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Shweta Shah

860

Bold Points

1x

Finalist

Bio

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 School
2017 - 2021

Miscellaneous

  • Desired degree level:

  • Majors of interest:

    • Chemistry, General
  • Not planning to go to medical school
  • Career

    • Dream career field:

      Medicine

    • Dream career goals:

      Pediatrician

    • Marketing (distributing and mailing flyers)

      Shah Group Realty
      2018 – 20191 year

    Sports

    Taekwondo

    Club
    2014 – Present10 years

    Awards

    • Kukkiwon First Degree Black Belt
    • Kukkiwon Second Degree Black Belt

    Research

    • Spanish Language and Literature

      Independent — Program Researcher
      2020 – Present

    Arts

    • Music
      2016 – 2020

    Public services

    • Volunteering

      Linens N Love — Chapter President
      2019 – 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.