John Young 'Pursue Your Passion' Scholarship

In August 2020, the trajectory of my activism changed forever. I remember recognizing that I could not enter sophomore year, feeling like I did not belong and living in fear that, once again, I would be in classrooms where people viewed me as a spokesperson for my race. Even though Marquette had a rich history of Black leaders, there were no existing frameworks for Black students to thrive in the campus environment. Not having the framework needed for success is why I spent the summer working alongside other Black leaders to compose a list of initiatives to make the campus more inclusive. By channeling the legacy of Black activists, I participated in a sit-in that helped establish a position for a Black therapist, an inclusive curriculum to reflect Black perspectives and a yearly full-tuition scholarship program for 45 marginalized students. During the sit-in, I remember feeling proud, knowing that my actions gave future students the framework they needed to succeed.  Students, alumni, and thirty thousand people on Facebook Live supported the movement. My tenacity at the sit-in was essential when I became the first Black woman nominated and elected as the Executive Vice-President (EVP) of Marquette Student Government. I realized substantial change can be achieved through advocacy, having crafted initiatives that will continue to benefit the student body. Consequently, it also reinforced the harsh realities of activism, having received death threats after being elected. Unfortunately, adversity is something I had gotten accustomed to. When my family did not have the necessities of survival, I watched how my community came together to amplify the needs of one another through mutual aid. I discovered that unity is necessary to address inequalities that permeate disadvantaged communities. The willingness to advocate for one another was an embedded reminder that I come from a legacy of activists, which is why I feel compelled to stand against the oppression of marginalized groups.  My journey as a student activist has taught me that advocacy is a non-linear process. It is a journey marked by moments of transformation and vulnerability, but it is also a journey where our present choices can pave the way for a better future. This is the power of advocacy. It is this power that drives me to merge my passion for activism and law, envisioning a future where legal professionals and clients work together to drive movement-based litigation. A law degree will equip me with the knowledge and skills to stand alongside others in our collective pursuit of societal progress. After Law School, I hope to open a mobile legal clinic to assist indigent clients with legal representation and the necessary resources to help them reintegrate into society. This is a solution that can help end the disenfranchisement of justice-impacted individuals, a beacon of hope in the fight for justice.

My name is Michael Fisher, when I was twelve, my grandfather, who died a proud Army veteran, began to exhibit signs of PTSD. Watching him struggle with his mental health opened my eyes to the urgent need for better mental health support for veterans. This personal experience has been a driving force in my life, shaping my academic and career goals. As a sophomore at the University of Phoenix with a 4.0 GPA, I am committed to my studies in social science. My academic journey is not just about acquiring knowledge but about using that knowledge to advocate for those who have served our country and now need our support. I plan to pursue a master’s degree and work for the Department of Veteran Affairs to further this mission. Currently, I work on the psych unit at the Martinsburg WV Department of Veteran Affairs. Our focus is to help those who suffer from mental health issues, providing them with the care and support they need. Every day, I see the impact of our work, and it fuels my passion for making a difference. I am actively involved in creating a nurturing environment for our veterans. Lately, we have seen an increase in the number of female veterans and veterans under the age of 40. Unfortunately, we have a lot of veterans who use drugs to try to cope with their mental health issues. We have numerous programs to help with, this one being the CAT5 program. This program focuses on detoxification, sober living, and substance abuse treatment and I have seen it work for multiple veterans. Social change begins with understanding and addressing the root causes of societal issues. My work with veterans suffering from mental health issues is a step toward creating a society that values and supports its most vulnerable members. By pursuing higher education and continuing my work with the Department of Veteran Affairs, I aim to be a catalyst for change, ensuring that those who have served our country receive the care and support they deserve. The John Young 'Pursue Your Passion' Scholarship will provide me with the financial support I need to continue my education and my work. It will enable me to remain actively involved in my community while pursuing my academic goals. I am committed to making a positive impact on the world, and this scholarship will help me achieve that mission. Thank you for considering my application. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of our veterans and create a more compassionate world.

My mom passed away from a domestic violence incident when I was 8 years old, and I went to foster care, leaving all of my friends and belongings behind. When I was 10, I was adopted by my second foster mom, a single lady who is a teacher. Education is very important to me. My biological parents did not have a college education, so I promised myself that I would have a better future. When I went into foster care, I was very sad about losing my mom. It was hard to concentrate on school with all of the uncertainties and unknowns. However, when I was adopted by my mom, she helped me throughout my early schooling years. We would work together getting my schoolwork done. This helped me develop a strong work ethic and a sense of responsibility to do well in my classes. My mom wanted to make sure that I had strong male influences in my life. One of those men was a family friend who tutored me in math each week. I loved hearing about his career as an engineer and figuring out how to solve problems together. I decided I wanted to pursue engineering as well. I went to a camp called “Engineering the Built Environment” at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago last summer. Through the different projects we worked on, I discovered that I excelled in building models of bridges and other structures. Growing up in a tumultuous household was extremely hard, as was going through foster care. The day that my mom died was the last day that I saw anyone I had been connected with - teachers, peers, neighbors, and family members. I had to learn how to navigate in a world that was brand new to me. I was filled with anxiety and grief. However, my mom encouraged me to open up to counselors and to use calming strategies. I learned to make new friends and be open to new experiences. I learned how to keep the core parts of my personality intact, while also developing a new identity as a member of a different family, a different community, and a different school. I will be able to utilize these skills in college. This scholarship will help me meet my goal of becoming an engineer and serving others. I want to pay back all of the kindness that was showered on me when I was going through a difficult time. I want to design and build green spaces and community centers in under resourced areas of town. Recreation decreases stress and violence, and I want all parts of town to have areas where they can engage with one another, relax, and play. I want to see tax funds distributed equitably to all communities, but until they are, I want to bring my own skills to the scene for the good of all. A scholarship will help me attend college without accruing thousands and thousands of dollars in school debt.

On August 2, 2020, my stepmother was rushed into the OR to have an emergency C-section. Her body was beginning to fail, and it was time for the baby to come, four months early. The doctors had told her that she needed to be prepared to say goodbye, but my brother came into this world ready to fight. My brother, Evan, weighed only 13 ounces at birth and was in the NICU at Penn State Hershey Medical Center for 165 days. While we were amid COVID-19, my parents went and visited him every day, but I was not allowed. For 165 days, I watched my little brother battle to survive through a phone screen. He had dozens of procedures and surgeries performed to keep him alive. I would often have conversations with my parents about the individuals on Evan’s care team. While I heard about the surgeons, neonatologists, and respiratory therapists, it was always the nurses they talked about the most. Evan’s treatment plan was primarily designed by the medical team, but it was the nurses, and nurse practitioners, who executed that plan. They were by his side 24 hours a day, monitoring his breathing, administering medication, and comforting him. They were the individuals my parents called in the middle of the night when they couldn’t sleep and wanted to check-in. These nurses dared to believe that a 13-ounce baby would live. They dared to believe that a baby whose lungs were subjected to months of ventilator assistance would one day breathe on their own. They dared to believe that his intestines, parts of which were disjoined and diseased, would one day function independently. Today, Evan is a happy, healthy three-year-old. I love him so much. While some developmental challenges remain, he is a very personal reminder of what can happen when have bold ambitions. After seeing the miracle and the impact that these professionals had on my baby brother, I knew that the healthcare field was meant for me; I want to have the same impact on others. As a nurse, I will have the unique opportunity to serve patients during some of the most challenging times of their lives. I hope to model the principle of cura personalis, recognizing that I have the ability not only to impact my patients’ physical health but also their whole person. I want patients to leave our time together feeling valued, important, and cared for. It’s often the subtle acts of service that have the biggest impact…listening, holding a hand, helping someone laugh, or offering words of affirmation. Not only do I intend to serve others individually in a clinical setting, but I also aspire to serve society broadly through research. My experience as a Research Intern at the Penn State College of Medicine has ignited an excitement for research that I hope to carry into my career. In medicine, our knowledge base and treatment approaches should always be improving and expanding, and I want to make contributions in this space.

Jay Shetty said it best, “Your passion becomes your purpose when you use it to serve others.” To say I love sports is an understatement. My life has revolved around sports since I was a young child. There is a magic around sports. Sports ignite pride and togetherness. When Covid hit in March 2020, I had to take an unwanted break from doing that very thing I love. During the summer of 2020 I was itching to return to playing sports, so I found a way to bring sports back into my life. With the support of my family and friends, I founded the Maryland Wiffle Ball League to unite middle school and high school students in my community. I organized teams, game schedules, prepped the field for play, supplied wiffleball bats and balls, and ran the social media account for the league. Playing wiffle ball in that moment in time became life for myself and many teens in my neighborhood. The wiffle ball league brought normalcy back into our lives after months of isolation. Not only did the league help rebuild neighborhood friendships, it taught the importance of being part of a team and working together. While running the social media account for the wiffle ball league, I discovered that I really enjoyed creating the game day posts. I wanted the posts to look professional, but I had no experience with graphic design. I was determined to learn. YouTube became my classroom. I researched how to create graphics with complex details. I learned how to add textures to pictures, to adjust lighting and shadows, and to create focal points. During my junior year of high school, I combined my passion for sports and graphic design. I found my purpose, a way to serve my high school community. I began creating game day graphics for posts on Instagram for my high school’s girls lacrosse team. The posts were creating excitement for lacrosse and increasing school spirit. Other teams began inquiring about having posts created as well. I currently create game day graphics for lacrosse, field hockey, soccer, basketball,volleyball, and football. My graphic creations have been sparking a buzz throughout the school building and get the student body excited about supporting student athletes as they compete. In addition to creating posts for my school community, I also started my own freelance graphic design business called SCD Visuals. I create college commitment graphics for student athletes to celebrate their decision to play sports at the next level. I will be studying graphic design and playing division 1 baseball at Seton Hall. I am proud that I am able to balance being a graphic designer and playing baseball at the highest level. Both are my passion and drive me to find success in the future. Seton Hall is nationally ranked for providing internships. My goal is to earn an internship and grow as a graphic designer.

In middle school, I was admitted as a clinical inpatient at the Kennedy Krieger Institute for severe chronic leg pain. My days were filled with pain-intensive therapies to help mobilize my lower body. The emotional distress was challenging to deal with as a young kid who was going through the formative years of my childhood. However, I remember the volunteer staff who truly became the light in my life. Their sincere compassion and relentless commitment to my mental well-being throughout this uncertain period were instilled within me for the years to come and shaped my early impetus for helping pediatric patients through medicine. Following these aspirations, in November, I intend to apply to the Robinson Life Sciences & Business Entrepreneurship at Cal, allowing me to pursue the intersection of my niche interests in natural sciences and business. This program made me reconsider my dream of taking an alternative approach to helping groups of underrepresented children through biotechnology. In subsequent classes, it was stressed to me that in today's medical field, it is not enough to understand the biological pathways to conduct translational research; you must require knowledge to bring your innovative solution to market equitably. At Cal, I will follow in the footsteps of my mentor, Dr. Fyodor Urnov, whose mission is to streamline gene editing using CRISPR Cas-9. Today, we have all of the means to create curative treatments for rare pediatric genetic diseases. However, large biotech pharmaceutical companies refuse to bring these cures to market because they are not seen as profitable. I joined Dr. Urnov's research lab to push back against the eccentric industry, prioritizing pediatric patients before pharmaceutical business ventures. We hope to expand this reprogrammable technology by creating a national network of CRISPR cure centers, which would reduce the time/cost to develop these therapeutics from millions of dollars over years to only $150k in a matter of three months. This is what is needed to save the lives of countless children suffering from these rare genetic diseases. If selected, the John Young “Pursue Your Passion” Scholarship will reduce the financial burden that impedes my dream of having the greatest possible impact in reducing healthcare disparities. After Cal, I plan to enroll in a dual MD/MBA program to take on health inequity from two backgrounds: medicine and business. If I gain a deep understanding of the medical field, I can identify limitations in current therapeutic areas and create novel approaches to prevalent pediatric diseases to find innovative methods to inhibit, alter, or edit new pathways. From a business background, I want to analyze patient models and identify dispositions regarding treatment accessibility in our flawed healthcare system. It will challenge me to process large amounts of information and synthesize a concise plan of action to mitigate issues. Together, this will make me a more rounded physician if I pursue a medical residency; likewise, if I gravitate towards business, I will create a biotech startup that can bring therapeutic treatments to market equitably.

My dream role in the medical field is to become a neuroscientist who specializes in neuro degenerative diseases/disorders. Additionally, I also want to contribute time in working with clinical trials as well. This dream of mine all started when I was old enough to understand what MS was. My grandfather was diagnosed with MS at a very early age. It has recently become worse, sadly. This inspired me to help others with these kinds of diseases. Helping him with tasks that require mobility really showed me where I wanted to go with my life. Living with any disorder involving nerves degenerating is hard physically, mentally, and hard for others supporting them. I want to contribute my research towards a better treatment, and maybe a cure, for MS. As well as part take in clinical trials relating to neurology. I believe I can make an impact on the future in medicine and advancements in treatments for neurological disorders as a whole. My education is key for the success in my dream field. My education that I work for and receive is something that I highly value. So to be able to get the best education there is, is very important to me. I want to be well-rounded in my field as well as well-informed. That way I can make a bigger impact on medicine as a whole. Additionally, I also want to tutor students through medical school as well. One of my other great passions is tutoring. I believe that by tutoring medical students, I can help grow future doctors and be a part of their journey towards success. I also want to donate my time free to those who need tutoring because I know how money can get tight sometimes. I want to take the pressure off of them to make their years in medical school as stress free as possible. The ability to help someone else obtain their dreams and goals is a privilege and an honor. I will highly value my position as a tutor, especially since I'll be tutoring future doctors. I hope make a monumental impact in someone's life in helping them along their journey of becoming their best self. With this scholarship, I can become a step closer in achieving my goals.

Before I realized my calling in social work, I felt very lost regarding my career path. I was working full-time as an orthodontic assistant while attending school, initially pursuing a future as a dental hygienist. However, it quickly became clear that this profession was not for me, leaving me feeling aimless and hopeless at 20, uncertain about my life's direction. Then, one day at work, during my lunch break, I received a call from my mother. She informed me that one of my cousins had passed away earlier that day. The news sent me into shock. I was speechless and unsure of how to react. After lunch, I returned to work, but it wasn't until I got home that the reality of the situation truly hit me. I couldn't stop thinking that if only there had been someone like a social worker present in his life, perhaps my cousin's fate could have been different. To provide some context, he had endured a challenging life. As the eldest of six children, he often found himself left at home to care for his siblings, assuming parental responsibilities that caused his childhood innocence to fade. He suffered from child abuse and neglect, which led him to seek solace in negative behaviors, resulting in multiple incarcerations, starting at just 16 years old. I believe that if a social worker had been advocating for him, he might not have been burdened with such heavy responsibilities at a young age, possibly steering him away from the negative influences that ultimately contributed to his demise. These reflections led me to my decision to pursue a career in social work. I want to make a difference. Too many children, like my cousin, fall through the cracks, overlooked by overburdened social workers. While one additional social worker may not seem like a significant change, it is indeed a step in the right direction. My goal is to earn my bachelor's degree in social work and then advance to a master's degree, specializing in child abuse and neglect cases. With a Master's in Social Work, I can become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, essentially working as a therapist. I aspire to support children through their challenges and, if necessary, rescue them from harmful environments. The passing of my cousin was a difficult loss, but it also serves as my motivation to pursue this career path. It drives me to help other children avoid experiencing a similar fate. This brief account may offer a glimpse into who I am and my passion for this field. Thank you for considering my essay. I look forward to your response.

Choosing to pursue a career in animation has been a lifelong fascination. From a young age, I was captivated by the ability of art to transcend words and communicate emotions and narratives in a uniquely impactful way. My passion for animation began with the realization that it combines my love for drawing with storytelling in a dynamic and engaging medium while also producing an intriguing work of art. Unlike static art, animation brings characters to life, allowing me to explore the full spectrum of human experience and fantasy. The movement, expression, and interaction inherent in animation provide a deeper layer of communication, and I am excited by the prospect of crafting stories that can evoke a range of emotions from joy to introspection. I aspire to create an impact through animation by focusing on projects that blend artistic innovation with meaningful storytelling. I believe animation has the power to address important social issues, explore complex themes, and offer diverse perspectives. By creating narratives that resonate with audiences and provoke thought, I hope to contribute to a broader cultural dialogue and foster empathy and understanding. My goal is to create work that not only entertains but also inspires and educates, reflecting diverse experiences and fostering inclusivity. My personal reasons for my commitment to animation are deeply rooted in my own experiences and aspirations. Growing up, I often felt like an outsider, using art as a refuge and a means of self-expression. Animation became a way for me to connect with others, to share stories that mattered to me, and to find a voice in a world that sometimes felt overwhelming. This personal connection fuels my desire to create content that resonates with people on a personal level, providing comfort, inspiration, or a sense of belonging. In terms of achieving my professional goals, I have set several specific objectives. First, I plan to continuously refine my technical skills in animation and drawing, staying current with industry trends and technological advancements. I recently committed to Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) for lacrosse, where I plan to major in animation and minor in visual effects. Second, I aim to build a portfolio that showcases my versatility and creativity, including both personal projects and collaborative work. Additionally, I intend to contribute to projects that emphasize diverse storytelling and champion underrepresented voices. By collaborating with others who share my values, I hope to create an animation that reflects a wide array of experiences and perspectives. This approach not only enriches the medium but also ensures that my work has a positive and inclusive impact. Ultimately, my passion for art is driven by my desire to create meaningful and transformative experiences through visual storytelling. By honing my craft, pursuing inclusive and impactful projects, and drawing on my personal experiences, I am committed to making a significant contribution to the world of animation and beyond!

From a young age, I’ve been captivated by the power of education to transform lives. This fascination began with my own experiences as a student and grew into a profound commitment to the field of education and instructional design. My choice to pursue a Master’s in Instructional Design and Learning Technology is driven by a deep-seated belief that innovative, well-crafted educational experiences can empower learners and effect positive change. My journey into the field of education was influenced by my personal experiences with both effective and ineffective teaching methods. As a high school student, I struggled with math until I encountered a calculus teacher who made complex concepts accessible and engaging. Her ability to connect with students and make learning enjoyable inspired me. This experience ignited my passion for teaching and led me to tutor peers in calculus, which further solidified my love for education. I saw firsthand how personalized support and enthusiasm could help others overcome academic challenges and build confidence. Choosing to specialize in instructional design was a natural extension of this passion. I am particularly drawn to the potential of technology to improve learning experiences. In my studies, I focus on how to integrate innovative tools and methods to create engaging, effective educational content. The goal is to design learning experiences that are not only informative but also interactive and tailored to the needs of diverse learners. By utilizing technology, I aim to make education more accessible and engaging for students of all backgrounds. My desire to create an impact in this field is driven by a commitment to equity and quality in education. I believe every student deserves the opportunity to learn in a way that suits their individual needs and strengths. By developing and implementing instructional strategies that are inclusive and adaptive, I hope to address disparities in educational outcomes and support all learners in reaching their full potential. Personal goals play a significant role in shaping my professional passion. My experiences with mental health challenges have taught me the importance of resilience and self-care, which I strive to incorporate into my work. Understanding the pressures students face, both academically and personally, motivates me to design learning environments that are supportive and nurturing. Additionally, my mother’s example of perseverance and dedication has inspired me to work hard and pursue excellence in everything I do. Her journey from overcoming personal obstacles to achieving professional success is a testament to the transformative power of education, which I seek to replicate in my own career. In summary, my choice to pursue a career in instructional design and learning technology stems from a deep passion for education and a desire to make a meaningful impact. By leveraging technology and innovative teaching methods, I aim to create engaging and effective learning experiences that empower students and promote educational equity. Personal experiences and goals further fueled my commitment to this field, and I'm dedicated to using my skills and knowledge to foster positive change and support the success of all learners.

I do not like poetry. Well, at least I didn't when I was in seventh grade. It seemed useless and hard and not worth the time. And the worst part was that starting in seventh grade, each student was required to memorize a poem, spend weeks listening to his classmates practice them, and then hear all of the best recitations performed at the poetry festival. Then, one day, we walked into our literature class to see the lights dimmed, an air of anticipation in the room. My teacher, Miss Munson, told us that we were going to receive a gift that day. Our curiosity was piqued. After a meaningful introduction, we each received a poetry anthology neatly tied up with ribbon. Maybe, I thought, I should reconsider poetry if my teacher says that it is such a gift... A few weeks later, I was standing in front of the whole school at the poetry festival, having won my class recitation competition. I chose to memorize "The Retreat" by Henry Vaughan. And strangely enough, I loved it. Something must have clicked in that moment I untied the ribbon, because not only did I love that poem, but now I am an English major who spends all day reading poetry. Whenever someone asks me why I want to be a teacher, I think of that moment when Miss Munson handed me the poetry book. I did not know it then, but her passion for poetry changed my life. Suddenly, it mattered to me because I saw how much it mattered to her. Poetry is important, not because some academic says it is, but because my teacher showed me that it is. Who we are matters, and people have been trying to figure that out since the dawn of time. And how amazing is it that some of those people wrote poems about it? Language is a beautiful thing, but how much more so when arranged in beautiful ways? But the reason I want to teach is not really about poetry. It is about the teacher who loved it enough and loved me enough to open up that new world. When I saw how passionate she was about something, I could not help but pay attention. Miss Munson impacted me in so many more ways than just teaching me about poetry. She showed me kindness and gentleness and genuine love for us and for what she taught. And those are things I will never forget. So why am I passionate about English and history and education? Because Miss Munson was, and her passion lit me up inside. I want to be the kind of person whose love and excitement can change students' lives because of the way she changed mine. I have seen that education can be so much more than passing grades, but that it can shape what we love. And all I want is to be a part of that.

Computer science inspires me. I first truly picked up computer science during the pandemic, when I took an introductory Java course and learned about the languages that are actually used in the real world. Ever since, I have spent hours upon hours absorbing whatever knowledge I could get my hands on. All that knowledge followed me to my algebra class one day, and after the lesson on polynomials, my brain clicked. I realized that algebra and computer science weren’t very different. I modeled algebraic concepts, implementing projects that automated synthetic division, finding the roots of polynomials, and anything else that I could possibly translate into code. In fact, in my sophomore year, I couldn’t take my school’s introductory computer science class due to scheduling conflicts, but that didn’t stop me. I spoke with my counselor, and I was given the opportunity to skip the introductory class and go straight to AP Computer Science A in my junior year. There, I was exposed to the countless realms of the applications of computer science, beyond just coding. I was also able to meet software engineers, and others who shared this passion, who have fascinated me with the idea of a computer science major. In order to continue my pursuit, I decided to ask them for letters of recommendation so that I could take two summer courses at a community college that had prerequisites. Inside these classes, I made sure to deeply explore every resource, and outside of those classes, I learned new programming languages, solved practice problems, and competed in competitions. Soon, I expanded the scope of my projects to physics and chemistry, making models and programs for my calculator and my laptop. Each time, a sense of accomplishment washed over me as I tested it and passed all the requirements I set for myself. Thus, computer science is permanently wired into my identity and my thinking style. I plan to apply this mindset in college by expanding my network, performing research, and immersing myself in internships, fusing computer science with the many things I will encounter on the way.