Katie Montgomery Centorbi Scholarship

My name is Addison Miller and I am a senior at St. Charles West High School. I am attending Missouri Valley College in the fall to pursue a degree in Nursing, while also playing soccer for the Vikings. When I read the description of the scholarship, and the loss of Katie's life to appendiceal cancer, I felt an immediate connection. When I was 12 years old, my mom was diagnosed with Breast Cancer and it was the scariest time for our family. We thought the worst. I helped my mom with bandages and drains, and even attended some appointments with her. I knew then that I wanted to pursue a nursing career and help others, as the nurses and doctors had helped our family. My mom is now 5 years cancer free, but we realize we are the lucky ones, not everyone's story ends that way and I am truly sorry for your family's loss. I also felt a connection because of St. Charles West. I grew up in the gyms of St. Charles West as my mom and dad were both coaches there. My mom coached Volleyball, and my dad coached Football. In fact, that is where they met! I knew I wanted to wear a Warrior uniform one day, and be a part of the energy in that gym. I have played Softball, Volleyball, and Soccer at St. Charles West and also Wrestled. However, for my junior and senior years I just focused on soccer to be able to play at the collegiate level. I am also a member of the "Tribe", which is the main student section at all sporting events, and lead many cheers for the students. My Junior year, I was accepted into the CAPS (Center for Advanced Professional Studies) program in St. Charles. This allowed me to shadow medical professionals, create a professional portfolio, and network with those professionals and other like minded students from other schools in St. Charles. When I am not at St. Charles West, I am at Club Soccer practice/games with JB Marine Soccer Club, working at Mattingly's Sports Bar, or Babysitting. I also love to hang out with my friends, and spend my paychecks:) I am also a volunteer for the annual Jerry Frick DASA Power Soccer Tournament. Power Soccer is wheelchair soccer and it is my favorite event. The players are so friendly and love being there. I am a referee for the game, but I also get to interact with all of the players. The age range is 6 years old to 50 years old and the games are very competitive. My hope is that through my experiences with the CAPS program, Power Soccer, and mostly with my own family, I can become an incredible nurse with the compassion and expertise that patients deserve. Missouri Valley has an amazing program with brand new facilities, so I am incredibly excited to begin my journey there next year. Thank you very much for your consideration, and I appreciate your family for helping students like myself achieve my goals, while continuing the legacy of who Katie was. Sincerely, Addison Miller

My name is Chloe Stonebarger and I have lived in St. Charles my whole life. I have been part of the City of St. Charles school district since kindergarten. I became interested in nursing once my great-grandmother was moved into care in St. Charles. She had been a nurse her entire career and was always a caregiver for our family. While in care, I saw how great the need is for elderly patients. I went through the CAPs program my junior year at St. Charles West and shadowed at many medical facilities in the STL area and saw many different facets of nursing. As part of the program, I was able to shadow an ICU nurse and experience how that role can differ from other nursing roles within the hospital and facilities. I would love to be able to either work in the ICU with patients that may need the most care or with elderly patients needing care. Part of the CAPs program had us volunteer at specialized Adult Care centers for patients who were in the early stages of Alzheimer's/Dementia along with those affected by Parkinson's. This allowed more one on one time with the patients and build a small relationship with them and help them be comfortable during the time at the center. My goal is to go to college to earn my nursing degree and RN. In going to college, I also want to continue my volleyball career. I have been playing volleyball since I was 8 years old and love the game. I was a member of the SCW Warriors varsity volleyball team all four years. I led the GAC North (Gateway Athletic Conference) in digs and serve receive, and ranked third in the conference for serving. Finding a college to allow me to continue to play and reach my goal of becoming a nurse was at the forefront of my college search. I believe I have found this school through Central Methodist University. Their program will allow me to continue to be a student athlete and go through a robust nursing program. This memorial scholarship is a wonderful gift for anyone that has been affected by cancer or is dealing with cancer. My father was affected by cancer when I was only a year old and was fortunate enough to beat it and remain healthy to this day. I have witnessed my own close friend deal with cancer with her mother who was a teacher in the St. Charles school district. She too is healthy to this day. While I may not be on the side to potentially find the cure for this horrible disease, my role would be as the caregiver to provide comfort in their trying time. My goal is be able to help any and all patients that are needing care and assistance. Thank you for taking the time to review my application.