In hindsight, my failed freshman year of college in biology was the best thing that could have happened to my science career. It was a rude awakening when that first test came back marked with a big red “D.” It was even more shocking when the second and third exams followed suit because that meant my failure was statistically significant. However, it wasn't until I failed that I realized how much I actually wanted to be part of the scientific community and how hard I would have to work to achieve that goal. The following semester I took biology again and passed with flying colors. I continued to teach that same course just a few years later. Ultimately, experiencing this encounter with failure is what led me to pursue a college degree. If my abilities had not been questioned, I would not have felt the need to prove myself as a biologist. This experience motivated me to seek out diverse research and numerous mentorship opportunities that have become an integral part of who I am as a scientist today. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay I have conducted research in two languages, two countries, and a variety of biological disciplines. I have collaborated with scientists from countries around the world, including Spain, Ecuador, Colombia, England, Morocco and the United States. I am comfortable performing a Western Blot as well as dissecting the olfactory bulbs of chub minnows (Semotilus atromaculatus). I have worked, in some capacity, with many common model organisms used in the biological sciences, including D. melanogaster, D. rerio, S. aureus, S. pombe, and S. cerevisiae. All these experiences have shaped me as a biologist. They have provided me with a unique set of skills and knowledge that allow me to look at biological questions from the perspective of many disciplines. As an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire I participated in a two-year research program that integrated hands-on research with courses in bioinformatics and scientific rhetoric. During the summer semester, I worked as part of a student team to test the fear response of S. atromaculatus to various chemical stressors under the supervision of Dr. David Lonzarich. The following fall semester I learned how to analyze that data in the coding program 'R' in a bioinformatics/biostatistics course. That spring I enrolled in a science writing class in which I wrote a mock NSF grant proposal for research I had conducted. I also presented this research at UW-Eau Claire's Celebration of Excellence in Research and Creative Activity (CERCA). This research program was my first taste of the scientific process and I loved it. At the end of my time in the program I was hungry for further scientific investigation and quickly pursued a research grant. The spring of my freshman year in college I was accepted into the International Fellows Program offered by UW-Eau Claire. As an international researcher, I spent the following summer in the Galapagos Islands working, in Spanish, with scientists from around the world at the Charles Darwin Research Station (CDRS). During my time at CDRS, I worked simultaneously on two projects involving the control of an invasive parasitic fly species, Philornis downsi, and the conservation and management of endemic bird species affected by this parasite. As part of these projects, I worked responsible for monitoring the nests of the Galapagos flycatcher (M. magnirostris) and monitoring the reproduction of the vermilion flycatcher(P. rubinus). Additionally, I was responsible for the collection and rearing of P. downsi as part of a collaboration with the Heimpel Lab at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. The most rewarding part of these projects has been community outreach. Together with other members of my team, I spent time with local school children teaching them about our project, in Spanish, and conveying the importance of taking an active role in the conservation of endemic species. After my scholarship ended, I returned to UW-Eau Claire for my senior year of college. It was during this year that I finally conducted research in an area that I felt revealed my strengths as a scientist. Working with Dr. Daniel Herman, I used microbiology and molecular biology to study the prevalence of two Staphylococcus species, S. succinus and S. dicorum, in nasal swab isolates collected from hospitals and communities in Ecuador. I honed my skills at the bench while in the Herman lab, gaining experience in a number of molecular techniques. I presented this research at the annual CERCA, as I had done in previous years, and had the opportunity to discuss my research with my colleagues and the public. My time at the Herman Lab, while brief, sparked my interest in studying molecular biology. In my first year of residency at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, I began an 8-week rotation in the laboratory of Dr. Jennifer Benanti, whose overall focus is regulation of the eukaryotic cell cycle. Eight weeks was quickly extended to four months, and four months soon turned into a permanent position. My initial rotation project matured into a comprehensive plan for my thesis research aimed at understanding the molecular crosstalk between stress-activated signaling pathways in the budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. After less than a year at the Benanti Lab, I presented my research at the 23rd annual UMass Research Retreat held at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, where I discussed my project with faculty from a variety of biological backgrounds. In addition to my extensive research experience, my goal of becoming an educator motivated me to seek extracurricular teaching opportunities that confirmed my talent and passion for education. I started teaching introductory biology and chemistry during my sophomore year of college at UW-Eau Claire and quickly realized how much joy it brought me. It was amazing to see students have that “light bulb” moment after explaining a difficult concept in simple terms. The students I worked with were amazing. They came to me struggling to keep up with the course material and by the end of the semester they were at the top of their class. In the years since, I've seen two of my students become tutors themselves, and they've told me that my role in their education is what inspired them to do so. As much as I loved tutoring, many of these sessions were one-on-one and it struck me that I wasn't helping as many students as I could, so I looked for additional tutoring opportunities through my university. I began volunteering as an additional academic assistant tutor for various biology labs offered by UW-Eau Claire. My role was to help students learn and serve as an additional resource beyond the faculty running the lab. I enjoyed answering students' questions, but I wanted to take a more active role in the material they were learning. For this reason I turned to the teacher in charge of the laboratory and asked if I could prepare the lesson program for.