2013-Zachary Winthrop
Zachary Winthrop
Major: B.S. Biology
Minor: Art
300 Word Statement
I am excited by this opportunity to consider what the ideals of Lafayette College are, and how I hold them in myself. One word that comes to me is synthesis, which can be defined as: “the combination of ideas to form a theory or system.”
In four years at Lafayette, I have discovered this notion of synthesis in some of the most unexpected and inspiring places. I have jumped across or smudged lines that divide academic departments, social circles, student activities, experiences, and beliefs. This was the combination part of synthesis, and I have enjoyed the products—the theories and richness in perspectives and understandings that resulted.
In the classroom, I have learned synthetic skills, exploring the interplay, for example, between Developmental Biology and Creative Writing, between Sociology and Art History, between Drawing and Botany. As a Biology major and Art minor, my independent research project on scientific illustration has likewise demanded that I practice combining ideas to form theories. As a peer mentor, I have related lessons from the soccer field to those in the classroom. And in my social life, I continuously merge ideas from professors, classmates, teammates, lab partners, etc, as I form and shape my own perspectives and beliefs. My time at Lafayette College has, as Frank Lloyd Wright once wrote, “enabled synthesis to become the habit of my mind.”
Academic Activities and Total Years Involved
- Henrietta S. Treen Scholarship 1
To receive this scholarship a student must be: enrolled at Lafayette College, Lehigh University, Princeton University, Temple University, or University of Pennsylvania; have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale; be preparing themselves for a profession in Ministry, the practice of Law, or the practice of Medicine; demonstrate high personal character; demonstrate academic ability and achievement. - Edith A. Gorsuch Scholarship Award 2
To receive this scholarship students must: be enrolled at either Bryn Mawr College, Lafayette College, Swarthmore College, or Widener University; have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale; be preparing themselves for a profession in ministry, the practice of Law, or the practice of medicine; demonstrate high personal character; and demonstrate academic ability and achievement. - Ralph G. Treen Memorial Scholarship 1
To receive this scholarship a student must be: enrolled at Lafayette College, Lehigh University, Princeton University, Temple University, or University of Pennsylvania; have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale; be preparing themselves for a profession in Ministry, the practice of Law, or the practice of Medicine; demonstrate high personal character; demonstrate academic ability and achievement. - U. Peter C. Gummeson ’80 Scholarship; Leslie F. Gates 1897 and Helen Gates Taylor Scholarship; Mary Ell Apply Scholarship 3
Lafayette College Merit-based Scholarships. - Deans List 4
Recognized on the Dean’s list for every semester to date. - Independent Research/Research Assistant at Lafayette College 2
Research Assistant/Independent Research for 2 semesters at Lafayette College with Professor Anna Edlund. My course of study includes: research regarding biological art; research regarding the use of models and drawing in the process of learning; the construction of actual scientific three-dimensional models; a trip to London to conduct research on Biological Art and to attend a conference at the Linnaean Society; and research assistance with professor Edlund as co-author on a paper concerning her trip to Sweden on a Fulbright Scholarship researching the Biologist/Artist Gunnar Erdtman. - Lafayette College Grant for Research in London 1
In the fall of 2012, I won a grant from Lafayette College to go to England, where I conducted research in historic sites such as the Natural History Museum, The Botanical Library of the Natural History Museum, The Kew Gardens Botanical Library, and attended a lecture series at the Linnaean Society, in which Dr. Edlund presented on the subject of our co-authored paper regarding Dr. Erdtman. - Research Assistant at University of Pennsylvania 1
Research assistant to Dr. Scott Poethig in his lab at the University of Pennsylvania. While working in Dr. Poethig’s lab, I planted/cultivated Acacia and Arabidopsis seeds, transplanted Acacia species, examined, scored, and interpreted fluorescence in multiple seed species, ran extraction, digestion, ligation, PCR, gel electrophoresis, gel extraction, and sequencing experiments on plant tissue of multiple plant species. - Interim Abroad Course in Turkey 1
In January I took the interim abroad course: ‘Turkey: The Cradle of Civilization.’ During our trip, which was roughly 3 and a half weeks, we traveled to many different sites in Turkey, including: Istanbul, Prienna, Pergamon, Ephesis, Isnik, and many more. The highlight of this trip, for me, was the indisputably unique experience of living in a place that could be wholly Middle-Eastern/Asian at one moment, and a second later infallibly Western. - EMT course at Delaware County Community College
Studied for and acheived EMT lisence over summer of 2011 at DCCC, including hours in the Emergency Room and on ambulances. The course was long and thorough, with a great deal of testing, both practical and written. My testing ran into the first semester of college, following the summer course.
Campus Activities and Total Years Involved
- First Year Seminar Workshop Instructor 3
For the past three years, as a peer mentor, I have taught numerous FYS workshops regarding topics such as: time management, test taking, and organization. These workshops are great ways to help use my experience as a student-athelte to help any and all first-year students at balancing their social lives and academics. - Peer Mentor 3
The Peer mentor Program, which is sponsored by the Department of Athletics, is a mentoring program offered for first-year student-athletes, to guide and assist them in the adjustments from high school to the rigors of college life while also participating in intercollegiate athletics. ‘Peer Mentors are upper-class student athletes who have undergone an interview and selection process. These student leaders attend extensive training in working with their peers and are closely monitored and supervised by the Coordinator for Student Athlete Support Services.’ - ATTIC Peer Scribe 2
Here at Lafayette, the ATTIC (Academic Tutoring and Training Information Center) offers the opportunity for students to work as scribes for fellow students who, either due to injury or disability, cannot manage to write their notes alone. I have volunteered as a scribe for 2 years. - Runner and Volunteer In the Lafayette College SAAC 5K 3
This 5k run is an event held at Lafayette which sends all the rasied money to a foundation called Lauren’s First and Goal. Money raised and donated to this foundation goes to, along with a number of other places, the funding of cancer specific research studies at the’ Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, the UCLA Medical Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Brookhaven National Lab and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and the Duke University Brain Tumor Center through the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation of the US.’ - Volunteer in the Lafayette College Bone Marrow Drive 2
For the past few years, the Lafayette Football team hosts an event through the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP). The goal of the event is to recruit new members to the marrow registry. On the Lafayette quad, numerous volunteers spread the word to passersby to take a moment of their time and enter themselves into this registry. For 2 years, I have volunteered to walk the quad and general campus recruiting people to make their way over to the tent. - Health Professions Club 4
I have been a member of the Lafayette Health Professions Club since my freshmen year. Being a member of this club involves attending lectures pertaining to a variety of topics surrounding medicine and the medical profession. - Lafayette St. Baldrick’s Day Volunteer/Organizer 2
St. Balkdrick’s is a foundation that is dedicated to raising money for pediatric cancer and offering support to those children diagnosed with all forms of pediatric cancer. The unique entity about this foundation, beyond their outstanding amount of funds raised, is that money is raised by volunteers in the support of the shaving of their heads. Pictures are taken of the volunteers who have shaved their heads, and sent out to the children suffering as a token of their understanding. At Lafayette, I have been a part of both organizing and volunteering in this event, which culminates in the ceremonial head-shaving in the Marlo Room of the Farinon Center. - Easton Area Special Olympics Soccer Event 1
Earlier this year, my teammates and I volunteered at the Easton Area Special Olympics event, which was actually organized by a member of the Lafayette Grounds Crew.
Community Service and Total Years Involved
- Volunteer/Event Organizer at the Arnold Nippon Center for Disabled Adults. 5
While my mother has taken me to help out at the Nippon Center for the majority of my life, I started working there on my own as the service portion of my Bar Mitzvah (at age 13). Since then, I have been volunteering at the Nipon center, where my uncle is a member, for 8 years. My work there includes running and organizing annual Art and Music lessons, both of which end with a concert put on by my grandfather and my uncle. - Volunteer River Safety and EMT for United Nations International School (UNIS) Annual Canoeing Trip 3
This is a trip run by UNIS for each of their first-year high school students. It is a 4-day long camping trip down the Delaware River. The students canoe down the river to each campsite. As an EMT and river safety volunteer on these annual trips, I had the combined experience of getting to meet children from all over the world while also experiencing the nerve-wracking exhilaration of being responsible for their safety on the River. - Volunteer Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) 2
Since attaining my EMT license, I have volunteered in numerous ways as an EMT. I have worked on camping trips as described above, as a babysitter, and in my local fire department in center city Philadelphia. I plan to work as an EMT in my post-graduate year, while waiting to hear back from medical schools. - Special Olympics Volunteer, Soccer Division 5
Along with the Lafayette Soccer Team’s help with the Easton area Special Olympics, I have volunteered at the Philadelphia Special Olympics event for over 5 years, initially getting involved through my club soccer Coach who was, at the time, the coordinator of the event.
Athletics and Total Years Involved
- Divison I Varsity Men’s Soccer 4
Four year member of the men’s varsity soccer team, which won the Patriot League Championship this year! - Oak’s Leadership Academy 3
Selected member of the Student-Athlete Leadership Academy as an Emerging Leader (2011), Selected as a Veteran Leader (2012), and graduated as 360 Leader (2013). Interactive conferences occurred two times a semester, with the focus varying depending on the level of the leadership academy and time of year. - Naval Leadership Conference 1
Selected as 1 of 3 Lafayette Student-Atheltes to attend the 2012 Naval Academy Leadership Conference: Visionary Leadership, Navigating Through Uncharted Waters. Conference held at Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. Goals of the conference: “To bring together the best minds in the practice and study of leadership…both military and civilian.’ - Peer Mentor 3
The Peer mentor Program, which is sponsored by the Department of Athletics, is a mentoring program offered for first-year student-athletes, to guide and assist them in the adjustments from high school to the rigors of college life while also participating in intercollegiate athletics. ‘Peer Mentors are upper-class student athletes who have undergone an interview and selection process. These student leaders attend extensive training in working with their peers and are closely monitored and supervised by the Coordinator for Student Athlete Support Services.’ - Athletic Department Gold Honor Roll 3
Awarded to athletes who, in their NCAA recognized season, receive a varsity letter and have earned a GPA of at least a 3.8. - Athletic Department Silver Honor Rol 1
Awarded to athletes who, in their NCAA recognized season, receive a varsity letter and have earned a GPA of at least a 3.5. - Patriot League Honor Roll 4
Awarded to varsity athletes in the Patriot League who have a GPA of at least 3.2 during their NCAA recognized season.
Special Interest and Total Years Involved
- Perspective Drawing Course at Moore College of Art 2
For two years, I took perspective drawing courses at Moore College of Art in Philadelphia. Both courses concerned themselves with drawing both architectural forms and still lives in the correct perspectives and proportions. - Studio Incamminati: School for Contemporary Realist Art 3
Nelson Shanks, who is a world-renowned portrait painter, ‘art historian, art teacher, connoisseur and collector,’ created and teaches at Studio Incamminati. The studio stands from Shank’s lifelong ‘experience and devotion to fine arts.’ For 3 years I have taken painting classes with Mr. Shanks at this school. The focus of his studio is to portray the subject with life-like reality. While taking this course, I was exposed to varying types of medical illustration, which is now one of my most passionate interests. - Piano 5
I have played the piano for over 12 years. I received classical lessons for about 8 years before switching over to jazz/blues lessons. Upon entering college I stopped taking lessons, but I continue to play to date. - Three Dimensional Biological Sculptures
I have been constructing large scale pollen sculptures, in accordance with my research, in the hope that Dr. Edlund can make use of them in her teaching/research. I have a strong interest in scientific illustration and modeling.