Service by Allyson

Service by Allyson - January 2018 Scholarship Essay

I wish to attend college to serve others as a HealthCare Provider. As I look toward my upcoming Undergraduate years at Southern Utah University (SUU), I feel a sense of pride and excitement, anticipating the future impact that I can make upon graduation with my BS in Nursing, and then as a Nurse Anesthetist when I continue my planned future advanced studies.

I am a dedicated student who understands the importance of life-balance, lending my time and talents to education, career, community causes, and family.

While maintaining a 4.0 in my sophomore, junior and senior years of high school, I was a member of the golf team, participated in stage craft and stage crew supporting school performances, earned my CNA and began my early career in nursing, serving the elderly full time at an assisted living facility. The opportunities to serve the residents were endless and not always medical in nature, from applying lotion for a comfortable, soothing rest, to singing and reading to residents, bringing comfort and peace as they passed away. As my nursing skills, education and licensing grows, so will my ability to provide healthcare service to communities in deeper, more qualified and meaningful ways.

Throughout the years, I have also taken the opportunity to serve my community by working with the leadership at Provo Freedom Festival, the LDS Church and a WPSL sports team.

I've enjoyed many emotional rewards while working as a CNA and saving for college expenses. To maintain these positive feelings I've experienced and to continue community service, I've joined the Rural Health Scholars (RHS). This group focuses on several areas to best prepare students for a career in health care. Students learn that HealthCare providers must not only know the people they serve, but they also demonstrate an interest in making their lives better. The best way to gain experience in helping others is to volunteer in my local community. Serving is a major focus of Rural Health Scholars, so much that it is integrated into their one-credit university courses. Many HealthCare graduate programs require certain hours and volunteer experiences and the RHS staff help students connect with service organizations and provide advice on what makes these experiences meaningful.

I took considerable care selecting SUU for my studies because of their course offerings and affiliation with RHS. SUU's nursing program and small teacher-student ratio will thoroughly prepare me to pass the national licensing test, with rates that surpass state and national levels.

A strong family foundation has given me a love for outdoor adventures, shared experiences and as once of 5 children, a healthy respect for the differences individual personal, academic and professional pursuits. I appreciate our time together and have learned to embrace and admire the diversity in our family while continuing to have these common interests and shared experiences that bind us as we each move forward in life. I know these values and open-hearted acceptance of others will shine through as I work and study to become the most skilled and compassionate healthcare service provider I can be.