The Scholars program is defined by five learning objectives, known as G.O.A.L.S. These stand for Global Awareness, Original Inquiry, Academic Enrichment, Leadership Development, and Service Engagement.
I chose to be a Biological Sciences Scholar because I wanted to be in a community of people that shared my passion for science. I wanted to challenge myself to go above and beyond what is expected of me. The Scholars program requires more from students. One of the aspects of Scholars that really interested me was the Service Engagement aspect. I went to a Catholic school from Kindergarten to 12th grade, so service has been a big part of my life growing up. I enjoyed taking part in service during school, including visiting a retirement home each week, tutoring kindergarteners, and mentoring a younger student. I was also a volunteer in my city’s emergency room. I helped check in patients and take visitors back to the rooms. I did this eight hours each month. Service is an important part of my life because I am so thankful for the life I have and I want to give back to people that are less fortunate and the people that are in need of help.
Another aspect of the Scholars program that interested me was the aspect of Leadership Development. In high school, I was a cabinet member of my school’s house system. The house system split all the students from 6th to 12th grade into six different houses, almost like the houses in Harry Potter, except the assignments were random and not based on personality. As one of two cabinet members, I was in charge of leading the house Presidents and Vice Presidents, and working with the teacher in charge of the house system. Together, we planned service days, in which students went out into the community to do service at various locations. We planned competitions including a Dodgeball Tournament, a cake designing contest, and a gingerbread house decorating competition. I had to think of the logistics for the activities we did, as well as lead them. This meant that I was in front of my whole school with a microphone, leading the activities. This challenged me because I had to think critically and present myself well in order to create a fun atmosphere. I hope to continue to develop my leadership skills in the Scholars program.