Paula Thomas

Personal Statement

I knew that I had to work hard to be successful at a very young age. My

father is disabled and my mother is his care taker. As a result, they both are not
working, leaving my family to depend on my fathers disability income. My familys
financial hardship motivated me to excel in school. As a result of my ambition and
perseverance, my academic success granted me the opportunity to be the
salutatorian of McKinley Technology High school class of 2012 and receive
scholarships to attend college. I began attending the University of Delaware in the
Fall of 2012, and because I did well academically in my freshmen year, I was
inducted into the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. I came to college with the
hope of one day graduating, going to medical school, and becoming a doctor.
In my freshman year I declared biology as my major, but I was not content. I
wanted a subject where I could use biology and apply it to a specific objective, while
maintaining the dream of becoming a doctor. I took a class called Food for
Thought and became infatuated the material. My interest compelled me to
research the different food science course descriptions. The area of food science
met the criteria of what I desired in a major; I could use my passion for biology and
apply it in the field of food. Specifically in the field of food science, I became very
intrigued by the different bacterial and viral food outbreaks, food safety, and public
health systems. Numerous food outbreaks occur every year from organisms ranging
from Listeria monocytogenes to Salmonella. Food safety is a serious issue and in
most cases if peoples illnesses are not treated correctly or handled within a specific
time, death can occur. Also, many foodborne illnesses go unnoticed and are
misdiagnosed for acute illness such as a common cold or the flu. This interest has
motivated me to gear future research towards studies of viral and bacterial
outbreaks in foods, how the public health systems react to them, and how they can
be improved.
To gain some experience, I shared my interest with Dr. Kalmia Kniel , a
Professor of Microbial Food Safety in the Department of Animal and Food Sciences at
the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources in the University of Delaware, and
asked to be a part of her research team. I shadowed her Ph.D. candidate Sarah
Markland during the process of her project. We tested the indirect and direct
responses of romaine lettuce and spinach to Listeria and Salmonella innocua on the
leaves and FB17 on the roots. Through this research project, I gained hands on
experience in my field of interest. As a McNair Scholar, I also took on a research
project where I examined a biocontrol agent UD1022 to determine whether or not it
could inhibit the growth of Listeria monocytogenes on cantaloupes. Overall, results
were significantly different between the incubation temperatures (p<0.001). At
37C and 22C UD1022 supernatant significantly inhibited the growth of L.
monocytogenes after 8 h incubation compared to controls (p<0.05). UD1022
supernatant also significantly inhibited the growth of L.monocytogenes after 24 h of
incubation at 22C (p<0.05) but not at 37C suggesting that Listeria can overcome

Paula Thomas
Personal Statement
the inhibitory effects of UD1022 under certain conditions. This experience granted
me the opportunity to explore a new preventative method of food safety that I
would not have otherwise learned in class. My excitement for these projects stems
from the fact that it can possibly be implemented as a control in the near future of
food safety.
College has taught me a valuable lesson of flexibility. I came to the University
of Delaware with medical school as my number one priority. However, I expanded
my horizon and did not limit myself, which ultimately helped me to find my true
passion. Growing up with a disabled father and seeing him suffer with numerous
illnesses, I have always aspired to help people. I initially thought that my
contribution could only be through a medical route, but I have found another
aspiration through a field that will motivate me to contribute in positively changing
the world in my own way. I want to prevent illnesses such as norovirus or E. coli
0157:H7 outbreaks from occurring and ensure that these organisms are inhibited
when dealing with food handling. In the future, I plan to attend George Washington
University and obtain a Masters degree in Public Health Microbiology and Emerging
Infectious Diseases. This program will allow me to become an expert on these
illnesses and the manner in which I should prevent them from occurring. Since the
program is research oriented, I will be able to contribute my research experiences
and knowledge of preventive measures such as biocontrol agents to the field of food
safety. I will be able to apply critical thinking skills and theory into hands on
practice, thus making a real impact on public health and safety. Graduate school will
ultimately equip me with tools and knowledge that will assist me in careers at the
FDA, USDA, CDC, or a thriving food company. As I strive to achieve my academic
and professional goals, I also have a personal goal to leave a legacy of being the
eldest sibling and the first of my immediate family to attend college. My dreams and
aspirations will help encourage my siblings and others to excel despite lifes
obstacles such as financial hurdles, and to refrain from limiting their capabilities due
to a lack of confidence.