Sage Dworak

Prompt: Think about an academic subject that inspires you. Describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom.

“I hadn’t thought about what I was planning on writing prior to the application process. As I looked at the prompts I brainstormed ideas for what I could write about each prompt and chose the ones I thought would make the strongest essays.”

I’ve always loved searching for solutions to problems. After taking a Javascript coding course at a Cal summer camp, I was hooked by how writing code centered around creating unique solutions. At that camp, I was constantly asking to learn more, to go to the next step. I spent my lunches and breaks coding when the other middle schoolers were playing video games. After that camp ended, I continued coding with Javascript, creating small video games and lots of cipher decoders. I learned how to code in Python and HTML. In high school, I chose engineering-related classes, with as many coding classes as I could take. I learned Java, using design software such as Tinkercad and Fusion 360, and engineering principles; also, I built machinery, such as making a DC motor from scratch.

All of this was massively interesting, but since third grade, I dreamed of helping to find a cure for Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF). Multiple relatives, including my dad, have fallen ill with IPF, and my sister, cousins, and I all have it in our genes, as well as 50,000 people diagnosed annually. I planned to go into the medical field to be a part of the effort to pioneer the unknowns of battling diseases, so I talked with pulmonologists to gain an understanding of their jobs and took Honors Physiology. In high school, I thought I had to choose between my dream of helping everyone affected by IPF and my love for computer programming, but I soon realized that this was not the case. Not only is there a solution that mixes the two disciplines of computer science and medicine - biotech, a field of science that is perfect for me - but it is a very effective way to accomplish my dream.

With biotech, I can use computer science to work in bioinformatics, which will allow me to design software systems that process complex biological and genetic data. After seeing the lack of treatment options for my father, I am inspired by knowing that through studying biotech, I will have the power to change that.

“Think about what makes you a unique candidate and speak towards making yourself stand out. Find your motivation and get started with extracurriculars to demonstrate that you’re interested and passionate about it.”

“I have a vision of what I will do in college and my life following, and a clear motivating drive that inspires me. I feel that my set goals are what makes this essay work.”