For as long as I can remember, science has been the love of my life. Growing up in a single-parent, low-income household, my mom always emphasized that my education was the greatest asset I could come to posses. She wanted me to go to college and have the future she wasn't able to, to become the first person in our family to attend a four-year university. I took her advice in stride, from joining the chess club to leading an all-female robotics team to starting a community service project in 7th grade, I eventually fell in love with learning and problem-solving. I was fortunate to attend magnet programs-- something that many students who are more intelligent than I am are not able to do. In high school, I completed the AP Capstone program, conducting two meta-analyses on bioimplants used for total hip arthoplasty (one on the biological effects, and one the mechanical degradation). I learned a few things from that experience:

• Research is incredibly difficult, and incredibly rewarding
• Literature reviews are increidbly important, you don't want to repeat what was already done
• Young people with hip implants are going to have a rough time, and that's largely due to the pace at which new technology is adopted
• Knowing how to code would have made my life significantly easier

One thing completing a thesis that involves 20+ years of biomechanics calculations will teach you is that you do not want to be the person using a ti84 when Python, R, Matlab, and everything else exists. So, I enrolled in computer science coursework at NC A&T State University, where my early college is located (STEM Early College at NC A&T State University). This felt counterintuitive at first, as little Madison was perpetually obsessed with cells, biology, and chemistry. But if my AP Capstone project taught me nothing, it was that biology as a field is continuously behind the curve. If memorizing information about the human body was going to change the world and help people like me and my mom, it would've already happened. This expeirence was the first time I had to take a step off of the beaten path to pursue my goals, and frankly, it was terrifying. What if I ended up being a software engineer? Could I double-major in Biology and CS? And not have a 2.0 GPA? If I became a scientist instead of a doctor, would I still be able to provide for my family? I didn't know the answer to any of these things, I just knew that I had found a path too viable to ignore, and that was the path that I was going to follow. For a semester, at least. Pursuing computer science taught me how to think in systems, algorithms, and data structures. It taught me how to be decisive and precise, to pursue questions with clear intentions and methods for generating massive amounts of data. The problem with that, was knowing what to do with it. When I got to NC State, I was named a Goodnight Scholar, meaning I have four years of funded education, professional development, and a radically supportive community. I've never experienced anything like it. For the first time in my life, I didn't have to work every single day to pay for education, food, and housing. I could focus on my studies, and I came to realize that the work I was trying to do was rooted in empathy for families like mine. And, in appreciating the priviege and opportunity that is my scholarship, my engineering education, and my ability to pursue a career in public health, I realized that I had a responsibility to use my skills to help others. Thus, I declared a second major in Science, Technology, and Society. My concentration is in Biomedical Systems, and I've gotten to take some wicked cool classes as a result. (pardon my dust as I work on making this section more personable!) - slcce - fulbright - truman I love sharing what I'm working on. - grad school intentions