My Accomplishments and My Goals by Vincent

My Accomplishments and My Goals by Vincent - August 2022 Scholarship Essay

I was born to two immigrants born in Vietnam, who moved to the United States to ensure a better future for their three children. They have already made many sacrifices to put me through 12 years of schooling in the United States. One day, I wish to pay those sacrifices back, taking advantage of the investments they have made for my future. If granted to me, the scholarship would advance my career goal of attending Physician Assistant graduate school and becoming a physician assistant. With a high focus on patient care and the ability to improve the lives of others in healthcare through science, the career of a physician assistant fascinates me.

So far in my academic career, I have taken advantage of many opportunities to prepare myself for a career in healthcare. I have taken several advanced STEM-related courses: AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, AP Environmental Science, and AP Psychology. I have earned 4's on the AP Biology, AP Calculus BC (with an AP Calculus AB Subscore of 5), AP Environmental Science, and AP Psychology exams. Although extremely rigorous courses, they have taught me how to taught me to challenge myself academically.

Key Club is a high school club dedicated to volunteering on both a local and national level. In grade 11, I served as our school's president, and under the pandemic, I led my club in several volunteering projects: our club sewed over 100 children’s masks for the Issaquah Clothing bank, donated over $60 for the Trick or Treat for Unicef fundraising campaign, donated over 200 books to the Echoglen Children Center’s Library, signed petitions for the Environmental Defense Fund, collected winter coats for the Issaquah Clothing Bank, raised over $175 for the Thirst Project to help impoverished communities attain safe and clean drinking water, created thank you cards for healthcare workers, and raised over 150 cans of food for the Issaquah Food Bank. Personally, as a member, I helped children with homework and reading at Valley Church in Renton, asked for donations towards Salvation Army at local grocery stores, encouraged students to sign up to donate blood for a blood drive, proctored at two math competitions, and sold food at the concessions booth at Fletcher Farm in Issaquah.

I was also an editor on the school newspaper staff. For five issues, I wrote and designed articles, conducted interviews, researched for articles, led a team, cooperated with a co-editor, and practiced photography skills.

Lastly, I have also served as Public Relations Officer for our school’s Baking Club. I promoted meetings via social media posts, photographed members, maintained a website, and assisted team members in planning and running bi-weekly meetings.

I provide math tutoring/instruction to children in grades 1 to 1, have gained proficiency in becoming proficient with digital educational materials and processes, grade and review assessments with students, communicate and work collaboratively with other team members, assess students’ progress during instructional lessons, ensure maintenance of a clean work environment, and assist in other non-instructional tasks.

Every two weeks, I assist the priest in carrying out church-related duties during mass, coordinate and cooperate with other alter servers to perform tasks efficiently, and delegate tasks to other alter servers when necessary, oftentimes in front of congregations of up to 300 people.

Through my church, I have also attended two mission trips, where I helped gather donated canned foods for impoverished communities, visited senior citizens at retirement homes, babysat children of migrant workers, and painted at community centers.

My affinity for volunteering combined with my fascination with science has expressed that I could not picture myself doing anything other than healing people for the rest of my life. I aspire for the amount of growth and learning I will experience over time that will one day grant me the ability and privilege to cure others based on mere research and observation of one’s anatomy, the ability to celebrate progression and growth from what my own research and application of science were capable of.

I’ve also job shadowed several physicians at local clinics, like observing veterinarians operating neutering surgeries on dogs, chiropractors performing spinal adjustments on their patients, and other several doctor-patient interactions. Job shadowing these impressive doctors not only educated me on what it is like to have a career in healthcare, but it has also left me waiting for the day I can heal others in the same way.

An academic goal of mine for the upcoming goal this year is studying hard for and excelling at the classes I will register for this year that will prepare me for the path towards Physician Assistant School. For example, General Chemistry courses (CHEM 142, 152, 162) are classes I will have to put significant effort into this year to ensure I maintain high grades. Being awarded the scholarship would significantly help me achieve my aspirations of mine—not only my aspiration of becoming a physician assistant, but also my aspiration of making my immigrant parents proud, letting them know that their many sacrifices were worthwhile.