Brag Sheet Questions

Allana Thalia Tagaban

04/26/97
9026 W. State Ave. Glendale, AZ 85305
Home Phone, Your or parents cell phone
allanathalia@gmail.com
Not a first generation, not on free/reduced lunch. I am a non-immigrant with an H-4 visa; not a
US citizen. I am an Asian: Filipino.
Internships: Epilepsy Foundation, Maricopa Integrated Health System, Arizona Science Center
and Medical Student Mentorship Program at U of A College of Medicine.
1. Potential areas of study in college: Discuss what you may wish to study in college. What are
your career dreams? What are your areas of interest? Its fine if these are just general. How
certain are you or are you really undecided.
Ive always wanted to work in the medical field for as long as I can remember and that will most
likely remain unchanged. I want to major in surgery and neurology if possible because my career
goal is to be a general surgeon or a neuroscientist.
2. List all schools currently on your college list, starting with your first choice school. Explain
what attracts you to each school. Why/how is it a good fit for you? It is not acceptable to reply:
because its a good school. Be specific. Identify them as reach, target, or likely schools.
UA- (TARGET) University of Arizona is my top choice for in-state universities. Its considered a
university with a great medical program, and its only two hours away from Phoenix. The tuition
fee is affordable. However since Im not a citizen, I might pay out-of-state. Still fine, though.
Oberlin- It has the same feel as Bioscience and since they have a major music program there, I
would be able to continue my violin lessons!
CWRU- has the majors Im interested in taking and it has a great medical program.
3. Which two teachers are writing your letters of recommendation? Which class did you
have with them and what year did you take their class(es)?
Im planning on asking Ms. Smith and Ms. Farney to write my letters of recommendation. I had
Ms. Smith all throughout my Junior year as my Biomed Teacher and I had Ms. Farney as my
Humanities teacher last year and for this year as well.
4. Describe your family.
a. Describe your family members. Explain who lives in your house. Give ages, names of siblings.
List where siblings attended or currently attend school.

Alex Allan Tagaban (father) 49 yo; my father is a math teacher at Maywood High School,
LAUSD. Here in United States under a working visa (non-immigrant) since 2006(?). Born in the
Philippines.
Marife Tagaban (mother) 44 yo; my mother is a math teacher at Carl Hayden High School,
PUHSD. Here in United States under a working visa (non0immigrant) since 2005(?). Born in the
Philippines.
Alexa Queenie Tagaban (sister) 18 yo; Dependent to my mother under the working visa since
2007. Born in the Philippines. Wants to be a pediatric nurse? I feel like I should definitely know
but Im quite unsure.
b. Discuss your father: profession (s), where attended college, degrees earned. (Level of
education.)
Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering Divine Word University, Tacloban City, Philippines
85
Masters of Business Administration University of Eastern Philippines, Catarman N. Samar, PH
00
Master of Engineering, majoring in Water Resources UEP 03
Masters of Public Administration (completed academic requirements) UEP /02
Bachelor of Education, majoring in Secondary Education (math) units
Post Baccalaureate courses in Effective Instructional Practices University of Baguio, Baguio,
PH
Certificate of Education (instructional practices) California State University, LA, Los Angeles,
CA
Certificate of Education (BCLAD) University of San Diego, San Diego, CA
Certificate of Education (educational technology) UCLA, Los Angeles, CA
c. Discuss your mother: profession(s), where attended college, degrees earned. (Level of
education.)
Post Baccalaureate Courses in Effective Instructional Practices University of Baguio, Baguio,
PH 05
Doctor of Philosophy (Educational Management) candidate UEP 02
Masters of Arts in Education (administration and supervision) UEP 98
Bachelor of Secondary Education, majoring in Mathematics UEP 91 (cumlaude)
Both are High School Math teachers. My mom teaches honors Geometry at Carl Hayden and my
dad teaches Algebra 3 and 4 at Maywood Academy.
d. How are you like and different from each of your parents? How have each of your parents
influenced you? What qualities of theirs do you admire?

Mom Apparently I look exactly like my mom did as a child. She has an old photo that people
always assume is a photo of me instead. Im similar in regards to how I handle stressful
situations. She panics really easily and so do I, although I am better at hiding it than her. We both
arent too fond of changes and dont really look for ways to challenge ourselves unless we are in
a situation that forces us to do so. I am very efficient; I like to finish chores and tasks as quickly
as possible and thats definitely a trait that I got from her.
She is as loud as I am quiet. She is outgoing and Im usually referred to as a hermit by my
beloved sister. She wants things done her way while I usually go with the flow unless its
something that I really, really, really disagree with or am uncomfortable with.
Dad We are both nearsighted. We both like to read and watch movies, as well as sing and play
the guitar. He actually taught me guitar in the first place; if he hadnt done so, I probably
wouldnt be as interested to music as I am now. My handwriting is similar to my dads, small and
neat and like him, I also pay great attention to details. We also prefer doing our best in every task
were given. Hes also very helpful and thats something that Ive always respected about him.
Im different in regards to being a peoples person. He knows how to entertain guests and make
friends quick. In a stressful situation, he is able to keep his cool and quickly think of alternatives
to make things work.
e. Has your family situation changed since you started high school? If so, explain.
We lived in an apartment for three years until we decided to buy a house in Glendale the summer
before junior year. Both my parents are now working on their residency. Their green cards are
currently in the process, which could be completed 2-3 months from now. My sister also moved
out of the house to her dorm at U of A.
f. Describe your ethnic/cultural background and any languages that you speak at home. If you
feel that your cultural identity has enriched your life, tell me about it.
I am Asian, and was born and raised in the Philippines. My sister and I moved to United States
when we were 10 and 11 years old to be with our parents whom were working overseas. Filipino
was the language most frequently spoken at home before moving to United States. Now our
conversations are a mix of English and Filipino. When I lived in the Philippines, I was also
exposed to Waray, the local dialect in my area.
My culture has enriched my experience in living here in United States. Because I was
raised in a third world country, I see the positive in this countrys government and society instead
of focusing on the negative. Experiencing two cultures have given me multiple perspectives and
let me change myself by admitting my bigotry and ignorance, and changing for the better.

5. Describe yourself.
a. What three adjectives would a teacher use to describe you? (Ask!)

Saccharine, Generous, Intellegent

b. What three adjectives would your parents use to describe you? (Ask!)
Helpful, intuitive, versatile
c. Give me a specific example/story of how you exemplify one (or more) of these qualities.
I exemplify helpfulness by constantly providing assistance to my fellow classmates. Thankfully,
I usually have a good understanding of the concepts and processes we discuss in our
class/workshops, which enables me to help those who dont have that well of an understanding. I
usually stay afterschool to tutor my peers with the exception of Tuesdays cause of my internship
at Epilepsy Foundation.
I just really love helping people! It definitely fuels my passion into one day becoming a doctor;
someone capable of providing medical help and assistance.
6. Why did you choose Bio what attracted you to this school? Tell me how this choice has
changed you as a learner, and tell me how you are different as a person. How did Bio influence
or foster these changes?
My sister, during her freshman year, insisted that Bioscience would be a good school for me to
attend. I didnt initially want to go to Bio but after she told me more and more about their
projects, workshops, fieldtrips, and class discussions and how they always integrated it to
sustainability, the surrounding community or major problems that were present in areas all
around the world, the more I adored Bioscience and all that it stood for. And before I knew it, I
was in the process of enrolling to this particular school
I am so happy to have made that decision because Bioscience shaped me into a better student and
individual. After three years of non-stop group projects, I have become a team player and learned
how to efficiently collaborate with various types of individuals. I have become more vocal
through years of presentations, active class discussions and stakeholder communications. I have
become an analytical thinker after hours of researching and brainstorming. I have become in
charge of my own learning and growth through the freedom that this school have given me. And
throughout my years here at Bioscience, I have become knowledgeable of the world around me
through weekly discussions about sustainability and interconnectedness of complex systems.
The teachers and the staff members that I have had the honor of meeting at this school are the
most dedicated, passionate and loving group I have ever met. They constantly work their best in
providing assistance and support for the students. The classmates that I have been with for a little
more than three years are the most genuine and never have it been so easy for me to be sincere. I
have met many friends that I greatly cherish for they have made me comfortable about being me.

7. Which school subjects do you like best? What are your best qualities and strengths as a
learner? Tell me about an academic interest or passion. What have you done in class and
outside of class to pursue this interest?
Ive always liked Mathematics because of how straightforward everything is. There are right and
wrong answers and there are rarely any vagueness with this particular subject. Ive also taken a
liking to Humanities, which I thought was surprising. Ive always hated history because I always
thought that it was useless to do so .. the past is in the past, no need to dwell on it. But after
coming to Bioscience, I learned that in order to progress as a society we need to study and
understand our past in order to prevent repeating similar mistakes and to further solidify the
foundation that were currently building our society upon. And last, Ive grown to appreciate
Science because it provides explanation and truth behind reoccurring events.
Ive become passionate about Biomed after having taken that class last year, and even though I
always wanted to definitely be in the medical field in the future, I never actually specified what
career I want to look into. So in order to get further clarification on that matter, I decided to go to
a Heath Career Institute at Midwestern University, where, for 8 solid days, they showcased what
different careers specialize and deal with on a daily basis.
8. Write about one BioScience class that has changed your thinking and/or impacted you in a
significant way. Explain.
The class that impacted me the most is Humanities. I loved learning about history and ancient
civilizations, and connecting it to our present and future. The projects were also really fun,
giving me the challenge and freedom to be as creative as I wanted.
9. Describe your school-based extracurricular activities.
a. Tell me about your athletic, artistic, student government, club or other extracurricular
involvements. How have you contributed to our community?
National Arts Honor Society: provided arts related volunteer opportunities, encouraged creativity
and individual thinking, focused in the beautification of the school campus through murals
National Honor Society: volunteer opportunities for those interested and participated/
volunteered in school and community events.
iGEM: genetic engineering and modification, I helped push our project (to create ethanol out of
E-Coli Bacteria) into completion, this year Im planning on serving as a mentor for new
incomers.
UNICEF: raised donation for Immunization
I also wanted to join STUGO in order to integrate all different club principles and various ideas,
but since STUGO meets four times a week, it wouldnt fit my schedule at all especially now that
I have to tend to my Internships.
b. Do you intend to continue with a sport or activity in college? If so, at what level?
I dont know what Im going to do in college as far as extracurricular activities would go. But
definitely not sports.

c. What have you learned about yourself as a result of your activities?

Through the activities that I have participated in, I learned that I am able to work in a
collaborative-environment. Ive always worked by myself so it feels good to be able to share the
burden with other people and it feels much more enjoyable to work with others. Ive also taken a
lot of leadership roles for this year and last and thats something that I wouldnt have been able
to do before Ive been exposed to the Bioscience Environment. Ive also learned that I liked
being involved in general and I liked being a part of something bigger.

10. What were your exhibitions of learning about sophomore and junior year?
For my sophomore year, we really didnt get a say on what we could focus our exhibitions of
learning on. We all had to revolve it around the Superfund site. My group was pretty realistic
about the issue; as sophomore students, we couldnt really do much about the problem aside
from raising awareness, which is what we decided to do for our intervention. We wanted to
provide an electronic media that informs the public about the causes, impacts and whats
currently being done about the contamination in the Supefund site.
As for my junior year, we were given the freedom to choose whatever area of focus we wanted to
choose. I first wanted to somehow tackle a challenge in regards to a rising amount of
Cardiovascular problems within our society, but after thinking about it, I figured that I couldnt
do much about this issue aside from raising awareness, which would ultimately just be a mirror
of what I did the year beforehand. So I decided to do something else. I joined Daviss project,
which was iGEM based because it was something that I was interested in (hence I joined iGEM
in the beginning of the year) and the challenge that we wanted to tackle (the societys heavy
reliance on limited and non-environment friendly resources) was something that I saw to be a
crucial problem in our society.
11. Describe your involvement in the community of Phoenix, and beyond.
a. What volunteer work have you done? Tell exactly what the task involved. BE SPECIFIC.
John C. Lincoln: For three years, I have volunteered at Transport, Gift Shop, and the Laboratory.
I have earned over 230 hours.
Epilepsy Foundation: interns at this foundation. Helps my advisors organize various files and
data. Also helps raise awareness about Epilepsy.
MIHS: volunteers at Child Life department. I provide a safe place for children and teens. I offer
distractions if necessary by playing with them or by just simply talking to them.
AZSC: interns at Body Depot. I help plan and facilitate workshops every weekend.
Community Events: Chili Pepper Festival- volunteered in a ring-toss booth that promoted
NHS and gained financial support through donations from participants

Pie Social- handed out slices of pies for people also stayed to help clean
up the surrounding area.

b. What activities have you been involved with in the community? For example, Roosevelt Row
businesses, youth group, club sports team, piano lessons, ballet.
Violin lessons: 3 years: taught privately by a teacher, participated in a total of 10 recitals so far.
c. How have the above experiences helped you to be a better person and/or given you skills
which you can use in the future? How has your involvement changed your life?
It helped me become more outspoken and not afraid to approach potential stakeholders for help.
Its also given me a chance to form connections and be able to work with others. Its given me
the confidence as a leader.
12. Do you have a passion for something outside of academics? Is there one thing that is most
important to you? Explain. Its OK if you dont have a passion for something!
I have a passion for art! I love drawing and painting; its something that I really enjoy doing and
it helps calm me down. I also love music. I know how to play piano and guitar and Im currently
learning how to play the violin! I also like singing; just not in front of an audience or anyone
for that matter.
13. How do you spend your free time? Tell me about your hobbies and interests other than
school or sports.
I spend most of my free time either creating art or playing instruments. Im usually trying to
learn something new with art (as of late, Ive been learning how to draw realistically by learning
anatomical proportions of the human body) or just improving other skills that I have learned
before. As for music, I usually practice for violin in order to do well for my next lesson. Ive also
been trying to improve my note-reading skills by finding some sheet music online and playing it
on my violin from the get go, without any prior read-throughs.
14. What have you done for the past three summers? Be specific.
Freshman year: Went to Las Vegas to visit some family members.
Sophomore year: went to Disney World in Florida with my family.
Junior year: participated halfway in summer school, 8-day Health Career institute at Midwestern
University, trained new volunteer incomers at John C. Lincoln, started my internship processes
for Arizona Science Center and Maricopa Hospital, a week-long roadtrip to Los Angeles and San
Francisco and the Boot Camp.

15. From your perspective now as a senior, what have you learned about yourself since you
began high school that has surprised or pleased you? Describe what you have gained from your
BioScience education. How are you different from that first day freshman year?
Bioscience has given me the closed knit community and supportive environment in which I can
thrive. Ive found my confidence, and thats what Im thankful for the most. I found my courage
to make new friends and to approach strangers, as well as presenting in class. Ive formed
positive relationships with my peers, both students and teachers alike.
17. Have you worked in the past 3+ years? If so, name the company, position, and explain what
you learned from the experience. Why did you choose to work?
I have no Work experience. And as much as I would like to, I cannot legally get a job because
Im a non-citizen (as of now).
18. Is there anything else I should know about you that would assist me as I write your college
recommendation? Religious background? LGBTQ? Student in transition? Parents
undocumented? 5th degree black belt? Musical instrument? Religious affiliation and interest in
a religious schools? Are there any extenuating circumstances that have affected your academic
performance? This could be a special family or financial situation, a learning disability, illness,
or a blip in your academic transcript. Have you received special recognition in the community?
An award? Please explain with as much detail as possible.
I am an Aglipayan, which is under Catholicism and is a religion made when Filipinos separated from
Spaniards, religion included.