My Challenge to Myself by Grace

My Challenge to Myself by Grace - April 2025 Scholarship Essay

This upcoming fall I plan to attend the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor as I study and major in neuroscience on the pre-med track. In my future, I hope to study how the brain and nervous system interact with each other to help uncover how to heal brain damage and treat paralysis from spinal cord injuries as a neurosurgeon. With my work I hope I can make an impact on the world and change people’s lives for the better by helping diagnose symptoms, treating different conditions and injuries, and helping relieve the pain of my patients. This aspiration I realize is no small task and will take extreme amounts of hard work, and while this may intimidate some people, I’ve spent my high school career proving I’m not one to shy away from challenging tasks. I´ve known for a long time that my energetic and ambitious personality requires me to chase a career with a high risk/ high reward set up, and my empathetic, amiable traits push me to fulfill a job where I can help and care for people while working to improve the lives of those around me. This combination led me to the medical field and reflecting on my academic interests; chemistry, psychology, and human anatomy, helped me narrow my specialty into neuroscience.
Working in a stressful environment like a quickly paced hospital with high stakes may steer some people away from this path, but in my case, I feel that when I push myself out of my comfort zone and apply the added tension, I rise to the top and perform even better. And while the added bonus of my personal strengths plays into my career choice, my passion for the subject outweighs any other option. Between filling up my electives with related subjects, taking on advanced, elevated levels of core classes, and self-studying to explore more in-depth learning on neuroscience, I believe my passion in the matter is undeniable, and will motivate me through my academic career and throughout my job in the future.
Overall, with my ambitious, go-getter attitude and desire to apply myself, I am excited to work toward my dream of becoming a neurosurgeon, as I fulfill my passion in the medical field at The University of Michigan. This scholarship would help to propel my future forward; allowing me to focus on my studies while minimizing the stress of student debt and help me transition into college seamlessly as I continue my hard work and earn my degree in neuroscience.