More Than Just the Human Body by Jabria

More Than Just the Human Body by Jabria - August 2016 Scholarship Essay

As a current rising senior nursing student in my academic career in college, I never thought during my high school years that any of the knowledge I attained would be useful in my time in college. Sure, my high school was a college preparatory school that aimed to prepare its students for the rigor and style of college, but I definitely did not appreciate their true mission of preparation for a university curriculum until I entered my first semester courses at Mercer University. I have always had an interest in the sciences - all except for chemistry and its seemingly never ending periodic table compiled of elements that I struggled to remember and pronounce. I knew that I had an interest in learning more about the world and figuring out exactly where I would fit best in its interwoven quilt of dynamic society. The complexity of the human being physiology perplexed me and piqued my curiosity leaning me towards the pursuit of a career in a health-related field. My curiosity was fueled by my human anatomy and physiology (A&P) class during my junior year of high school taught by a special lady who motivated me and helped me greatly. She guided me in my efforts to combine my passion for service and my interest in the human body to discover the right career path for me beyond high school. This class and my teacher played a vital role in molding me into the student I am today and the path I am following to become a registered nurse.
As a high schooler, it was somewhat difficult for me to picture myself beyond those four years. I knew I wanted to eventually attend college, but for some time I could only see a day at a time rather than being able to picture a future for myself. I moved around quite a bit during these years between high schools, and my junior year was no different, as I transferred to a new school with unknown faces and slight panic charging through my veins. Because my courses were slightly different at my previous school, I was placed in the A&P course during my junior year with the senior class. Can you say panic attack? However, from the beginning, I believe that Mrs. Patterson saw a genuine interest from me in the subject that I had not completely acknowledged myself and encouraged and challenged me daily through informal and formal tests to push myself beyond the invisible boundaries and “lines in the sand” that I had originally designated for myself. This class greatly aided me in making my final decision to pursue nursing school and allowed me to see beyond just the high school chapter of my life’s story. This course created the foundation of my knowledge of A&P allowing me to have some something to lean and look back on during my anatomy courses during my freshman year of college and presently in my last year of nursing school. This class not only allowed me the opportunity to learn about the human body beyond the basic knowledge I had before entering the class, but it truly allowed me to create a new path for my life and shine a light on a career in nursing that perfectly combined what I always knew I loved. I said “so long” to the days of taking in and then dumping information after turning in an exam. The information I gained through this class about the human body and myself would go on with me through college, and I expect to continue to build in knowledge and character moving forward in my life.