Horticulture Personal Statement

Daylilies that brighten your day; hydrangeas that inform you of fall’s arrival; rosemaries that fill the air with the most wonderful aroma. These stunning flowers filled the garden I created during the summer of seventh grade, and my life became full of purpose and value. Not only was I propelled into the beautiful world of plants, but gardening helped me to overcome the adversities I was facing in regards to my mental health and self-image. I am sharing my experiences with horticulture with the Admissions Committee at Geisel School of Medicine because this hobby has taught me important aspects about myself and my relationships with those around me, helped me to understand what it means to have passion and love what you do, and provided me with a new perspective of medicine. I believe this contributes to making me a

This lack of interpersonal communication contributed to my low self-esteem and poor mental health. As I cultivated my plants that summer, my classmates, extended family, and neighbors would often drop by to view and learn more about the wide variety of beautiful plants sprouting and blooming in my backyard. It was difficult at first to overcome my fear of public speaking, but my desire to share my interest and knowledge of these plants with others gave me the confidence and motivation to do so. For the first time, I was excited to be in the presence of and interacting with people interested in my work. I eventually noticed that tending to and caring for plants was similar to nurturing and maintaining human relationships. For both to flourish, patience, time, commitment, and a connection is needed. Through these experiences, I realised my potential to build quality relationships with others and from then on, my mental wellbeing drastically improved. As they say, I had turned over a new