Emma Jane Hastie Scholarship

Animals have always been my love. In 2016 I started fostering abandoned dogs. Puppies, adults, old and young, my home was open to them all. My favorite moment was when the perfect match was found and a family would come and pick up the newest member, hugs and kisses all around and then they would take them away to their new life. This story is about Faith. She is the foster that made the greatest impact on our home and family. Faith was a purebred Doberman Pinscher. She had been abandoned on a reservation in South Dakota. A rancher was riding her horse in a field and came upon what looked like the corpse of a dog. When she dismounted and approached the animal, she saw that it was still alive, barely. Without hesitation she picked up the nearly dead animal and rode home with her on her lap. Once home she made the dog comfortable in the barn and called the vet. After examining the dog, the vet stated that it had just had a litter of puppies and that she was emaciated to the point of near death. It would take a lot of time and attention to bring her back. The rancher agreed and thus began months of rehabilitation for the dog they named Faith. It was through these months that the bond between the abandoned Doberman and the rancher grew. Once she was strong enough Faith followed her rescuer everywhere. As the summer waned and the temperatures began to drop, the rancher realized that Faith would need a new home. She could not survive on a ranch like the other more hardy dogs did. The rancher reached out to a rescue organization and through them a foster home was found. This is how Faith found her way to our home. When she arrived, she was quiet, distant. I could tell she very much missed someone. Over the next several months she adapted to our family. But Fate was not done with this dog. Faith soon developed terrible back pain and was diagnosed with Spondylosis, a debilitating spinal disease. She underwent many trips to the vet and medications three times a day. the pain would go away periodically and then come back. But Faith never gave up. After many months the pain was under control and Faith was finally living the happy life of a healthy well-loved dog. Again, Misfortune laid her finger on this dog when she bit an intruder that had come into the fenced yard. She was doing her job but now it was impossible to find a permanent home for Faith. The death knoll beckoned as euthanasia was first discussed, then became a near certainty. After everything she had been through, to have it end like this was too much to bear. In a last minute effort we reached out to the rancher that had found her and a miracle happened. The ranchers neighbor and friend wanted to adopt Faith. She was going home. I watched this dog for an entire year go through one impossible thing after another. And I watched as she overcame each obstacle, even the impossible ones. The day we brought Faith to her forever home was the same day I became an official student in the Nursing program. I would never have applied if Faith had not shown me the way. In our family we now have a motto: whenever anything becomes too difficult we simply say, "Have Faith".

Hello! My name is Kenneth Armstrong Jr. I am a senior currently attending Valdosta State University. I am majoring in Psychology. I am very passionate about service and giving. I am always looking for ways to be helpful and considerate of others. I have been eager to help others since childhood. My focus is on Clinical Psychology. I have chosen this field because I am interested in understanding the physiology of the brain. As the master organ, it regulates every single operation throughout the body. As it relates to behavior, I find it interesting to pinpoint the reason for particular actions. I believe I will make a huge impact because I had a beginning interest in my eighth-grade year. My interest in this field will motivate me to work hard and learn everything I can. I am passionate about helping others. Understanding the root causes of behavior will allow me to offer therapy to clients. I have always been compassionate and possess excellent listening skills. I could put myself in an individual's shoes and offer legitimate solutions. My one goal is to make a difference in people's lives. Psychology is a field that I am serious about. That love is enough to motivate me to work towards this dream. I have devoted personal time to volunteering in several ventures. I am a member of the Christian Collegiate Fellowship Club at GMC, where we conduct fundraising endeavors, community service events, clothing and food drives, and host an annual Christmas Toy Drive. I can recall a couple of instances when we delivered toys to kids at a local elementary school and at the Boys & Girls Club. I really enjoyed singing Christmas Carols as we served the children during the holiday season. It was a privilege to also deliver baked goods and Christmas cards to the local Police Department. Putting smiles on all of their faces was quite exhilarating and definitely rewarding. That experience was one of many instances where I have done community service. My past volunteering experiences have helped me to be more compassionate. It is easy to make assumptions about people. However, you have to interact with those who you want to understand. In my career, I will have to excel in the art of understanding someone's perspective. I have to put myself in their shoes. My interactions within my community help me to develop creativity. Problems require creative solutions.

Greetings! My name is Jordan Cruz. I am a first-generation college student studying psychology and anthropology at Stetson University. Ultimately, my goal is to become a Cognitive Behavioral Therapist for children and adolescents First of all, I have learned that with servitude comes selflessness. When I hear servitude, selflessness is the word that floats in my mind. It's easy to say that I have learned from my own experiences. When I attended youth group at the local church, we set up a Thanksgiving food drive. The church bought lots of cans, ingredients for special Thanksgiving dishes, and more essentials. We organized everything into bags and gave them to people in our community that were not as fortunate. It was an honor to guarantee the best Thanksgiving holiday for those people as much as possible. Another thing that I have done was donate clothes and other items to the local Goodwill donation center. It was simply a drive-thru where you were able to put unwanted things into special bags they had, as long as they were gently used and in good condition. From there, those items would be transported to Goodwill stores for a lower price. In all honestly, I would much rather people in need have those things than myself. Living selflessly is something I value and will never let go of. I am all about putting others before myself. If I were given the choice between having wealth or keeping my friends, family, and loved ones secure, I would choose their wealth and safety over my wealth and safety. I would give my last dollar to someone who needed it. I want to see everyone living the best life that they can live. Happiness, love, and good health are the most important things to me for each individual out there. At the same time, I know there are circumstances where I must put myself before others. However, that does not inherently mean selfishness. We must take a moment to evaluate ourselves, especially when it comes to our mental and physical health. This is because our health can dictate how we perform in our daily life. For example, if I got super sick and could not go to school or important meetings, the solution would be to stay home to ensure a fast and easy recovery. Although that sounds basic, it's true. Loving selflessly, having a giving heart, and helping others are wonderful attributes to have. I will make sure to convey those characteristics forevermore.