Othelia by Grecia

Othelia by Grecia - January 2018 Scholarship Essay

Othelia. Her small hands and big smile met me on the dirt paved street as she sold purses that she helped weave with her mother. Her smile was contagious, and her eyes bright with excitement at sharing the process of weaving, and how she enjoys helping her mother make bags in order to have food to eat. Like the different colored fabrics woven with each bag, her story embodies the tapestry of life of most children in third world countries. At three feet five inches, this young girl that I met on a mission’s trip would capture my heart and inspire me to further my studies in nutrition and dietetics.

For this reason, I am honored to have the privilege to attend school, and study nutrition to be able to create programs for children that will help provide them with nutrient rich foods that can be easily gown and cultivated at home. Like Othelia, many children in third world countries are ill equipped with resources to have a consistent nutrient rich diet. According to worldhunger.org, 66 million primary school-age children attend classes hungry across the developing world. Simple nutritious food offered daily can help to strengthen the body’s ability to convert food into usable nutrients, thus fortifying the brain’s ability to produce acetylcholine, a chemical that plays an integral part in learning and memory.

Being a recipient of a Varsity Tutors Scholarship would be an honor, as this would help open opportunities to afford my studies, and in turn, focus on the hands on work with kids. Having the resources necessary to work with helping children through nutrition would be both a privilege and a responsibility- to be handled with care in shaping the next generation.