Dreams Can Become a Reality Through Family and Community by Abigail

Dreams Can Become a Reality Through Family and Community by Abigail - April 2024 Scholarship Essay

‘I have never met sisters who get along so well’ is a phrase that I grew up hearing. When asked how we get along so well, I was never able to find a response. How do other siblings not get along?

The traditional sibling rivalry was never in my life. My parents moved from Massachusetts to Idaho before I was born; I’ve known no other home. Idaho is where I was born and raised and for my whole life, it has only been the four of us. We had no choice but to get along. My parents are my rock. They have always been there to help guide me and to ground me when things start to spiral. My sister is my other half, without her a piece of me is missing.

The closeness of my family is a crucial aspect of myself that I carry with me wherever I go. When I moved away to boarding school, I realized how much I could contribute to my school community. I have become an involved member in many clubs and have even started my own. I strive to emulate the powerful relationship of my family in my friendships, activities, and in my school community. My parents and my sister have been my motivation but they have also taught me how to motivate myself. I have long dreamed of following my fathers footsteps and becoming a physician. Commitment to academics is a crucial aspect of my goal so whenever I would waver, I would remember that I needed to stay on track to accomplish my goals.

Growing up around the healthcare industry, I have learned to see the good that it brings, and I have also noticed the areas in which it can be improved. I hope to focus my care on rural areas specifically in Idaho, where I am from. Idaho is a state in which 35 of the 44 counties are rural. Access and education are the two major factors that limit healthcare in non-urban areas, and are the two ways in which I would seek to make a positive impact.

Health care literacy often is lacking in these areas leaving people questioning where to go, what to do, and who to see, often resulting in people not getting treatment. The ability to understand physician advice and treatment, and how to navigate the healthcare system can help improve the overall health of rural populations.

When people do decide to seek treatment, adequate access is often lacking. Large clinics and facilities can help to provide lifesaving and life changing care, but only to those who have adequate access to travel. When my sister was very ill, the closest health care facility capable of helping was hundreds of miles away. My family was fortunate enough to travel for health care, but that is not the reality for many families. I want to help to provide high quality care to patients that do not have the resources to travel to large treatment centers.

Education and access are the ways I would seek to impact healthcare. I would do so by collaborating with local providers as well as providing technical expertise to a community that has continually gone underserved and isolated from society.

I stay motivated by thinking of the good that I could bring to others in my community. What I hope to accomplish reaches far beyond myself. Working towards something that is bigger than any one person will always motivate me to do more, and with my parents and sister by my side, I know that I can make my goals a reality.