Luma Barreto

Biology

As a Brazilian studying in an American School, I have been exposed to numerous academic opportunities including learning from international teachers, developing diverse leadership skills, and studying college-level courses. More importantly, however, was being able to learn different cultures and beliefs, grow as a leader within the academic and athletic departments, and share experiences I believed would help my community develop. I have always been someone who enjoys studying, which has continuously made the task of choosing a favorite class difficult; nevertheless, the realm of the Sciences has always had a stronger appeal to me. That is, working on labs, performing research and writing scientific-based articles, and even a task as simple as reviewing case studies has been a passion of mine. For this reason, I decided to explore the topic of emotional intelligence and academic development in my AP Research class. As to other pillars in my life, I have always been involved with sports–from soccer to ballet, and volleyball to hip-hop and was honored with the position of soccer captain, and volleyball co-captain throughout the last years of high school. Not only that, but I typically enjoy my free time with adventures, such as scuba diving, hiking, traveling and exploring, as well as one of my favorite hobbies, photographing landscapes and wildlife. Moreover, amidst my hobbies, extracurriculars, and academic life, and learning about myself in high school, I quickly realized that I wanted to be a doctor one day. Because I have always loved working with children in social projects, community service, and at church, I knew I would want to be in area of medicine where I could help the younger ones. Not only that, but after my dad experienced a heart problem for which he received long-term treatment, I became deeply curious about the heart and its functioning at a young age. Finally, at the Stanford Cardiothoracic Surgical Skills Summer Internship, I had the privilege of watching a congenital heart surgeon meticulously operate on a two-day old baby–and that is when I knew what I would one day be.