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Mikayla Hodge

1,885

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Finalist

Bio

I am from Louisville, Colorado. I love everything physics and music. Physics is a new interest but I've been on the indoor percussion team for 2 years. I have two golden doodles who have been with me through everything. I was raised by a single mother, who traveled the world working in suicide prevention. Sometimes I was able to go along which grew my curiosity about other cultures. I've been learning Danish on my own. I hope to study abroad at least one time. I eventually want to become an astrophysicist and work in the field of dark matter.

Education

Monarch High School

High School
2020 - 2024
  • GPA:
    3.9

Miscellaneous

  • Desired degree level:

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

  • Majors of interest:

    • Physics and Astronomy
  • Not planning to go to medical school
  • Career

    • Dream career field:

      Research

    • Dream career goals:

      I would love to be a physics dark matter researcher

    • Lifeguard

      Louisville Recreation Center
      2022 – Present2 years

    Sports

    Mixed Martial Arts

    Club
    2023 – Present1 year

    Softball

    Varsity
    2020 – 20233 years

    Awards

    • Letter

    Research

    • International Relations and National Security Studies

      National Student Leadership Conference — Student
      2023 – 2023

    Arts

    • Monarch High School Marching Band

      Music
      2021 – 2022
    • Monarch High School Indoor Percussion Team

      Music
      2021 – Present

    Public services

    • Public Service (Politics)

      Boulder Police Department — Police Cadet
      2022 – 2023

    Future Interests

    Advocacy

    Volunteering

    “Stranger Things” Fanatic Scholarship
    After some thought I think that I have narrowed it down to my final three that I would take with me to face a new supernatural threat. All of my team members would have to be both tactically smart but also intelligent in teamwork and science. I would ideally take someone who is very tactically skilled, someone who is very good and leading a team and someone who is a protector at heart to make sure the team is safe throughout the fight. The first person that I chose to be on my team is going to be third season El. I think this is the obvious choice since she is going to be the secret weapon and the powerhouse for whatever supernatural creature we will be fighting. I chose the third season El specifically because of her maturity in working together as a team and her supernatural abilities, since they are at their height before they burn out in the end of the season. Secondly, I would choose Nancy because of her tactical skills, specifically with a gun. Her exceptional skills in tactical teamwork would be a major boost to the successfulness of the entire group. She would be the main team leader, with taking risks and then also leading the team into battle and making the leadership decisions. Steve would be my final choice because of his natural "babysitting" protectiveness. His ability to protect and make good and safe choices for the team would balance out the unpredictability of Nancy and would also ground her. He would be really protective of El in the same way but more of a babysitter, he wouldn't let her go into situations where he knows she would be hurt which would make the team survive longer. I think between all three of these personalities and tactical strengths, then the team would be very successful in whatever supernatural threat we would be fighting and would make it so we would have the highest possible chance to win without any fatalities.
    Minecraft Forever Fan Scholarship
    Every time I open up Minecraft, I almost always start in survival mode. There's a reason behind that and that is because it gives structure and some type of peace that is involved in survival mode. I'm starting new and there are limitless possibilities for what I can do. I really need that in my life because it is something that I know I can count on for being fresh and new. There are no expectations and there are no rules for what you can do, you are just starting fresh and new. I think that aspect of Minecraft is so important because it gives an escape from the strict rules and structures of real life. I use Minecraft as an escape, sometimes listening to my favorite podcast or album so my brain can just decompress and be on autopilot for a while. During the Covid Pandemic, I used Minecraft with music to escape from the craziness and lack of structure in society, it helped me deal with my thoughts in a healthy way. Another aspect of Minecraft that I really resonate with is the physical aspect. The physics in the game make me excited and interested in the world around me. The way the different types of building blocks are completely different than another, like sand and wood. You would never use sand to build a second story of a house, unless you had a really good structure. I think exploring the world around you and learning is a huge part of why Minecraft is so popular, it makes people excited about everyday objects like trees or a lake. I think that Minecraft really helped me with processing my thoughts, during the Pandemic and currently, and I think that starting new and fresh every time allows for more of a limitless structure in a very rule based structured society.
    Allison Thomas Swanberg Memorial Scholarship
    All change is possible in communities together. I think that an engaged community is the basis to make progress on any sort of problem or moving forward as an evolving society. I’ve grown up in a family dedicated to service in volunteering and in jobs. Throughout my life, I’ve prioritized community service in many different ways, both big and small. When I was in Elementary school, I created a Lawn Mowing business with my best friend. Yard work is a funny passion but I turned it into something that helps others in many ways. We would help our neighbors who were unable to mow their lawns and then we would save our money for a new lawn mower/better equipment. During that time my mom would make me set aside some of my $10 allowance every month for donations. At the end of the year, I got to choose where my money was donated. One year, I made gift bags for the homeless population, which included a toothbrush, toothpaste, some sweaters, and pre-made meals. Another year I chose to donate my money to the Boulder Human Society and I bought a few toy bags for the cats and dogs there. As I’ve gotten older, I always look for ways that I can help people. Spreading positivity can help anyone and everyone. Everyone always needs that, no matter what time it is or what circumstances they are under. You never know what is going on in someone's life. With the COVID pandemic and the huge fire here in my town of Louisville, there have been lots of chances to see people struggling and pulling together. During my junior year, I was a Boulder Police Cadet. During my time as a Cadet, I realized all the other ways I wanted to help the community. I’ve also been a Lifeguard for almost 2 years now. Some of the shows I watched growing up like Big Bang Theory, Bill Nye and Star Wars helped me grow my morals and character going into adulthood. Those characters made a big impact and helped me gain an understanding of the world around me, about social, economic, or science-based learning. This is where my love of science and community service were coming together. They were role models. I had a realization that learning more about the world and helping other people have that same understanding was my calling and that is what I wanted to do with my time.I decided to focus my time on physics and how that can be applied to helping people. My major is now Physics with an Astrophysics focus at CU Boulder next year. I hope to learn as much as I possibly can to help find different planets and explore more about our universe. I could be a role model to girls who love science and help advance our knowledge about the world. I’ve met many different people, even in other countries, while growing up. Certain people like to give back to the community and I want to surround myself with those people. I want to be one of those people as much as I can.