I became interested in research at a very young age.  I was only six years old when Hurricane Katrina destroyed our home.  As we made our way through streets that looked like they had seen a war, I asked my mom why some houses stood while others did not.  She never missed a teachable moment, and that year for my science fair project, I studied the shapes of houses and which shape could best withstand wind.  This project earned first place in Mississippi for 1st grade projects. It is ironic that a disaster, which destroyed our home, was the very thing that ignited my academic passion.  This curiosity led me to focus on science as my primary academic interests. As a high school student, I took extra science courses like microbiology, and continued to participate in science fairs.  In microbiology, I conducted an experiment investigating the effects of the radiation emitted from cell phones on the growth of bacteria. I worked on a science fair project studying the effects of sensory friendly movies on children with developmental disorders.  My research was the first of its kind on this topic. Although my sample was small, t-tests indicated a statistically significant increase in peer interaction and vocalization in these special showings. This project won first place in my district and state. As a result, I earned an all-expense paid trip to the International Science and Engineering Fair. Now that I've transferred to Georgia State, I'm very eager to start work in a research lab, and continue exploring the world of science and all it has to offer.