What if Money was No Object?

If money was no object, I would become a researcher. Doing research is one of the things that interests me the most. I currently take part in Dr Kestler's microbiology research. I have a very enjoyable time, and it is one of my favorite things to do.

In research, I would continue my work on the CXCR4 gene mutation. In the human body, there are two receptors that the HIV virus binds to. They are CCR5 and CXCR4. Currently, my research is looking for people who are CXCR4 positive. If a person are CXCR4 positive or CCR5 positive, it is harder to contract the HIV virus. If they are positive for both mutations, it is nearly impossible to get the virus.

My research could potentially influence the society in many ways. The one that I believe would be the most contributing is the possibility of a vaccine. Although it seems impossible, there may be a way to prevent HIV through vaccine. We do not know if this will be possible though. More research needs to be conducted. This is what I want to do. Who knows what might happen. I may save millions of lives.

Favorite Hobby

     One of my favorite hobbies to do is visiting amusement parks. I have visited four different parks, and rode 43 different roller coasters. The four parks that I have visited are Cedar Point, Kings Island, Six Flags Great America, and the now defunct Geauga Lake.

     Roller coaster riding is my all time favorite way to spend my time. I do most of my riding at Cedar Point. I make somewhere around 10-15 trips a year to Cedar Point, and visit other parks 1-2 times a year. Of all the parks I have visited, Cedar Point is still my favorite.
   
     After visiting as many parks as I have, people begin to add on to their UCC's (Unique Coaster Credits). A person gains one UCC per roller coaster they have rode. A roller coaster may only grant you one UCC though. I have earned a total of 43 UCC's in my coaster history.

     Of the 43 different roller coaster I have rode, I definitely have some favorites. Some of those include Millennium Force, Top Thrill Dragster, Raptor, Diamondback, Raging Bull, X-Flight, and American Eagle. Even though I have many favorites, my top one is Millennium Force. I like it so much that I have rode it over 150 times!

     One of the best things for coaster enthusiasts is going to a coaster event. I have attended somewhere around 10 different coaster events, with one being this past weekend. At coaster events, enthusiasts get to enjoy behind the scenes tours, Question and Answer sessions, buffets (Cedar Point's fried chicken is the best), and ERT (Extended Ride Time). During ERT, rides will be open before or after a park is closed to the general public. This past weekend, we had 2 ERT sessions. The first one took place on Friday night from midnight to 1am. The ride that was open was Millennium Force. I personally was able to get 11 rides in the hour ERT. The second ERT session took place on Saturday night from midnight to 1am. The ride that was open was GateKeeper. During that session, I was able to get 5 rides, bringing my total up to 14 rides on this new roller coaster.

     Coaster riding is my favorite hobby. I hope other people enjoy it as much as I do.   

One Change

     One thing that I would change that happened previously in my life is my old behavior. When I was younger, I was a greedy, mean, and selfish person. This reflected negatively on myself and my family. Some people who knew me back then do not talk to me because they think I am still the same person that I was before.

     This had a major effect on a lot of people. I was the biggest impacted though. I lost many friends, and pushed away even more, and even some relatives. This was all because of my actions. But I was not the only person effected. I effected my family by putting them through tough situations with me. I effected friends by making them put up with me, and then having them leave. This was probably the biggest mistake I made.

     If I could go back, I would change myself. Maybe people could see me for who I am, not what I was. Maybe I could still have some old friends. Maybe... Maybe.

My Inspiration

     One of the people that inspired me to become the person I am today is my good friend Matt Bernotas. If it was not for Matt, I would most likely would not have stayed in scouting. Scouting has taught me so much good, and Matt was the one who helped me get where I am.

     The first time I meet Matt, I was all alone at an event with a lot of people. Everyone persuaded me to go to this event, yet no one wanted to talk to me while I was there. When I went in to register for the event, Matt was sitting at the registration table. He welcomed me, and invited me to stay with him until I felt comfortable.

     That event was the turning point for me. From that point on, I knew that I wanted to stay active and participate in so many fun things. I even made new friends along the way! All of this, I owe to Matt.

     Now, I am an officer in this program. I am 5th in charge of an organization of over 600 members. I try to act just like Matt when at the programs. I also try to inspire people to remain active. Who knows what might happen if I change somebody's life like he changed mine?

My Summer

     One interesting thing that I did this summer was I conducted my Eagle Scout project. The project was fun even though I had a hard time performing it. I learned many things from the project while I performed it.

     And Eagle Scout is a person that has devoted their life to scouting. It is the highest rank possible, and is the hardest rank to earn in scouting. Some of the tasks required to become an Eagle Scout are earning 21 merit badges, performing 12 months of leadership roles, conducting an Eagle Scout project, and being a long-term devoted member. I am proud to say that in a few days, I can call myself an Eagle Scout.

     The point of an Eagle Scout project is to teach a Boy Scout the points of leadership, management, fundraising, multi-tasking, responsibility, and many other important aspects. The Eagle Scout project is only conducted once in a scout's life, and the project teaches them some very important lessons. The project must be executed between when a scout earns the Life Rank, and his 18th birthday. An Eagle Scout project can be anything, although it must be helpful to the community in some way.

      My Eagle Scout project took place at Northwood Middle School, and contained many aspects that were performed and completed. Some of those aspects included repainting the walls, fixing broken instrument lockers, cleaning chalk and white boards, and a few other minor parts. I had 17 different helpers within the 12 days the project took place. In total, there were around 592 hours of service, with 129 of those hours conducted by me.

My Name

     Jared has a true meaning to me. It is my name, and is like a motto that I live by. The American meaning of Jared is a ruling and commanding person. In my life, I like to be in charge. I like when I have total control over something. To me, the meaning of Jared is my way of life.

     Michael is the way I act. The American meaning of Michael is a humble being. As I am very humble and respect others, I feel that this is true, When I go about my way, I remember to always act humble, and to see the beauty in the little things.

     Repas is a name of family. As the name translates to 'meal' in French, it describes my family's past. In France, my family was a group of chefs. This to me is a very important piece of my history. History talks about who I am, and hints on where I am going.

     In the paragraphs above, I showed many things. I showed that I am a ruling and commanding person, Jared. But, I still have many aspects of being humble, Michael. Also, I have a rich history which dates back many years, Repas.

Positive Risks

     One of the most important rules for me in life is that people need to take positive risks. If people do not take risks, they will not get very far in life. One of my favorite quotes is, "you miss 100% of the shots you don't take". I feel this is true for many reasons. One of the reasons is the current job field. When going to school for a job, individuals need to risk years of training to earn a degree. If they do not earn a degree in college, their job field is very slim. By taking the risk of attending college, a person increases their odds of getting a better paying and more interesting job. Another example of taking possitive risks includes making freinds. When talking to people, if a person does not take risks, they will not get anywhere in a freindship. But, if that person takes a possitive risk, they could meet their new best freind, or possibly their future spouse. A person never will know what might happen if they do not take possitive risks.