I spoon fed her every day Watching my grandmother get progressively weaker; not wanting to believe her doctors' diagnosis of terminal cancer and prediction that she would only live another year; Separated by thousands of miles from my parents, who had moved to the United States while I was in China with my grandmother, I lived a life very different from that of the average 17-year-old. In addition to taking care of my grandmother, I went to school and prepared for final exams, the equivalent of the SATs. Grandma died the day I took the exam. Of the million students who took the exam that day, I ranked thirty-fourth and won the national merit scholarship. Yet I was in a state of total shock: my grandmother was no longer here and I felt paralyzed. But ultimately my memories of her inspired me to make a real difference in the lives of others. I decided to pursue a medical career. I joined the rest of my family in the United States and within six months I was enrolled in the honors program at Mississippi State. Since there is no pre-med major, I could specialize in any subject and still complete the pre-med requirements; I was advised to major in Philosophy or Playwriting to raise my GPA. Instead, I decided to major in mathematics, a subject I have always enjoyed. Although many people told me that I must be crazy and that my background would not sufficiently prepare me for the rigors of medical school classes, I have gotten A-pluses in all ten math courses I have taken thus far, five of which were advanced. I have focused on opportunities that will prepare me for studies in clinical medicine, oncology and geriatrics. I learned about a prestigious research fellowship at Harvard, and although it was only open to upperclassmen, I applied and was accepted. I took honors courses in biology and enjoyed the research work I did. Keeping in mind that my goal is ultimately to help people, I have also dedicated a portion of my time to volunteer opportunities: I have tutored high school students in my neighborhood in math and recently became a part-time volunteer at Memorial Hospital. It was terribly difficult for me to leave China and create a completely new life after my grandmother's death.