Basic Life Support Certification
This is my Basic Life Support Certification provided by the nationally acclaimed American Heart Association. I was able to get certified through a course I took during my senior year of high school. We were taught all things life support related, from chest compressions to tying tourniquets. I got a chance to feel what it is like to be able to save someone’s life and the pressures that come with it. Thinking critically and acting fast were just a few of the skills I had to master in order to obtain this certification.
My instructors took this course extremely seriously as they primarily worked as an EMT and a Firefighter and had to put these skills into work daily. I got to learn about how important it is to work fast and efficiently, as well as how physically draining it is to perform CPR. Multiple CPR Training Manikins were placed throughout the arena and we had to race in groups to find the “person” in distress, assign roles to call emergency services or obtain the AED, and finally to perform CPR.
Learning these basic, yet critical skills made me take my future profession much more seriously. I got to understand and appreciate the weight of responsibility you carry as a healthcare provider. Although it is a bit intimidating to know that I might have to perform CPR in the future, I am excited to learn all the skills necessary to make a difference in my future patients’ lives.
Academic Scholarship
I have always strived to do my best academically, and this is one of the scholarships I was able to obtain. It is from the Board of Western River Valley Realtors, for kids, grandkids, and other relatives of realtors. They asked for multiple letters of reccomendation, academic records, and an essay. I am very grateful to have received this scholarship and the opportunities I get to pursue at the University of Arkansas because of it.
It hasn’t always been easy to make good grades, participate in clubs, and actively pursue volunteer opportunities. Throughout high school I found it difficult to manage my time wisely which, therefore, caused me to experience lots of stress and anxiety. Balancing work, Beta Club, National Honors Society, and school proved to be difficult if I didn’t make changes fast. By implementing new techniques and better study habits, I was able to learn how to be organized and time-efficient.
Taking these newly learned skills with me to college, I have found success. I am not discouraged by the heavy workload that college life brings, and I instead welcome the challenge. By reviewing lecture slides after each class, setting up study sessions for gruesome exams, and going to tutoring appointments when needed, I confidently pass exams and see succes in my courses. I am on the road to fulfilling my dream of becoming a Physician Assistant which wouldn’t have been possible without the financial aid I have received from scholarships that allowed me to attend college in the first place.
Community Service
Canned goods drives were just some of the volunteering that I have been involved with. Being a member of the National Honors Society means that you have a duty to give back to your community and so we hosted and participated in numerous food drives. All of the collections and proceeds went to locals that needed it the most. It is an incredible, yet humbling feeling to give back to those that are less-fortunate. I have found a passion in serving others and I hope to make a difference in other peoples’ lives and I plan on doing so by becoming a healthcare provider.
There is a specific story that I wrote about for one of my scholarship essays. It was about a time when I had volunteered with the Beta Club to set up a pumpkin patch for a local church. We had started early in the chilly October morning and worked through lunchtime. Lifting pumpkin after pumpkin my back ached and I longed to be done. After being set up, the pumpkin patch soon drew attention from the locals of Greenwood, Arkansas. Families began streaming in and I saw children, parents, and grandparents enjoying the patch. I felt such warmth inside that made me forget about my calloused hands and sore back.
Although the pumpkin patch and the healthcare field might not have much in common, they do share one thing and that is service. I am committed to doing my best while I pursue an undergraduate degree, in order to be accepted into Physician Assistant (PA) School. In PA School I hope to gain the knowledge that will allow me to provide the most outstanding care and service to every patient that I see.