Dinner with Vivien Thomas by Felicitas

Dinner with Vivien Thomas by Felicitas - February 2016 Scholarship Essay

Born the grandson of a slave, Vivien Thomas became a legend and a pioneer in the field of medicine. Rising above poverty and the rampant racism and discrimination of his time, he became a supervisor of the surgical laboratories. Yet, unimaginably, Thomas was not well paid. In fact, he was classified and paid as a janitor because of the color of his skin. Before his death, he was granted an honorary doctorate and became the highest paid technician. Renowned surgeon Denton Cooley said, “Even if you'd never seen surgery before, you could do it because Vivien made it look so simple.” According to many of his students, he taught surgical techniques that placed them at the “forefront of medicine in the United States”. Despite this, for most of his life others took credit for his accomplishments. For these reasons and because I too would like to enter the medical field as a nurse, Vivian Thomas is the one person I would be more than honored to have dinner with.
I admire you, Mr. Thomas, for your selfless courage and determination without regard for fame and fortune. What advice and inspiration can you give me so that I can have courage and determination to pursue my goals and never give up no matter what obstacles I may face?
I can only imagine the answer that Vivian Thomas would share, but he is my hope to one day become a nurse with the courage and dedication to help others and save lives without regard for fame and fortune.