Until I started high school, I had no idea what major I wanted to pursue in college. After all, there are so many options, and even though some people know what they want to do from the time they are in elementary school, that was not my experience. Although I always had some ideas before entering ninth grade, I was still waiting to find something I really loved. During my freshman year, I finally found that thing-- biology.

Before high school, I had never looked forward to a science class. The only reason I even took biology freshman year was because it seemed to be the lesser of two evils, the other being earth science. As it turned out, that biology class became the most pivotal course I took during my four years of high school, and was a major factor in my decision to choose biology as my major.

The one area of biology that I am especially interested in is genetics. Throughout the three years I have taken biology-related courses, I have gotten a taste of the huge world of genetic research, which is what I hope to explore in the future.

One aspect of biology that we studied freshman year was genetics, which is how I became interested in the subject. In particular, I liked studying Mendelian genetics and learning how different traits are inherited. My interest fostered in freshman year biology affected my course choices for the rest of my high school career and subsequently, the college major I have chosen

During sophomore year, I decided to take AP biology. In that class, we learned more about genetics, which further intrigued me. During that year, because I was so interested in the topics we were discussing in class, I spent some of my free time making a family tree of different inherited traits in my family, such as blood types and cancer.

The following year, I took genetics, a full-year elective packed with topics I was interested in. Among other topics, I learned about inherited traits, genetic diseases, and ethical debates surrounding genetic research. I spent a lot of time in the lab working with DNA, viruses, and bacteria, and the experience of this class proved to me that I want to continue doing similar things as my career.

Besides my love for genetics as a subject, I know that it is an up and coming field that has much potential for research in a variety of areas. Because genetic research is so new and so many possibilities for using this new technology are still being uncovered, I could have the ability to do major research in the area through my studies at Johns Hopkins. For example, although scientists know some of the uses of stemcells, they also know that there are many more things they can be used for that have not been found yet. I am hoping that by majoring in biology, I will have an opportunity to work in the field of genetics and do research that will save many lives.

Although a few years ago I could not imagine even enjoying a 45 minute science class, today I dream of majoring in biology and doing research in college and beyond. The biology classes I took in high school were just the beginning of what I hope to continue doing in the future. Because of those classes and the potential for amazing discoveries in the field of genetics, I have chosen biology as my major.