Molecular Biology Personal Statement

I was first drawn to cell and molecular biology when I was a child, when my uncle gave me a microscope for Christmas. I was enthralled by the intricacy of biological structures, and curious as to how the hidden architecture of living things contributes to their function. When I entered high school, I was surprised at how much information in biology was still unknown or unclear. To pursue these answers, I studied beyond what was required of my classes, even to the point of individually learning AP biology. Despite my high achievements in these pursuits, my questions remained unanswered. With this, I decided the only way to have my curiosity satisfied would be to go to college to study cell and molecular biology.
This intent was cemented when my father was diagnosed with a genetic form of Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease; I wanted to devote my career to research in cell biology, so that I can make discoveries that may prevent others from suffering like him.

Through my classes and work-study positions in college, I first gained an appreciation for the power of formal research, as I studied the genome of E.

persicina in a workshop at Cornell University (under Dr. Jeanne Kagle); resource allocation in A. syriaca (Dr. Steven Stein); the effects of squalane supplementation on R. sphaeroides (Dr. Kagle); antibody indicators of colostrum quality (Dr. Sara Hazelton) and the food/water intake and growth of C57BL/6J mice (Dr. Kristen Long). It was Dr. Long who inspired me to pursue a PhD in biology: the great overlap we have in personalities and background made me realize that it is well within my capacity to apply my love of biology to research, so that I may create a meaningful and exciting career for myself, as she

did.
I have taken numerous Biological Science and Research Methods courses, in which I learned how to collect biological data; design experiments; statistically analyze it; and present it to different audiences. It is because of my high performance in these courses (including my discovery of the capacity of R. sphaeroides to utilize squalane as a substrate) that I received Outstanding Student in Biology Awards for three consecutive years.
Although my efforts have resulted in an excellent GPA, GRE Biology Subject Test score, and GRE verbal reasoning and analytical writing scores, my quantitative reasoning score deviates from this trend. Although I am highly capable of utilizing math when I have practice applying it to specific problems, my performance otherwise is inconsistent, as I am partially self-taught. In high school, I was absent for a prolonged period of time due to treatment for anorexia nervosa. However, despite my sickness, I still studied biology and chemistry recreationally. Although I still have occasional lapses in mathematical performance, and continue to learn the concepts that I missed, the proliferation of my knowledge in biology even in a state of compromised physical and mental health proves the innate aptitude and degree of love I have for the subject.
It is with my inclination for research in biology that I choose to apply for the Cell and Molecular Biology graduate program at Florida State University. I would be honored to work with Debi Fadool, Dennis Jonathan, or Hong-Guo Yu, so that I may contribute to the body of human knowledge on metabolism, genome organization, and chromosomal organization and segregation. By working with these individuals, I look forward to pursing knowledge of the unascertained, and feeling as though I have created for myself a purpose in life.