Hobbies and interests
Singing
History
Spanish
Philosophy
Taekwondo
Reading
Academic
Politics
True Story
I read books multiple times per week
Shweta Shah
860
Bold Points1x
FinalistShweta Shah
860
Bold Points1x
FinalistBio
One of the most moving and emotional movies I have seen is Clouds, a film about a teenage boy named Zach Sobiech with osteosarcoma and only a few months to live. He lived his entire life in those months, including the fulfilling of his lifelong dream to release an album with his best friend. I have realized that I must live every day like it would be my last one.
So, in my one short and beautiful life, I would like to help people as much as I possibly can. I have already begun to do this through my volunteering with Linens N Love and my Taekwondo Dojang. In the future, I would like to become a doctor as it would combine my passion with an academic discipline I enjoy: chemistry.
To do this, I will need the support of my family, friends, and you the scholarship donors. To pursue a career in the sciences and medicine, a lot of time and money must be allocated. And I will need all the help I can get. I hope that you will be able to support me in my journey to help others achieve their best while I achieve mine.
Education
Valencia High School
High SchoolMiscellaneous
Desired degree level:
Majors of interest:
- Chemistry, General
Career
Dream career field:
Medicine
Dream career goals:
Pediatrician
Marketing (distributing and mailing flyers)
Shah Group Realty2018 – 20191 year
Sports
Taekwondo
Club2014 – Present10 years
Awards
- Kukkiwon First Degree Black Belt
- Kukkiwon Second Degree Black Belt
Research
Spanish Language and Literature
Independent — Program Researcher2020 – Present
Arts
- Music2016 – 2020
Public services
Volunteering
Linens N Love — Chapter President2019 – Present
Future Interests
Advocacy
Volunteering
Philanthropy
Caring Chemist Scholarship
For as long as I can remember, my identity is equivalent to a sweater. Although a student gave me this name in elementary school, I learned to embrace it wholeheartedly after a friend told me that I brought warm energy when helping others. I want to continue bringing warmth and cheerfulness to the lives of others by pursuing medicine.
Chemistry played a prominent role in inspiring me to pursue the previously mentioned career path. I discovered chemistry in my sophomore year of high school. As I saw the frequent usage of mathematics (a subject I loved since elementary school), I realized that chemistry, like mathematics, could be reasoned through logic rather than memorization. I applied the concepts learned in chemistry to biology when I studied the digestive system in a Pre-College summer course at Brown University about the human organ systems and how diseases can affect them. For example, food is immersed in hydrochloric acid as it enters the stomach. The food mass is, therefore, highly acidic when it enters the small intestine. The pancreas releases basic bicarbonate ions to neutralize the food's acidity so the digestive enzymes in the small intestine can extract its nutrients.
With a degree in chemistry and a specialization in medicinal chemistry, I can pursue one of two career paths. The first of which would be becoming a doctor. My grandfather and his story also had a notable role in this decision. He not only could treat his patients successfully, but he would also be open to talking with them about their lives and daily struggles. His honesty in treatments and life lessons gave provided him with the success he achieved during his life. With his success, he could care for his family and inspired his children - most notably my father - to pursue his dreams and become successful. That lesson has been passed down to me as I aspire to be honest with my patients while understanding their numerous obstacles in life during treatment.
The second of these career paths is a clinical researcher at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The COVID-19 pandemic and how pharmaceutical companies and the CDC rapidly developed vaccines inspired this decision. In July 2020, I met Jane Goodall during the Our Planet Our Purpose: STEM for Changemaking Summit and asked her how to prevent future global pandemics. She answered that conservation is the key as she asserts, "we're going to have to think of how we can develop in a less intrusive way and give animals more space." While working in the CDC, I could research diseases and viruses found in animals and develop ways to prevent those from spreading.
In finality, I wish to help people using my knowledge of chemistry and medicine, continuing my goal of being a sweater.