Introduction

    My name is Lauren Leiker and I am from Lenexa, Kansas. I am a junior here at K-State majoring in Human Health Biology on the Pre-Med track. Ever since I was a kid, I have always dreamed of working in the medical field. My father's health has also played a huge role in the reason why I want to work in the medical field. My father was diagnosed with a very rare condition called Dermatomyositis about 10 years ago. This is an autoimmune condition in which his immune system mistakenly attacks his muscles and organs. This one disease has progressed and in addition, has triggered various additional autoimmune diseases, like Raynaud's disease. He currently struggles with heart and lung disease as well as kidney failure. My drive to work in the medical field primarily started when my dad's health first began to deteriorate, and I soon came to the conclusion that I wanted to become a doctor to help not only my father but also other people struggling with their health for various reasons. As of right now, I want to focus on the dermatology field and eventually reach the point where I can call myself a certified Dermatologist. My hope within this next year is to take the MCAT and begin applying to Medical Schools across the country. I hope that one day I can be living in Scottsdale, Arizona running my own dermatology office and possibly starting my own family. I am very passionate about my friends and family. I have two younger brothers that I am very close to. Although some days they might annoy me to death, I’ve loved having a front-row seat to watch them grow and mature throughout the years. I am also very passionate about playing tennis, watching movies, and always keeping a positive mindset. Watching movies is a great stress reliever for me, and it's something my dad and I have always loved doing together. Something that fascinates me about evolution and biology is how many changes there can be in the genetic code of living things over time, whether it is a big or small change. I think evolution relates to my daily life just by watching my family's generations before me. The genetics on my mother's side is very strong, so it's easy for me to see where I inherited my external features, attitude, and even metabolism. I hope through this class that I can learn more about cultural inheritance as well as getting a better understanding of what evolution truly is. 

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