Reignited Passion by Kerri

Reignited Passion by Kerri - October 2019 Scholarship Essay

As a nontraditional student, I have taken a long and unusual path to find myself where I am today. Although my situation is becoming the norm, I consider my path unusual because much of the success I have found since graduating from college six years ago, has been dependent on the luck of meeting helpful people along the way who offered invaluable guidance. It is hard to choose just one of these people who has inspired me the most to return to school for a graduate degree, but I would have to choose the Assistant Medical Director of the Pathology Department of Montefiore Hospital where I currently work. I owe a lot of my success to him, and I would not be able to pursue this degree without him.
Four years ago, I decided to return to school to obtain a license to become a histology technician. Unfortunately I realized to get a full time job with a Biology degree, I would need to become licensed in some clinical career. As part of the program, I had to complete a clinical rotation at a hospital. Montefiore was on that list, and ironically, I specifically did not choose it as an option because I was determined to work in New York City. But as luck would have it, I was forced to go to Montefiore for the lack of spots available. I spent my entire summer there learning and working. I became close with the technicians and the doctors who all pitched in to create a phenomenal learning experience. The Assistant Medical Director, who I will refer to as Dr. Brown, saw the talent and work ethic I had and he did everything in his power to help me. He contacted other laboratories where he had connections to help find me a job after completing the program.
In 2018, I returned to Montefiore to learn a different skill set. I realized that my passion is pathology and I aspire to become a board certified Pathologists’ Assistant. While shadowing, Dr. Brown took the time to teach me everything that he knew. Any question I had, he was quick to answer and pull out his old textbooks to help explain any concepts I did not understand. He never once treated me as if I was dumb for asking, he always encouraged questions. Even when he was inundated with work, Dr. Brown would make sure he had the time to work with me. In high school and college, I was always afraid to ask questions out of fear of appearing stupid, but he has made me not afraid and helped me realize that there is still a lot left to learn. I need to return to school so I can have as much knowledge as he does, although I can probably only get close to that amount. Because of Dr. Brown, I have enough experience to be a competitive applicant for a Pathologists’ Assistant program as well as having a reignited passion for learning.