certain of the limits of the observable universe. While these are just theories, I believe its components are still made by God. And I would like to point out that the tests that led to the formation of string theory or the speculations of the edge of the universe did not just materialize unprompted in the minds of scientists. Science can be certain, such that a certain amount of potassium permanganate will turn a certain amount of hydrogen peroxide into a light pink color during titration. Likewise, it is uncertain in that we humans are not aware yet of its limits. We probably will never be. But this is what has propelled our species through the billions of years it has persevered. Science is the answer to God. It was created by God. We, as a species, were gifted by God the ability to have discovered and practice science. This may be the only way we can ensure the persistence of our existence. God gifted us all our lives for years to come.