The Impact of a Lifetime by Bailey

The Impact of a Lifetime by Bailey - March 2025 Scholarship Essay

In 10 years, I hope to have lived my life with no regrets. I hope to have gone on adventures, explored new things, failed, succeeded, and learned how to grow as a person. I see myself in the future continuing my goal of becoming a nurse and making a difference in the medical field. Becoming a nurse has not always been my goal. I have always known that I wanted to help people in my career pathway, but I was never sure what exactly I wanted to do. Sophomore year I had the opportunity to run a campaign for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Student Visionary of the Year program. Over a seven-week campaign, I led a team of peers to raise awareness and funds for LLS's mission. Every dollar raised helped patients afford treatment or supported life-saving research. The most rewarding moment came when it was announced that we had raised $30,000, earning me the title of Student Visionary of the Year. This experience taught me leadership, teamwork, and perseverance. More importantly, it showed me the power of the community and how young people can create real change. Winning wasn't just about the title- it was about the lives we touched. Through this campaign, my passion for healthcare grew and the love that I have for helping others. Through this campaign I was able to witness firsthand the effect that cancer has on the lives of these patients and their families. Being able to raise the money that my team and I raised was lifechanging for me.
During my campaign, I was sitting at Zupas for a fundraiser night that my team and I had planned. I was sitting at the table asking people walking out if they would be willing to donate to this amazing cause. I remember this one man walked past and handed me a 100-dollar bill. He set it down on the table and said I had Leukemia a couple of years ago and how LLS was able to help him fund his treatment. I remember the feeling that I had when he set the 100-dollar bill down and told me that. I felt a sense of pride. I felt proud that what I was doing right then was helping real people every day. That feeling was so unique, and it made me realize that helping people was a passion of mine. I realized that healthcare was a way that I could help people and see the impact I was making every day. That man in the Zupas may not have known or realized the impact that he had on my life but, I will always remember him. He helped me to realize that in my campaign, every penny counted, and in life every little thing matters. Small or big, the impact that you make on people’s lives matters. Through healthcare I hope to continue my passion of helping others and making an impact on my community for the better. This year, I will be graduating high school with my general associates degree from Weber State University. I will continue my education and athletic career playing volleyball in the Fall of 2025. I plan to complete the rest of my nursing prerequisites and apply for nursing school. In 10 years I hope to look back and see the impact that I have made in the past, and look forward to the impact that I will continue to make in the future.