Sparked by Cecelia

Sparked by Cecelia - September 2020 Scholarship Essay

Do you remember that very moment you realized what you are truly passionate about, what made sparks occur in your eyes? The rush of desire to pursue a more vivid reality of how much potential you have in what makes your heart feel electric. Now the second I felt that feeling was probably during the worst possible event, but yet at the right time. My mother was on a hospital bed a couple hours after I had called 911 due to signs of a possible oncoming heart attack. It was the rush of adrenaline from seeing nurses scurrying around, doctors in and out of the surrounding rooms with their clipboards, the wailing coming from families nearby. Or maybe it was just from seeing my mom hooked to unfamiliar machines, with needles sticking from her skin, lacking enough energy to barely contribute in a simple conversation, let alone stay awake longer than 8 minutes. Being in the midst of a hospital setting and watching my mom lay there in misery, I felt a spark of curiosity within. What would it be like to be one of those people? Someone who saves lives and happily gives their all into a life changing career.
Yes, I know that the whole introduction was based on a past event but it was the beginning of why I’m even here in my first year of college. I’m currently majoring in Biology 1441, already struggling to comprehend everything hence it being a bit more difficult than AP Biology in high school. You may then ask, why are you even putting yourself through that? I know what I want and I’m going to go get it and achieve what I put my mind to even if it is horrendously difficult. I want to go into pre med, be accepted into medical school, and become a Pediatrician. I’ve grown up idolizing two people, my aunt and sister. My aunt knew exactly what she wanted to do and she did it, she’s now an LVN of 15+ years and loves every second of it on the job. Once my sister graduated high school, she went into the surgical branch as a Sterile Processing Tech and has been doing so for 12 years now. With them in my life, I’ve had the opportunity to grow up asking questions with immediate answers and constant advice. With them and having my mother in the hospital, I’ve definitely been impacted on my decision to go this route with my education.
With that being said, my biggest goal for the school year is to grasp my potential. How far I’m able to excel and to find where my destination is in life. Is medical really the route I want to go and where I belong? While yes, this goal is more long term than short term, it’s followed up by more simplistic targets. I want to attain a strong comprehension in my classes for the school year, more so in my Biology course. Create a professional bond with my professors throughout my years here, not only to have them as references for med school but also as mentors. Although I’m determined to focus on school and excel, I want to join clubs that focus on leadership, career tips and options, and Christianity. Making lifelong friendships is also a target, friends that have similar interests and/or career goals are uplifting and more prone to stick around to see you accomplish your goals and dreams. Overall, I want to get a taste of my potential to see how much I can achieve in a single school year and how that will affect my choice of career for the future me. I hope to attain these short term goals, and make it all worthwhile in the end.