Gateway to University Honors
This I Believe
The “This I Believe” statement is a way to expand on the way I have decided to live my life. It puts into words the morals and belief system that guide me through every day. In my personal “This I Believe” statement, I have chosen to describe my life-altering experience during my time spent researching with the Cleveland Clinic. This moment was the start of expanding this realization about life into every other aspect of my life. This assignment was helpful for me to think more about the way I've been living my life and analyze my decisions. Continue below to read my "This I Believe" statement!
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
It’s a common belief that one can either believe in science or believe in religion and that they can’t go hand in hand. The summer after my junior year, I completed an internship conducting ophthalmic research and worked with many atheist people during my time there. They talked about religion as if it were an insult to science. Their talking made me worry that my goal to have a career in research would come in the way of my religion and faith in God. My faith has always been a major part of my life, how could I lose that in order to have a fulfilling career?
I spent that summer researching retinal degeneration using fluorescent microscopy, which meant that I spent a LOT of time in a dark room alone with a very expensive microscope and plenty of time to think. The purpose of my project was to examine the fluorescence as a sign of activity of degenerative metalloproteinases, and the microscope produced some of the most beautiful images I’d ever seen, with radiant blue and green colors. Looking at those images taught me something. The delicacy and elegance demonstrated in these images were truly inspiring to me. It seemed impossible, to me, for such small, complicated processes in the human eye to show be so exquisite and beautiful without the work of a higher power. At this moment, I reasoned that God is the driving force between the amazing processes of the human body that we spend so much time trying to figure out. This moment in my research experience provided the insight I needed to establish a motive for my life: a two-sided approach to life is the one that is most fulfilling, and balance is key to success.
I made sure to take part in many activities in high school and I've been doing the same in college. My life has been full have things to balance, and making a point to spread myself thin has challenged me to achieve more and appreciate all that I can do. I've always had to balance family and friends, school and service, and perhaps most fun was in the fall of every year in high school, I had to balance a hectic schedule of tennis and marching band. These two activities were probably the biggest help to making my high school career successful, which is why I decided to continue doing both in college. Being a member of the marching band is an absolute honor and playing club tennis is a great way to stay active and competitive.
I can’t even imagine what my high school experience and the beginning of my college experience would have been like if I had not based it on balance and spreading myself thin. I truly believe that it is impossible to act in any situation with a one-sided mentality and that life is most fulfilling when approached holistically, and I have the never-ending battle between science and religion to thank for that.
I spent that summer researching retinal degeneration using fluorescent microscopy, which meant that I spent a LOT of time in a dark room alone with a very expensive microscope and plenty of time to think. The purpose of my project was to examine the fluorescence as a sign of activity of degenerative metalloproteinases, and the microscope produced some of the most beautiful images I’d ever seen, with radiant blue and green colors. Looking at those images taught me something. The delicacy and elegance demonstrated in these images were truly inspiring to me. It seemed impossible, to me, for such small, complicated processes in the human eye to show be so exquisite and beautiful without the work of a higher power. At this moment, I reasoned that God is the driving force between the amazing processes of the human body that we spend so much time trying to figure out. This moment in my research experience provided the insight I needed to establish a motive for my life: a two-sided approach to life is the one that is most fulfilling, and balance is key to success.
I made sure to take part in many activities in high school and I've been doing the same in college. My life has been full have things to balance, and making a point to spread myself thin has challenged me to achieve more and appreciate all that I can do. I've always had to balance family and friends, school and service, and perhaps most fun was in the fall of every year in high school, I had to balance a hectic schedule of tennis and marching band. These two activities were probably the biggest help to making my high school career successful, which is why I decided to continue doing both in college. Being a member of the marching band is an absolute honor and playing club tennis is a great way to stay active and competitive.
I can’t even imagine what my high school experience and the beginning of my college experience would have been like if I had not based it on balance and spreading myself thin. I truly believe that it is impossible to act in any situation with a one-sided mentality and that life is most fulfilling when approached holistically, and I have the never-ending battle between science and religion to thank for that.
Self-Designed Honors Experience Proposal
honors_experiential_learning_project_proposal_form_lengel.pdf | |
File Size: | 320 kb |
File Type: |
Final Presentation
final_project_band.mp4 | |
File Size: | 6932 kb |
File Type: | mp4 |
I feel pretty geeky for admitting this, but when I was first trying to make a college decision, one of the contributing factors was whether or not I’d be able to be in band. When I finally chose UC, one of the first things I started doing was practicing for my band audition. There was a lot to consider when deciding whether or not to do band. As a biomedical engineering major who was also interested in the Society of Women Engineers, playing club tennis, and getting involved in research on campus, it was going to be very difficult to do band on top of everything else. I had also decided to switch to the mellophone after playing the flute for all of high school, which made the auditioning process even more intimidating. Despite the months of hard work I had to put in to be ready for my audition, the eight rehearsal hours per day for two weeks in band camp, and having to work around rehearsals during the week to find time to study, joining the Bearcat Marching Band was the most significant and positive event that happened to me that shaped my experience here at UC.
Being in band has been so important to my overall experience at UC for several reasons. First, the friendships that I’ve made from band have made the transition to college so much easier. I remember being so nervous on the first day, but then I ended up immediately finding the group of friends that I would be spending my time with for the rest of my time so far at UC. Being a part of the mellophone section was such a great transition for me. The other mellophone players are fun, welcoming, and accepting of everyone being on a different ability level. Another reason that being part of the band has been significant to me is that it integrated me into the university community. I absolutely love being part of an organization that comes with a great sense of pride, dignity, and passion for what they are doing and shared love for their school. Every time I run down the stadium steps before the game, I feel a rush of adrenaline. Not just because of the obvious danger of charging down a set of uneven concrete steps holding an instrument, but also because of all of the people watching and being excited for us to come. It has been such an honor and privilege to be in such a large organization that supports our team and our school no matter what the temperature is, no matter how exhausted we are from running and not being able to sit for hours on end, or how many people there are. The love for UC and for the Bearcats found in the Bearcat Marching Band is honestly unmatched, and being part of that kind of group that is treasured and honored is the greatest opportunity I could have been provided with.
After pushing through those eight rehearsal hours per day in 85+ degree weather for two weeks, being away from my family for longer by coming early for band camp, waking up on Saturdays at 7:00 a.m. to get ready to practice and perform, and struggling to gain the confidence to keep up with the other horn players, I have more than realized that the benefits of being a marcher in the band heavily outweigh the sacrifices made. Finding my love for band and the fantastic people in it has made me look forward into my band experience and see what else I can do. I now have a goal to take my passion for music and band to try to be a drum major. Being a drum major is something that I’ve never attempted, but the opportunity to take such a high leadership position in the band that I love so much seems fantastic. I know that I have to put in twice as much effort and time, but the benefits in leadership skills, working with more people, and having a greater role in the performances will prove to be well worth the work. Looking back on the work I have done to be a successful band member and the organizational and time management skills I have gained from being in band, I can honestly say that being a part of the Bearcat Marching Band was my most significant event while at UC, because…. “The UC Band is Damn Good!”
Being in band has been so important to my overall experience at UC for several reasons. First, the friendships that I’ve made from band have made the transition to college so much easier. I remember being so nervous on the first day, but then I ended up immediately finding the group of friends that I would be spending my time with for the rest of my time so far at UC. Being a part of the mellophone section was such a great transition for me. The other mellophone players are fun, welcoming, and accepting of everyone being on a different ability level. Another reason that being part of the band has been significant to me is that it integrated me into the university community. I absolutely love being part of an organization that comes with a great sense of pride, dignity, and passion for what they are doing and shared love for their school. Every time I run down the stadium steps before the game, I feel a rush of adrenaline. Not just because of the obvious danger of charging down a set of uneven concrete steps holding an instrument, but also because of all of the people watching and being excited for us to come. It has been such an honor and privilege to be in such a large organization that supports our team and our school no matter what the temperature is, no matter how exhausted we are from running and not being able to sit for hours on end, or how many people there are. The love for UC and for the Bearcats found in the Bearcat Marching Band is honestly unmatched, and being part of that kind of group that is treasured and honored is the greatest opportunity I could have been provided with.
After pushing through those eight rehearsal hours per day in 85+ degree weather for two weeks, being away from my family for longer by coming early for band camp, waking up on Saturdays at 7:00 a.m. to get ready to practice and perform, and struggling to gain the confidence to keep up with the other horn players, I have more than realized that the benefits of being a marcher in the band heavily outweigh the sacrifices made. Finding my love for band and the fantastic people in it has made me look forward into my band experience and see what else I can do. I now have a goal to take my passion for music and band to try to be a drum major. Being a drum major is something that I’ve never attempted, but the opportunity to take such a high leadership position in the band that I love so much seems fantastic. I know that I have to put in twice as much effort and time, but the benefits in leadership skills, working with more people, and having a greater role in the performances will prove to be well worth the work. Looking back on the work I have done to be a successful band member and the organizational and time management skills I have gained from being in band, I can honestly say that being a part of the Bearcat Marching Band was my most significant event while at UC, because…. “The UC Band is Damn Good!”