Imagine this:
It is nine in the morning— an unforgivable time for any college student— and you’re sitting in a stiff, wooden chair next to the girl who always smells like a hangover.
You could be cursing your university: who starts class before 2?
You could be cursing the hangover girl: has she never heard of a toothbrush?
Or, you could be like me, sitting at perfect attention, scribbling notes furiously, thinking admiring things about your professor: I bet she loves microbes more than me!
For me, BIO 307D, also known as Biology of AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome), is a class where I am constantly having enlightening moments; there is something about bacterium, fungi, protozoa, viruses, and our immune system that captivates me, and, in a very abstract way, inspires within me a reverence for the complexity of nature. When I registered for this class, I had no intention of pursing a second degree (much less one in Microbiology), but Professor Moor has introduced me to a subject matter that I will eagerly study for the rest of my life.

[1]. BIO307D is a reading intensive course, but I never feel like I’m wasting my time when I sit down and study for five hours straight. The mindset that studying Microbiology is fun is what has encouraged me to pursue it as a second major.
Another passion of mine is working to protect the innocence of children who are forced to live in brutal circumstances. Childhood is an unalienable right, and there is no justification for stealing this precious experience from any human being. Though there is a sordid variety of horrors children must face, I find myself drawn to ones who are infected with AIDS: over 33 million people are living with HIV, and 2.5 million of them are children.[2] Of the 2.5 million, 90% of them are from Sub-Saharan Africa, where there is limited access to medication. [3] Imagining children living with this painful and terrifying disease is appalling, and, in pursuing Microbiology, I’m prepared to dedicate the rest of my life to this cause.
[4] This video provides the public with a different perspective of children affected by AIDS. Even if a child is not infected with HIV, they must bear the burden of fostering their dying parents and orphaned siblings.
At this point in my life I’m unsure of the path that is most suited for me. However,
in the next four years I will obtain two bachelors degrees, one in Plan II and the other in Microbiology. Microbiology will help me develop my understanding of the microbial world, and Plan II will help me round out this knowledge with other valuable subjects. I do not believe a person is truly educated until they have a good grasp of the world around them. Plan II allows students who focus their university career on a specific subject to simultaneously study different areas they may be interested in. By obtaining a comprehensive education, I believe that I will be able to contribute to the cause of AIDS in more than one area. For example, there are 2.5 million people infected with HIV in India. [5] If I accepted a job with the United Nations (or another company/non-profit) my History of India class would help me cope with the cultural aspect of my experience. Since India has such a vast, complex history, understanding a rudimentary foundation of Indian would enable me to connect with the All-Indian society on a different level. This could be valuable in three regards: first, it would give me the confidence to further my understanding of the country, because I would not be hindered by the insecurity ignorance inspires. Second, it would make assimilation and connection much easier- truly authenticating the experience. Third, by understanding the culture, history, and politics of India, I would be more able to recognize the steps I need to integrate an AIDS prevention program in an underdeveloped country.
Throughout my years here at UT, I plan on familiarizing myself with various AIDS organizations, particularly Face AIDS. Face AIDS works with Partners in Health, a non-profit organization, to provide funding for treatment and healthcare to AIDS victims and their families. This organization is particularly powerful because it doesn’t deal solely with infected individuals. Face AIDS tries to improve the standard of living for the families affected by this disease by employing them.

[6] Face AIDS employees villagers in Rwanda to make these pins. They then sell them for five dollars in the United States, the money is then matched by private donors.
Additionally, in the next four years I plan on volunteering abroad for a semester or summer. Ideally, I’d like to go to Nepal, Mexico, or Ghana where I could do AIDS relief work. For example, if I volunteered with Manisha Singh Punarjeevan Niwas (MSPN), an organization based in Nepal, then I would work directly with children under ten that are infected with HIV. In working with MSPN, I would interact with the patients on a more personal level, and, through familiarizing myself with these kinds of relationships, I would develop a certain degree of detachment that’s necessary for this line of work. For example, compassion is a large part of my personality, and it has allowed me to be more understanding of people from different persuasions. However, I “know [my] limitations and strengths” [7], and this personality trait will eventually hold me back from living my own life-- especially being constantly surrounded by the realities of this disparaging disease. Simply reading stories and looking through photographs of children living in destructive environments will put me in a despondent mood for days. I can become so consumed by the pain of others that I will lose sight of the positivity and beauty in life. I know that doing AIDS relief work will be a trying experience for me, but if I begin conditioning myself early then, when the time comes, I will be more prepared to face the harsh realities of HIV. Ghana and Mexico are two other options for volunteer work. Both of these programs would introduce me to the bureaucratic side of AIDS work, a valuable opportunity since I am not sure what career I would like to pursue. As a volunteer I would lobby local governments for permission to visit schools and communities and teach AIDS awareness.

[8] The two women in this photo are volunteers for Treatment Action Campaign. TAC teaches children from underdeveloped countries about AIDS transmission. This is what I envision for myself when I volunteer abroad.
Another thing I would like to do in the next four years is study at one of the premiere Microbiology programs of the world. I believe that studying abroad offers a variety of obvious experiences, the most important being education and networking. For example, since different strands of AIDS infect various populations, studying at a university or interning at a lab in another country would allow me to work with strands that aren’t widely known in the United States.

[9] This is a photo of a scientist testing six pregnant women’s blood for HIV. I would love to work in a laboratory- whether I’d be testing blood or looking for a cure.
Moreover, there are wide variations in legislation concerning AIDS treatment and government supported relief work around the world. While abroad I will have the opportunity to explore these opinions, and, by default, reach my own conclusions.
As I mentioned before, at this point in my life I’m not sure if my future lies directly in a laboratory or with another form of AIDS relief work. If I worked in a laboratory I would most likely be an employee of a major pharmaceutical company or research institution. Currently this line of work is the most appealing to me because I plan on pursuing a Masters in Microbiology. If in four years I discover that this isn’t the path I want to take, a Bachelors Degree in Microbiology would allow me to pursue a variety of fulfilling, AIDS related careers. For example, I could be an advocate and work for The United Nation’s Children’s Fund (UNICEF). I would enjoy working for UNICEFF, because I believe their fight against AIDS is one of the most genuine and successful in the world. In this line of work a BS in Microbiology will give me a competitive advantage, because I will know the subject very well and be more capable of translating the science of AIDS to lay people. Another potential job I would like to explore is drug-counseling. As a counselor I would administer tests, teach about AIDS and prevention, provide contraceptives, and conduct one-on-one counseling. As simple as this line of work appears, I think it might be one of the most fulfilling— even though I will not be effecting change on a global scale, helping one person overcome their confusion and fear is just as gratifying as helping hundreds.

[10] In 2005 UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan delivered a speech about changing treatments for infectious diseases like HIV. The UN’s attempt to combat the AIDS epidemic is far reaching; they employee specialist from all disciplines.
When I registered for my fall semester classes, I had no idea that BIO307D would play such a large role in shaping my future. I recognize that people change and so do their plans, but I cannot imagine myself deviating from a path that allows me to fuse my passions for Microbiology and children. It’s tragic to think about the millions of children who are infected with HIV each year; they’re innocent beings, who have done nothing to deserve such a painful condition of life. If I can do anything to relieve their pain, I will.
[1] http://pro.corbis.com/search/searchFrame.aspx [1]http://www.uniteforchildren.org/knowmore/knowmore_29033.htm [1] http://www.uniteforchildren.org/knowmore/knowmore_29012.htm
[1] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5xjQtx9h-E[1] http://www.avert.org/aidsindia.htm[1] http://www.faceaids.org/whatwedo
[1] Daniel Goleman, “Primal Leadership: Realizing The Power of Emotional Intelligence,” E603A Course Anthology, (Fall 2008): X67
[1] http://pro.corbis.com/search/searchFrame.aspx [1] http://pro.corbis.com/search/searchFrame.aspx
[1] http://pro.corbis.com/search/searchFrame.aspx





