My story is the story of many who fled a communist country and immigrated to the United States. As I swam my way out of (then-communist) Romania in an all-engulfing darkness, the Danube seemed a never-ending, ice-cold eternity. The almost three hours of doubt of ever feeling solid ground under my feet earned my passage to the land of freedom, the United States.

CSI has transformed my life into a never-ending miracle - from a life that didn't feel worth living into a chain of endless wonders. So many people have touched my life, from my peers, to professors and classmates. I had the wonderful opportunity to spend three months in China with a National Science Foundation Project, which expanded my understanding of a different culture and provided me with priceless research experience.

I am currently pursuing a degree in biology and have just returned from Antarctica with Professor Richard Veit where we studied the prey and predator behavior in bird colonies. I hope to enroll in law school after graduation and to become an environmental lawyer.