From Neutralization to Oncology: Finding Purpose in the Chemistry of Microenvironments by Jordyn

From Neutralization to Oncology: Finding Purpose in the Chemistry of Microenvironments by Jordyn - October 2026 Scholarship Essay

For a long time, my experience with science felt purely analytical. In my chemistry class, I conducted acid-base back-titrations to measure the neutralizing efficacy of commercial antacids. I watched pH indicators shift, calculated molar concentrations, and evaluated active ingredients like calcium carbonate and magnesium hydroxide. It was a clean, controlled introduction to chemical reactions, but it was purely theoretical—until a personal shadow reframed how I viewed molecular science.

Having lost close family members to breast cancer and undergoing routine preventative screenings myself from a young age, the reality of cellular disease has always been a constant presence in my life. During one monitoring appointment, I began thinking beyond the fear that often accompanies medical checkups: What if the chemical principles I studied in class could help explain why cancer cells thrive?

This question prompted me to design a conceptual research project exploring cellular microenvironments. I learned that solid tumors often exhibit an acidic extracellular environment due to altered metabolism, known as the Warburg effect. Drawing a parallel to my antacid experiments, I investigated how pH dynamics influence tumor progression and drug resistance. I hypothesized how targeted buffering agents could alter the acidity surrounding tumor cells to enhance the efficacy of chemotherapeutic drugs.

Translating a basic classroom lab into a hypothetical oncology model fundamentally reshaped my relationship with science. Science ceased to be merely an academic exercise; it became an active tool for resilience and discovery. My family’s history once felt like an unavoidable genetic fate, but through research, it has become the driving force behind my passion to study biochemistry and contribute to targeted cancer therapies.