COSMOS Student Profiles
COSMOS is a month-long residential program for California high school students who demonstrate high achievement in science and mathematics and are motivated to explore complex topics in depth. Participants attend classes and live in the residence halls at one of four UC campuses--Davis, Irvine, San Diego or Santa Cruz-- and have the opportunity to engage in social activities during the evening and field trips on weekends. Special events are designed to enhance students' personal, social and academic growth. Each COSMOS site offers different theme-based course clusters that reflect the unique resources and specialties of the campus.
MICHELLE RODRIGUEZ
Norwalk High School,
Norwalk, Los Angeles County
12th grade
UC San Diego COSMOS 2005
Participated in Cluster on Kinetic Sculpture & Clocks: The Art & Design of Mechanical Engineering and Design
I first heard about COSMOS from my Millennium Project (a math and science program) teacher who encouraged several people to apply and I was one of those people. I got accepted into UC Irvine's COSMOS program and was excited. My experience there was life changing. Not only did I learn of the important social skills in a new environment but I also learned the necessary concentration and time management involved with being in college. Since we had to complete a whole science/research project in less than 2 weeks, we felt the inevitability to work as a team and not let the clock beat us. What I liked best about COSMOS was the fact that it not only gave you a preview of the academic part of college but the social part as well. It taught me how to be more open to others' opinions and realize there are others that are interested in science and math as much as I am and that they too want to pursue a career in mathematics and/or science. With COSMOS opening so many opportunities to seek higher education, I have made more plans for my future education and career. I now want to major in chemistry at either UC San Diego or UC Irvine. I want to become a doctor and specialize in respiratory diseases and hopefully do some good in this world.
With COSMOS at UC Irvine having such a great impact on my life I decided to apply once more at the newer COSMOS site of UC San Diego. The reason I applied there is because it was known for its wide variety of research and resources. Yet again this program astonished me with everything it had to offer. The different engineering fields that I learned about at this campus made me think of other options in the math and science field. Now as I enter Norwalk High School as a senior and am ready to apply to different colleges, I will always keep in mind what COSMOS has taught me about the different under rated fields of science and math. Since I got into both COSMOS summers on full financial aid, it has given me hope that despite my economic struggles I will be able to continue towards higher education.
Michelle