Austin: Woodridge tutor

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When a non-musician thinks about music, most will think of how the song makes them feel or how the words tell a story or maybe enjoy it because it's catchy. As a singer, I understand that music is a pattern of pitches and tones that work together to produce a melodic series that is pleasant to one's ear. Not only does music have a precise rhythmic count but it has the potential to be fully fluid and is one of my favorite forms of creative expression. I like to think I apply this creative expression to my research and use it to inspire and drive others like a musical performance captures the attention of an eager audience.
I found my passion for creativity in high school not only in the music hall but on the soccer field and in the engineering shop. Whether it was leading a team to a strategic sports win, designing a ping pong ball catapult, or working with a small core of singers to learn a line of music, I let my creativity and passion for success drive me to be the person I am today. Neither of my parents excelled in school, especially science and math. This required self-motivation and independence to learn difficult subjects. My parents divorced midway through my junior year of high school and I had to be my own support system. These life experiences developed in me a persistence, resilience, and self-motivation that drove me to persevere through primary school and university. My academic efforts have been recognized with two 4-year scholarships (the Clemson Palmetto PACT and the South Carolina Palmetto) and two summer scholarships (the Clemson Fuji Endowment and the Benjamin A. Gilman). My dream is now to obtain my PhD and I hope to one day hold a professorship at a research university.
My undergraduate degree in Bioengineering illustrates the desire to conduct ground breaking research in a creative manner and approach real world problems from a design standpoint. To prepare myself for graduate studies, I conducted research on drug delivery, bioimaging, and biomaterials, and I also had the opportunity to work with clinical and engineering professionals to design a working medical device prototype to solve a real-world problem. I have also honed my skills as a communicator through multiple podium and poster presentations. The experiences leading up to my PhD project have set me up for success as a bioengineering researcher and will lead me to new imaginative approaches to high-impact problems.