My name is Kyria Wickham. Starting in the Fall of 2021, I will be attending Florida Atlantic University’s Wilkes Honors College. At the Wilkes Honors College, I will be majoring in Biochemistry and participating in research. I chose to attend this school due to their excellent research opportunities with world renowned research facilities, such as Max Planck Research Institute and Scripps. I hope to be joining an amazing research team and project working on CRISPR gene editing technology. I intend to pursue a Ph.D. in Biochemistry/Genetics to achieve my dream career as a research scientist. As a research scientist, I intend to work to discover a cure for Type 1 Diabetes, a chronic illness affecting millions of people worldwide (including my own sister). While at the Wilkes Honors College, I also hope to become involved in political clubs such as Turning Point USA, a club dedicated to promoting the principles of freedom, free markets, and limited government. Thank you to the Mason G Smoak Foundation for their contribution towards my academic and career goals.