Saving Lives by jada

Saving Lives by jada - December 2023 Scholarship Essay

Jada Schaidt
I’m a survivor and I want the chance to save lives just like mine was saved.

I was born prematurely with congestive heart failure and I had to have several surgeries as a baby. During my heart surgery there was a complication and it left me pacemaker dependent. I was in the neonatal intensive care unit for six months at UVA hostpilal and during those six months the neonatal nurses and doctors as a team saved my life. It’s been my goal throughout my life to become this profession. I want the chance to be able to save newborns' lives that are premature and sick just like my life was saved.

As a child I was told I couldn’t play sports ultimately because I ended up on a transplant list and was referred to children's national hospital at that time I met the most amazing cardiac team that not only empowered me to play contact sports but always use a chest guard, the end result was by the age of ten years old I came off of that transplant list. My cardiologist found that sports with cardio was very good for my heart. I ended up playing softball on a travel team, I also lettered in varsity field hockey and lacrosse. Despite my health conditions, I enjoy playing sports because it builds the heart muscle and I love being able to be part of a team and participate in team work activities.

My learning disability never defined who I was. As a child in elementary school, I always felt different then others but I didn't know what was different. What made me different from other kids was my learning disability, I have the executive dysfunction learning disability. In elementary school up till seventh grade I was in special education classes and did not pass a reading standard learning test (SOL) until I was in middle school. In one year my reading level went from a third grade level to my regular grade, at the time it was sixth grade. I still get extra accommodations because I have an IEP but I never let my learning disability change who I was. When I got to high school I took a few classes that were harder like chemistry and will be taking algebra two in the spring. As of right now I’m taking advanced Psychology and I have an A in the course. My GPA has been a 4.0 since the beginning of my freshman year of high school. During covid I took advantage of getting a part time job and volunteering at our local church to take care of infants,toodlers and pre teens. I have risen to the occasion of loving education and all parts of the medical field. I am part of five clubs at my high school, Hosa is a health professional club and I get to go to my first competition in march. Champions together is a club for children with disabilities and I take pride in that club because It makes me happy to see kids in wheelchairs playing games, and I get to help them and participate with them as well. I'm in the National junior honors society, eagle ambassadors which is a club that stands for peace and finally psychology honors society.

In 2022 I got an opportunity to go to the national youth leadership form of medicine and i received my certificate of achievement at the maryland university, I also received two college credits that are transferable into any college in virginia those credits were in stop the bleed course successfully completing course, presented by R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore Maryland. My second certificate was completed in The Minds Of The Future Program. It opened my eyes to an average day life of a college student living on campus in the dorms. I enjoyed the structure and I thrived on the rules that were given as I never knew how I would do away from home for so long. I have received many certificates that I will attach. In two thousand twelve was the beginning of my self esteem developing for a need to learn and admire this country for the education it provides that year I received my first award, in the patriot program for outstanding contributions in our school and community. I was in the Girl Scouts of America for twelve years. One of the most amazing accomplishments that I have ever seen and has made me the young women who I am today and the women who I will become is my own mother who was interviewed in the Fauquier county democrat a few times where they relate to me as their Fauquier miracle baby, but to me my mother was my hero, she did not have any family that lived close by as she is from washington state but she stayed in Virginia so that i could get the best medical treatment and as a single mother she worked eighty hours a week for the first five years of my life, so that she could buy her first home and I could live with stability in a good county and good school. Since then my mother has fallen ill many times but she has been my biggest advocate and counties to fundraise and bake and she became an attendant to continue to make enough money for private tutoring lessons for me. As I entered six grade consequently I became the poster child for the fauquier public library in the opportunity to excel. The library has always been my favorite place to learn and to grow in so many areas. I look forward to my college experience as I know but can only imagine studying in an actual college library.

I’m applying for a full scholarship because my family cannot afford for me to go to college. It has always been my dream to go to college and become a NICU nurse. I have so much empathy and compassion for others, especially children and infants. Growing up in not a poor but not rich area was very hard for my mom and . I stood out as being African American and caucasian and I’m very proud to be that race. I want to thank you for taking the time to read my essay It means a lot to have the opportunity to apply.