Francis “Slip” Madigan Scholarship

College is important to me because I want to continue my learning. My dream job is to be a psychiatrist because I want to help people. Psychology has always been a subject of interest to me because I've dealt with symptoms of depression and other mental disorders. I come from a low-income family, and I've had therapy, but I couldn't get diagnosed because we couldn't afford any more sessions. Depression, bipolar disorder, alcoholism, substance abuse, and suicide occur in my ancestry. Therefore, I am passionate about treating people because I have first-hand experience with losing loved ones to mental illness. I got accepted to my dream college FIU and will attend there in the summer soon after I graduate high school. I'm glad I got into FIU, but I have to say I'm worried. Their terms are expensive. Even though I got accepted, that doesn't guarantee me a seat. To enroll, you have to pay a 200 dollar nonrefundable tuition fee. My family doesn't have that kind of money. My mom works for minimum wage, and her job lets her stay for about two weeks. After that, they're letting their employees go. My parents are divorced, and I don't know if my dad will be able to help because he already has to pay off debt. My mom has money to pay off, but she's trying to help me. Winning this scholarship would lift some weight off my shoulder. It sucks because I want to attend college but worry about how far I can get without putting myself in a bad financial situation. In school, I am majoring in veterinary and nursing assisting. I am BLS-certified and CMAA-certified. Currently, I'm working on CNA, CVA, and OSHA certifications. My goal is to try to get many certifications. Being certified allows me to be qualified for jobs. I need those jobs to help me pay off college fees. Since I am low-income, I know what it's like to struggle. I want to help people, but I don't want to wait til I have a job to help people. I want to help people now. I am part of the FFA Vegetable Judging Team, Environmental Club, Psychology Honor Society, and Pre-Med Honor Society. In the Veggie Team, I judge vegetables on whether they are appropriate for consumers. My team has grown the school garden, and we donate the vegetables to struggling people. In the team, I was going to go to a competition in Gainesville as a Freshman. I couldn't go eventually due to Covid. This year, I took the veggie preliminaries, and my team placed 4th out of all the veggie teams that took the test across the US. So, I am going to compete this year. Only the top 20 teams get to compete. In the Environmental Club, I spent two hours picking up trash from the street of the Steinburg Nature Center because I love the environment. These clubs make me well-rounded because they make me aware of how I can do my part to help different causes. In the Psychology Honor Society, I make mental health awareness posters, donate to mental causes, and improve the school environment. In the Pre-Med Honor Society, I make medical awareness posters, give to the hungry and toys for tots, and assist the John A. Ferguson Biomedical program. I try to aid others because I want to be involved in my community and help people in need. Completing college is a goal of mine. Florida International University will guide me into being an educated, independent, and strong woman. Thank you for this opportunity!