After I took statistics in high school, I thought everyone should take statistics. Statistics is the bridge between the random math and science you are forced to learn and its practical implications, letting one make informed decisions and avoid biases. I considered it the final step of school preparing you for society, and I decided to major in statistics because while wielding its tools, decisions fell into place. My experiences so far in the life course scholars program have made me realize that statistics is only half the story. Decision-making is only half of discerning meaning in life.
A teen thrown into society with a passion for statistics come election time will be better prepared to decide between candidates, but will also realize that their vote is statistically unlikely to be the difference. This is where the other half comes in. The people I have interacted with, the talks I have listened to, and the issues I have been made aware of all serve to illuminate that every vote counts because that vote is a person. We make decisions for the betterment of people, and every data point is a person who is just as deserving of love and care as any other dot. A single dot left behind is a tragedy because of the fact that that dot is a person. The other half is knowing that decisions are imperfect and that we must keep working with people to make them perfect. Ultimately, the other half is asking the right questions and realizing their solutions, something a knowledge of statistics can’t do.
This mindset I have taken to the core of who I am and what I do and will do. In a biology class, I learned dementia and Alzheimers are associated with the presence of Porphorymonis Gingivitis bacteria in the brain, and bad oral hygiene may lead to them crossing the blood-brain barrier. In the Life Course Scholars Program, I learned Medicare does not cover dental care. I learned people with missing teeth are less inclined to smile. I learned that a single data point not smiling is a tragedy.
I have also learned about the people around me. I have learned of the incredible compassion and drive of the other members in the Life Course Scholars Program. I am truly instilled with hope and passion upon seeing people so committed to change. I have learned of the life of my grandmother, and have taken to heart the value of the kindness she inspires in others. I have learned about Richard, and Laura, and Bruce, and so many others whose names I can’t remember but whose faces and humanity I do.
My education has provided me with knowledge, but the other half is using what I know to inspire change. I have taken the interactions and things I have learned with me to the Affordable Medication Initiative club, where I hope to realize the answers I have decided upon. I hope to keep working for change, and I hope that my future in the Life Course Scholars Program sees me learn the most effective tools to implement change.
A teen thrown into society with a passion for statistics come election time will be better prepared to decide between candidates, but will also realize that their vote is statistically unlikely to be the difference. This is where the other half comes in. The people I have interacted with, the talks I have listened to, and the issues I have been made aware of all serve to illuminate that every vote counts because that vote is a person. We make decisions for the betterment of people, and every data point is a person who is just as deserving of love and care as any other dot. A single dot left behind is a tragedy because of the fact that that dot is a person. The other half is knowing that decisions are imperfect and that we must keep working with people to make them perfect. Ultimately, the other half is asking the right questions and realizing their solutions, something a knowledge of statistics can’t do.
This mindset I have taken to the core of who I am and what I do and will do. In a biology class, I learned dementia and Alzheimers are associated with the presence of Porphorymonis Gingivitis bacteria in the brain, and bad oral hygiene may lead to them crossing the blood-brain barrier. In the Life Course Scholars Program, I learned Medicare does not cover dental care. I learned people with missing teeth are less inclined to smile. I learned that a single data point not smiling is a tragedy.
I have also learned about the people around me. I have learned of the incredible compassion and drive of the other members in the Life Course Scholars Program. I am truly instilled with hope and passion upon seeing people so committed to change. I have learned of the life of my grandmother, and have taken to heart the value of the kindness she inspires in others. I have learned about Richard, and Laura, and Bruce, and so many others whose names I can’t remember but whose faces and humanity I do.
My education has provided me with knowledge, but the other half is using what I know to inspire change. I have taken the interactions and things I have learned with me to the Affordable Medication Initiative club, where I hope to realize the answers I have decided upon. I hope to keep working for change, and I hope that my future in the Life Course Scholars Program sees me learn the most effective tools to implement change.