How many times is achieving a goal worth trying? No matter what happens, no matter how difficult, trivial, or monumental the obstacle, how many times should one try before deciding the obstacle is too great to overcome? If you asked me that question seven years ago, I would have laughed and diverted your attention elsewhere, seeing as there is no singular, easy answer. I do believe that had I originally seen the depth to the field of biological sciences, my answer would have been succinct. My freshman year at Appalachian State University, I made C's in both general chemistry and general biology during my first semester. I ended up failing chemistry II and biology II the next semester, causing me to lose focus on what really attracted me to the sciences in the first place. I became preoccupied with irrelevant situations and events, to the point where I ended up taking general chemistry II a whopping 5 times. Life is what gave me the passion to pursue knowledge of the biological sciences again; after giving birth in 2013, I decided I was ready to take on the challenge of absorbing the vast amounts of knowledge that come with a STEM degree. It wasn't easy; I spent many "all-nighters" trying to balance school, work, and family life. My grades began to improve my last two years at Forsyth Tech, and I knew I was ready to take the leap back into the pursuit of mastering the physical sciences. Upon acceptance into Winston Salem State University, I quickly went from a student ID to a person. The student-to-faculty ratio is so amazing that the majority of the department can identify a student within their first year of attendance. The class sizes are also small enough that I have cultivated numerous friendships. This body of individuals has encouraged me to reach for my goals- no matter how many times I fail. With that, I've learned that there are keys to success in managing a successful GPA. Passion for the field of pursuit must always be present. The determination to continue to get up no matter how many times one fails is absolutely crucial. Courage to ask questions even when they seem silly goes a long way. I feel confident not only in the lecture aspects of multiple disciplines of the biological and physical sciences, but also in my ability to utilize cutting-edge software associated with the laboratory aspects of this field. In the event that you were wondering; I only had to take chemistry II once here to get an A. In fact, I fell so in love with the subject that I obtained a chemistry minor.