Ruth Mwaura

Personal Statement Sometimes the fulfilment drawn from helping people does not wither away after making a difference in their lives. It sparks interest in a profession and transitions into a life-time career. This sentiment reflects my passion for research in the field of psychology, precisely in cognitive and neural sciences. My deep interest in research began after undertaking the Rehabilitation of Movement Control course and after participating in the Translational Neuroscience Laboratory as a directed studies student. These two landmark opportunities nourished my understanding that research impacts people’s lives significantly. Since gaining this insight, I have always endeavored to become a stellar researcher. This determination is largely nourished by my academic engagement. In my current psychology studies, I have learned about fascinating psychology elements related to my research interests, which are neurodegenerative disorders, neural prosthesis, and circadian rhythm and sleep. I am confident that studying BSc in Behavioral Neuroscience has given me a strong foundation to pursue and succeed in this Master’s Degree. In my lifetime, I have experienced a myriad of challenges on a personal level but this has not deterred me from continuing to achieve my academic goals. In this regard, I am fully prepared to fulfill the demands that this psychology program presents. In a bid to enrich my knowledge in research and to expand the required field-related skill set, I have continually built my research experience. For instance, throughout this year of 2021, I have volunteered as a research assistant in a few projects in the Department of Psychology in Translational Neuroscience Lab, the Department of Gerontology, and the Department of Biomedical Physiology, Injury Prevention and Mobility Laboratory. In these contexts, I have developed a strong skill set in data collection and data analysis. Therefore, these opportunities have been instrumental in building my research expertise right from the amateur level to the basic level. Moreover, from my experiences, I have accentuated my distinctive personal skills such as inquisitiveness, open-mindedness, and compassion. Pursuing a Master’s degree will have a life-changing impact on my education and career trajectory. My ultimate goal is to help change people lives or even the lives of animals through research. I hope to make this dream happen by contributing to the advancement of science in psychology and I strongly believe that my education background will play a central role. My future accomplishments of pursuing a PhD and establishing a research lab will be made achievable through this Master’s degree.