ISM was overwhelming. It had its ups, its downs, but I mean that with so much gratitude in my heart. ISM was hard, but it was one of the best experiences in my high school career. I started out feeling a little out of place. The people who got in were known for being out of this world smart, and I felt like I might’ve gotten lucky to make it in. I knew I had potential, but I was not too confident in my abilities. That is why my mission statement was “Through the Independent Study and Mentorship (ISM) program, my mission is to put myself out of my comfort zone and showcase what I am truly capable of. I used to constantly avoid the spotlight, but now I want to take charge of who I am. I believe ISM will lead me to my confidence. Additionally, I want to explore and understand more about my area of interest, neuroscience, with the help of a mentor. I plan to turn out an amazing final project and come out wiser and more prepared for the future.” 

     This program was definitely the place to go to build confidence and presentation skills. The first major assignment was to interview some professionals and potentially ask them to be your mentor. This meant asking a professional, who is busy with an actual life and job, to spare their extra time, which they probably do not have a lot of, to you and your school project. If you havent noticed by the way I phrased it, but I was completely mortified to ask for such a huge favor from someone I didn't even know. However, this mindset changed quickly after I locked in my first interview. That interview helped me realize that  people are not as scary or ready to rip you apart as I previously speculated...wow what a revelation. I noticed I had a habit of blowing everything out of proportion before actually making actions. Finally catching this destructive habit was the first step for me to gain more confidence throughout this year. 

Once I found my mentor, Dr.Brian Hitt, I felt like I was on top of the world! Dr.Hitt was so incredibly amazing. He was always so positive and encouraging, and made me feel like I was doing the right thing. Something I admire about Dr.Hitt is his ability to make and extend anything into a learning point. I do not remember a time when he said something, and I did not learn something new. Even during showcase, there was a project next to me relating to a machine that helps people with Parkinson's, and he immediately began talking to me about other machines that are in use to aid people with Parkinson’s disease. His eagerness to teach is not only a portfolio of his knowledge, but it shows how passionate he is about neurology, and inspires me to be the same in the future. I am so glad I had the mentor I got. If I did ISM2, I would’ve definitely asked Dr.Hitt to be my mentor again. 

     The work that I put out for my original work and final product is something I could not be more proud of. For my original work, I developed my own screening test. For my final product, I tested the screening test, and created a pamphlet that walked through the holistic approaches to fighting against Alzheimer’s disease. The latter part of the Final product is something my mentor will be using for patients with questions about taking actions outside the doctor’s office. I hope this will be a useful tool for the Alzheimer's community. Although I am not providing any cures, I hope that this can somewhat ease the whole experience. 

ISM has been so rewarding to be a part of. I cannot believe an entire year has flown by already. I also cannot believe how much work was accomplished within one year only. I was able to work on what I liked, and be confident in what I wanted. I am so thankful for this experience. The skills I learned this year will help build my character for years to come.