Excited　by　the　idea　of　becoming　a　scientist　since　I　was　a　small　child,　my　interests　in　pursuing　graduate　studies　intensified　during　my　undergraduate　education　and　my　research　experience.　Rather　than　discouraging　me　with　the　tremendous　amount　of　work　and　demands　for　creativity,　my　college　years　motivated　me　to　earn　a　Ph.D.　and　to　continue　pursuing　a　career　as　a　research　scientist.　Although　my　exact　research　goals　have　yet　to　be　refined,　my　interests　include　studying　the　genetic　basis　of　disease　and　the　genetic　mechanisms　that　govern　various　cellular　processes,　such　as　the　cell　cycle,　apoptosis,　and　tumor　formation.

　　Although　I　entered　college　without　a　clear　research　direction,　the　Biotechnology　Program　at　Rochester　Institute　of　Technology　helped　develop　my　interest　in　the　field　of　Genetics.　I　found　much　of　my　laboratory　training　at　RIT　to　be　extremely　rewarding.　For　example,　one　experience　that　early　on　convinced　me　to　seriously　consider　genetics　was　a　project　involving　the　construction　and　characterization　of　a　recombinant　plasmid.　Since　I　worked　independently　for　the　most　part,　the　project　played　a　key　role　in　increasing　my　confidence　and　helping　me　to　understand　various　concepts　pertaining　to　genetic　analysis.　It　was　this　experience　that　motivated　me　to　seek　a　position　as　a　teacher's　assistant　for　a　course　in　Microbial　and　Viral　Genetics.　As　a　TA,　I　learned　how　demanding　the　teaching　situation　is　and　how　much　teaching　a　course　can　contribute　to　my　own　learning.　By　this　time,　after　discovering　my　passion　for　research　and　the　joy　of　teaching,　I　began　to　seriously　contemplate　graduate　schools.

　　To　excel　in　graduate　school,　I　decided　I　would　not　limit　my　xperience　to　my　formal　education　at　RIT.　Instead,　I　wanted　the　opportunity　to　explore　my　career　options　to　make　a　well-informed　decision　as　to　the　area　of　my　future　research.　With　these　goals　in　mind,　I　chose　to　take　advantage　of　RIT's　Cooperative　Education　Program,　which　meant　earning　my　Bachelor's　degree　in　five　years　instead　of　four.　In　December　of　1997,Astra　Arcus　USA　Pharmaceuticals　hired　me　as　a　research　assistant　in　the　Electrophysiology　department.At　Astra,　I　learned　research　techniques　not　taught　by　RIT.　For　the　past　year,　I　have　been　working　with　a　subset　of　neuronal　glutamate　receptors　via　voltage　clamping　on　Xenopus　oocytes.　The　research　of　our　lab　is　geared　toward　the　study　of　central　nervous　system　diseases.　Working　with　Astra　and　earning　an　education　in　biotechnology　from　RIT　sparked　my　interest　in　learning　more　about　the　genetic　basis　of　disease.

　　On　a　personal　level,　I've　gained　quite　a　bit　from　my　cooperative　experience.　Confident　in　my　ability　to　adapt　to　new　environments　and　learn　techniques　that　I　have　never　encountered,　I　have　also　learned　a　great　deal　about　the　nature　of　private-sector　research　and　the　lifestyle　of　the　researchers.　Familiar　with　the　amount　of　dedication　and　hard　work　essential　to　project　advancement,　I　am　more　focused　on　my　goal　of　becoming　an　excellent　researcher　than　I　ever　have　been.　No　stranger　to　the　frustration　and　disappointment　inherent　in　research　work,　I　am　spurred　on　by　the　thrill　of　discovery.　I　find　a　great　deal　of　enjoyment　working　in　research　and　plan　to　stay　at　Astra　through　the　summer　of　2005.

　　I　feel　that　my　course　work　as　a　Biotechnology　major　at　RIT　and　my　research　experience　at　Astra　have　adequately　prepared　me　for　graduate　study.　Eager　to　continue　my　education　and　improve　upon　my　weaknesses,　I　am　particularly　interested　in　becoming　more　familiar　with　emerging　technologies　relating　to　genetics　and　in　gaining　more　exposure　in　working　with　eukaryotic　genomes.　Most　importantly,　I　want　to　gain　the　knowledge　and　skills　necessary　to　design　and　perform　research　according　to　my　interests　in　genetics　and　disease.　With　these　broad　interests　and　specific　goals,　I　am　very　attracted　to　the　Graduate　Program　in　Genetics　at　Duke　University.　With　great　flexibility　in　choosing　a　degree,　the　program　would　suit　me　well.　At　Duke,　I　would　welcome　the　opportunity　to　explore　my　interests　in　Cell　Biology,　Neurobiology,　Pharmacology,　and　Cancer　Biology.　I　am　also　interested　in　learning　more　about　possible　involvement　with　the　Duke　Center　for　Human　Genetics.　My　motivation　to　succeed　is　reflected　in　both　my　academic

　　standing　and　my　dedication　to　research.　I　feel　that　these　attributes,　combined　with　a　profound　interest　in　the　Biological　Sciences,　will　ensure　me　success　as　a　graduate　student　at　Duke　University.