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Kevin Rafferty

885

Bold Points

1x

Finalist

Bio

I'm a rising sophomore at Nova Southeastern University. I am majoring in Marine Biology with a minor in honors transdisciplinary studies and geographic information systems. I am starting as an admissions ambassador and going starting to help conduct research. I like to run, relax at the beach with a good book, and play video games with my friends in my free time. In the future, I plan to use my education to conduct research that can help create sustainable use of our oceans and marine life.

Education

Nova Southeastern University

Bachelor's degree program
2021 - 2025
  • Majors:
    • Marine Sciences

Marine Academy Of Science And Technology

High School
2017 - 2021

Miscellaneous

  • Desired degree level:

    Master's degree program

  • Graduate schools of interest:

  • Transfer schools of interest:

  • Majors of interest:

  • Not planning to go to medical school
  • Career

    • Dream career field:

      Fishery

    • Dream career goals:

      Research, and policy management

      Sports

      Track & Field

      Junior Varsity
      2017 – 20203 years

      Cross-Country Running

      Varsity
      2017 – 20214 years

      Swimming

      Varsity
      2017 – 20203 years

      Awards

      • Captain

      Research

      • Marine Sciences

        Marine Academy of Science and Technology
        2020 – 2021

      Public services

      • Volunteering

        Key Club — Member
        2017 – 2021

      Future Interests

      Advocacy

      Politics

      Volunteering

      Philanthropy

      Bold Creativity Scholarship
      Even if a person has little aptitude for the art everyone in their own way is creative. Creativity comes from a person’s imagination and that imagination is boundless. Creativity is what drives human innovation, desire, and aspirations. When someone thinks of their perfect life, they are using their creativity to do so. For me, I take my fantasies and paint them. I am an ok painter and I just like to paint whatever I’m feeling or thinking onto the canvas because it can be whatever I want. This is why art is so amazing it had the possibility to be anything, and one person created something extremely specific that can never be replicated. I use creativity often to solve common problems I face. Whether I’m having a computer issue, trying to fix a broken cabinet, or simply deciding what I want to do over the weekend. I use my creativity because out of endless options I envision what I want, and I make it happen just like when I paint. Creativity is not exclusive to art creativity is in every aspect of our lives its what makes us human. I use creativity when I read, I make meaningless figures on a page become fantastical images in my head. As I read epics unfold of heroes and tragedies all because my imagination wills it to be. The great thing about creativity is that anyone can be creative because creativity is a part of every person if they use their imagination for even the simplest thing.
      William M. DeSantis Sr. Scholarship
      One important life lesson that I learned when I was younger was that you’re not always going to succeed but that doesn’t mean you should ever give up. The lesson showed me the world was unfair and that sometimes no matter what you do you will fail but you must take that failure with grace and learn from it, I had learned to not be a sore loser. My mom taught me this lesson the hard way and it took a lot of time. I am very competitive, and I still don’t like to lose but now I look to lose to learn from it. When I was younger, I didn’t view it from the same perspective. My mom and I would often play chess and for an extremely long time, she would continue to beat me without fail. I would get close, and we would have singular games last up to an hour because I would never give up, but I would still lose. She never let me win which is why I can handle real world losses and disappointments like getting rejected from a job or not getting into that dream college. Except I don’t give up I take that rejection and use it to learn and keep moving forward. Many people are sore losers and can’t handle defeat which is why I’m glad my mother made me lose so many games when I was younger. I will use this lesson in my life by never giving up on my goals and dreams even if I have been turned down at every opportunity. I gained the ability to be persistent constantly moving towards my goals and I will used this to accept failure and move on instead of becoming disheartened. This experience has made me a much stronger person in life because I have taken many loses in sports and when applying for internships but when I have been knocked down, I get right back up and keep running forward. Sometimes failure can break a person, but I have learned that it is ok to lose and sometimes losing can be more beneficial than winning. Knowing that losing is ok and sometimes even good is a priceless piece of knowledge. So, I look forward to my future challenges win or lose because I know I’ll keep working towards what I desire.
      Bold Wise Words Scholarship
      The saying I carry with me every day and try to follow is “Don’t concern yourself with outside events, all you control is how you react to them”. I have tried to apply this to my everyday life since last year when I first heard this. I used to be an extremely emotional person in a bad way, people would constantly annoy and anger me. I was extremely angry and allowed other people to have drastic effects on my moods. I was always worried about what other people thought about me and how they perceived me. Then one day I heard a great piece of advice that I shouldn’t worry about things I cannot control because, what can I personally do to change them. Something changed and I looked at many of the things that I thought personally affected me. I realized they were out of my control, and I knew this before, but I realized that even though it may affect me I can’t do anything about it. It was not scary but, in a way, relieving like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders. Even though I knew I wasn’t in control I had a better grasp on myself and was less angry and worried than before. I was more in control of myself than before, I didn’t let my emotions rule me. I live with this philosophy every day and it has helped me become a happier person. Of course, I am not perfect sometimes I lose the serenity of my mind, but nobody is perfect, and I can only work to become a better person. I have accepted the things I cannot control and it has made me a better person.
      Bold Goals Scholarship
      My main goal in my life is to attempt to help as many people as I possibly can. My desire to become a marine biologist may seem like it would not contribute to accomplishing my goal of helping people. I want to combine my love of marine biology and my wish to help others in my future career. After I finish my education, I plan on working for NOAA or another research institution to learn how to take better care of our oceans and marine ecosystems. The ocean plays a huge role in the lives of everyone even if they do not realize it. The oceans control weather patterns across the globe and many natural resources can be extracted from the seas as well the most important one being food. The ecosystem also all stems from the ocean as many terrestrial ecosystems are dependent on food and resources from bodies of water. Therefore overfishing, pollution, ocean acidification, and warming oceans are so problematic. We depend on the oceans and these issues could pose a large threat to society as we know it. I’ve wanted to go into marine biology for an extremely long time. I grew up on the coast and developed a love for the beach and I want to protect it. I care for conservation, but I also want to develop solutions for large issues affecting the global food stocks of fish like overfishing and ocean acidification. I not only want to do research, but I want to develop policy that will help protect our oceans and save lives from starvation or climate change issues. I’ve always wanted to help others and the way I can help the most people is through research on more sustainable ways to use and enjoy the ocean.
      Bold Nature Matters Scholarship
      Nature is so important because it represents what people aspire to create and become, but never can. Nature is pure serenity and chaos, beauty and horror, devoid of life but full of bounty. The natural world holds more beauty than any living human being could ever try to replicate. Nothing designed the natural world it just occurred, which is why nature is so amazing. The rivers and streams only flow because the laws of physics oblige them to obey. Peacocks have their impressive plumage due to the female natural selection of males with larger feathers. All aspects of nature are important and awe-inspiring in their own way, the bountiful rainforest is full of elegance and danger. Yet the grace of the seemingly empty desert is just as astonishing as the crowded rainforest. The reason nature is truly so beautiful is because it works all on its own without human interference, there is always balance. My favorite place in nature is the beach. I’m not talking about the crowded beaches of tourists, but the unknown, untouched beaches. Nothing compares to the sound of crashing waves or the squawking of seagulls. Sand crabs fight against the constant battery of waves to stay in the sand. Juvenile fish hide among rocks in the shallows hoping to avoid predation. Crabs roam the tidal zone looking for food. The crashing of waves alone is amazing, an unseen force compelling them forward. Yet, nothing will ever compare to a snow-covered beach, the cold wind penetrating your bones. Peace surrounds you listing to the crunch of snow, the wind, and the waves. I study marine biology to protect nature so that future generations can experience the same awe and grace that I have seen. Nature can live without us, but we cannot exist without nature.
      Bold Generosity Matters Scholarship
      When someone is asked about generosity, they often think of a person that embodies the meaning of generosity instead of the definition. When I think of generosity, I do not picture my father who likes to spend large amounts of money on gifts. To me, the picture-perfect image of generosity to me is my dear friend who goes out of her way to be kind to everyone, no matter her opinion of them. She always goes through the effort of making gifts for people, letting them know she cares about them by using her time and energy to make them something. My friend who I have described embodies the spirit of generosity, and I strive to be like them. Generosity is not a singular act or a character trait but a way of living that I try to emulate. Many people have been generous to me throughout my life, but not in the way of gift-giving as one would expect. These important people in my life lifted me up when I was low and taught me how to succeed and be a better person. My mother has been generous to me by teaching me to be determined in the pursuit of my goals since I was little and being there for me when the two of us lived alone. Generosity is not the giving of tangible gifts but, supporting a person through hard times and helping them be better because of it. I want to do the same that many people have already done for me. All the work I have done in school and in life is to help me reach my goal of helping others, in the same way, people have supported me.