Love Yourself for Who You Are by Hellen

Love Yourself for Who You Are by Hellen - June 2017 Scholarship Essay

At work recently, I asked my pharmacy manager at which point in his life did he wanted to be a pharmacist, and he told me that ever since he was in middle school he always wanted to be a pharmacist. I was surprised. Back when I was in elementary and middle school, I never thought too hard on what wanted to become. I remember vaguely that I wanted to be an animal veterinarian because I owned several pets when I was younger. I was always the person in charge of feeding and cleaning my pets. I love every one of them. However, as I grew older, my family was unable to care for our pets due to time and money limitations. I soon discovered that even though my career path has diverged, a part of my younger self remains in my current decision that I love caring for others.

As a 6-year old, I was a shy child. Making friends and talking to strangers were not my forte. Ever since elementary to high school, my family was cautious of me. Thus, the only time I could hang out with my friends was in school. My personality remained the same throughout high school, so I did not really see myself in the retail or service industries. I was afraid to decide my career path, because I was unable to see myself as an outgoing person.
Once I made it to senior year of high school, my academic advisor made an assignment that required me to begin selecting career paths for college. Inspired by my peers and professors, the two decisions I made were biomedical engineer and pharmacist. Before I even began college, I was able start my first job! However, I was bittersweet about this job, because it was a big jump for shy Hellen. I went right into food service. I did not know what to expect from this job, but I did know I had to get over the huge hurdle of being comfortable with talking to others. As I got out of my comfort zone and talked my customers and coworkers, I became a more outgoing person. I enjoyed meeting and talking to new people. After undergraduate years, my personality changed significantly, and I love who I am today.

As I attended my first classes in college, I became more interested in science classes including biology, anatomy, and chemistry. I considered the different pre-health programs that Mercer University offered. I began working my way through the pre-med route. However, as I attended informative sessions on the pre-pharmacy track, I switched routes and decided to become a pre-pharmacy student. I decided to work as a pharmacy technician to see if the pharmaceutical field was the right path for me.

After a year of working in the pharmacy setting, I found myself enjoying the tasks and goals of assisting in the health of other by providing medications. With my work experiences, I use my knowledge of medicine to help not only the patients that come in the pharmacy but also my family and friends. Thanks to my peers and professors at Mercer University, I am inspired to continue my goal of becoming a pharmacist by participating in the doctor of pharmacy program at Mercer University’s Atlanta campus. I am grateful for the support from my family and friends, and I will work hard in achieving my career goal.