My name is Kate Lesky; I am 18 and a senior at Xavier College Preparatory. I live with my parents and younger brother and sister. I am a very dedicated person; I spend about three hours each day on a city bus in order to get to school early and stay late for all of my activities. This dedication also shows in the amount of time I give every day to my schoolwork. I am also very reliable; I manage to balance a heavy course load and many school activities with having a social life, helping my family, and being involved in my parish. Despite the fact that I am largely in charge of my own transportation to and from school, I am always on time. I am also a great leader; being the oldest in the family this comes naturally. I am an officer in one club and president of another, and can frequently found leading study groups. I moderate two mailing lists on the Internet for my classmates so we can help each other with assignments and studying.

I am enrolled in the most challenging courses possible, including a total of seven Advanced Placement classes so far, numerous honors classes, and the Great Books program. I am very involved in school activities; I am a member of the National Honor Society, the Accelerated Science Program (independent study science fair project), and the environmental club; I am an officer in the Theology Club and the President of the Science Club, and I sing in three choirs. I receive dual enrollment credit for many of my classes through Rio Salado Community College. Two of my most recent awards are a gold medal for a perfect score on the National Latin Exam, and I am a winner of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Medal Scholarship. I am very proud of my scholarly accomplishments.

One of my greatest areas of interest is medicine, specifically genetics. I am intrigued by the possibilities of the human genetic code and dream of working on the Human Genome Project. I plan to become a research doctor rather than a practicing physician to pursue this dream. I am very interested in the technical and laboratory research aspect of these studies as well as the humanitarian applications. I am also interested in literature; I love to read and sometimes write my own short stories and poetry. Although I do not see this interest becoming a career, it is an area I am interested in exploring in college. Whatever my career or major, I would like to get an undergraduate degree and then go on to receive a doctorate. My plans and goals are already helping me focus my courses of study in high school to better achieve what I want to do later.

I believe that I am a well-qualified choice for National Merit Scholarship Finalist. I am a dedicated, reliable leader with a great deal of challenging academic work and many scholarly accomplishments. I look forward to using my education for humanity's benefit.