Love of animals to love of children - Pediatric Physician Assistant on the Rise by Jiovanni

Love of animals to love of children - Pediatric Physician Assistant on the Rise by Jiovanni - February 2024 Scholarship Essay

I have faced many challenges while growing and learning to become the greatest version of myself. In December 2022 my family, mother, and I, were evicted and left homeless. As we bounced from hotel to hotel, exhausting the little college fund that I had, I became disheartened and almost gave up hope of attending college. I remembered my experiences, during elementary school, and how I was fortunate enough to establish an outreach called Jio’s Heart. This was an area that focused on providing needed items to the homeless community. We called them blessing bags. The bags included everything from toiletries to disposable heating pads. Along with my mother we carried these bags everywhere we traveled, including out of town trips. Never had I imagined I would be in a homeless situation myself.

During our outreach the man who struck my attention, and was the inspiration for Jio’s Hearts, was a man who always had his dog with him. As a lover of animals, becoming a Veterinarian was a childhood dream and his interactions stuck with me the most. I asked my mother, on one occasion, if it would be possible for us to bring something for the dog on our next trip. She agreed and this request led to another. As we began packing the bags, we thought of other items that we didn’t have, that would potentially be useful for this community such as hats, scarves, gloves, etc. This led to me asking for donations from my church family, community theatre group and my mom’s coworkers. With their help we were able to fill over 50 blessing bags the first year.

As a high school student I began to volunteer in my community childcare center, my school, and my church. Watching the faces and dreams of young children was such a heartfelt sensation and I looked forward to volunteering more and more. My continued interactions with the children aided in solidifying my desire to switch from Veterinarian to becoming a Pediatric Physician Assistant. I have served in various other agencies on outreach ministries including resupplying items in a homeless shelter for the needs of the residents. Stocking the pantry at school as well as feeding the homeless and needy during the holiday seasons and volunteering in any area I was needed. Neither of these other volunteer activities gave me as much delight as the children.

My passion to help others, while making my community better, is the driving force in my decision to continue my education. As a child of a single mother, I have watched the struggles that poverty brings. Ensuring that I can provide for my family has been my drive since I became old enough to realize the struggles and sacrifices made by my mother.

I know that if I continue to improve conditions for myself and my family, I can help others improve theirs as well. Being a recipient of this financial award would decrease the financial burden, of higher education, on my family and allow me to pursue my goal of becoming a Pediatric Physician Assistant while continuing to be an active participant in the expansion and growth of my community.