Marian Haley Memorial Scholarship

Education makes a difference in one's life as well as in the lives of others. It is the foundation for creating a better future. Most importantly, education is lasting, while money and status can be fleeting. I am a proud teenage daughter of two Parsi parents who have sacrificed many of their life goals to immigrate to the United States. They have ensured me every opportunity to maximize my potential in both my nursing career and my life. Though social norms have steadily progressed, in India, where my parents were born and raised, there continues to be a stigma against women receiving a high education, financial independence, and leadership roles in society. I am blessed to have parents who have inspired me to embrace the opportunities that I have received in life, particularly through my education, and be the progressor of change that millions of women across the globe seek to be a part of. I will graduate from BASIS Scottsdale in May 2024, after completing 11 AP (Advanced Placement) Exams. I plan on earning my BSN at ASU (Arizona State University) in Downtown Phoenix. After working in the SICU (Surgical ICU), I aim to specialize in Anesthesia, by earning a DNP at the University of Maryland. I intend on becoming a CRNA (Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist) to have a sense of pride in my career. Additionally, I am confident that a career in nursing will allow me to positively impact patients' lives by providing beneficial and compassionate care in my field. I want to be part of a career field that I, my family, and hopefully, someday my future family will be proud of. In my undergraduate education, I desire to study amongst other passionate individuals interested in personalized mentorship, prestigious internship opportunities, reputable clinical nursing programs, and study abroad initiatives. I want to help shape the very same community that I plan to serve, with a minor in Health Care Coordination, in addition to completing a High School Senior Research Project highlighting primary care in family medicine and its role in preventing cardiovascular diseases, through an internship at Novakovic Family Practice. I further aim to develop an understanding of how healthcare coordination enables me to assist every patient and their family and protect their right to proper treatment. Due to a favorable College-Career balance and a personal touch to caring for patients, by viewing every patient as an individual rather than merely as an aspect of a caseload, I do not doubt that nursing is the career path that I want to specialize in. My main goal is to provide comfort and care and leave a lasting, constructive imprint on the lives of others, in my profession and life. For me, education's purpose is to give back—to myself and others. I want to give back to my Parsi immigrant parents who have provided me with a stable life despite their hardships and sacrifices. I want to give back to them as much as I want to give back to my community, as their dedication has been just as supportive as my school and my community in providing me with invaluable resources for my future. Above all, I strive to use education to better the lives of patients through my nursing profession and specialization.

As a born-and-raised homeschooler, education has always been the first priority to my family and to me. I have been raised to value education as an opportunity and as a privilege. According to the values I've been raised in, education is an opportunity to improve, refine, and further myself, and the privlege of education and deeper knowledge may not be something immediately accessible to everyone. Being fortunate enough to have access to any books, research, or information I may desire through the Western world of libraries, internet, and tutors has postiviely impacted my desire to improve myself through higher education and use my training to create a meaningful impact in the lives of others. I am adamantly passionate about reaching families and communities affected by disabilities, special needs, and learning setbacks through ministry and education. During my life, I have been personally impacted by the influence of loved ones living with various disabilities. These people genuinely brighten every community they participate in, motivate meaningful change, and have ultimately inspired me and my passions. Recently, I learned that people living with developmental, physical, or learning disabilities cumulatively make up the largest unreached people group in the world, and this is something I intensely aspire to see changed. Because of my desire to participate in a positive, meaningful change in the circumstances of those living with disability, I plan on pursuing a degree in Christian Ministries with a minor in Special Education. With the training I will receive from this and from my current internship with Joni & Friends, my intent and ambition are to help initiate the steps necessary to see the disability community further connected with the church community in an authentic manner, one where these people deserving of compassion of hope are integrated as relevant, functioning units of society. The first, most intentional step I take in stewarding, serving, or leading the communities around me is knowing the individuals within groups of people I am serving for more than face-value appearance. I strive to understand their character, their needs, and the most optimal way to serve, support, and lead them toward positive relationships and choices. I have realized that most people do not take the time to apply this sort of consideration to people impacted by disability or special needs, and I believe that is hugely important for especially this community, since their needs are widely misunderstood. This is hugely important to the career I have chosen, and I intend to advocate to the public for the special needs of those with misunderstood disabilities. I am incredibly excited to initate meaningful change in the lives of others with the education I hope to achieve and the career path I plan to take. Being so deeply passionate about the special needs communities that I have encountered has been fuel to my desire to further the education and integration of other communities like their's and, ultimately, an overrall attitude of authentic compassion towards these people. I aspire for my education to impact the education of others and for my leadership to strengthen the leadership of others. Participating in an impactful mission that carries an influence larger than myself is so valuable and imperative to me, that I would feel incredibly fortunate to be able to do so. Special Education and Disability Ministry has always been an outlet for service that I feel personally connected to, so I hope my current internship with Joni & Friends opens doors for a career path in disability ministry post-college graduation.

School and education has always been a part of me. My dad is a Principal and my mom is a Teacher, so I've grown up as an education child. I have seen my parents work really hard for their schools and I have also seen the same hard work given to me by my teachers. I believe education is a privilege. One that many of us take for granted. When I was in 8th grade, my English class had a debate on the importance of school. Through that debate, I learned how many children don’t get the opportunity to go to school. While that may sound nice sometimes to have to do work for a day, it doesn’t help in the future. Getting an education helps boost you towards your goals in the future. For myself, I want to go into nursing, but I wouldn’t have known that if I hadn’t been able to go to school. My Freshman year is when I decided I wanted to pursue nursing. I joined athletic training as it was the closest thing my school had to offer to nursing and I instantly loved it. Learning about the body and all the muscles, bones, organs and tissues was really interesting. Getting to learn helped me make plans and goals for my future. School has also helped build me into the person I am. Kids are in school for a hundred-plus days and throughout that they are faced with many experiences. School teaches time management, problem-solving, and personal development. Deciding when to do your homework or if you should do your school work at all is taught in school. Should you turn your work in on time or turn it in late is taught in school. Failure and being okay with failing are taught in school. School isn’t just a place where you go to learn about math, science, and reading, it's a place where you go to learn about yourself. Teachers, Aids, Administrators, and Security Guards are all influential people who build up the school and build up individuals. When asked why education is important, I say because it is the building blocks of yourself and it is a privilege to experience. Without education, society would be lost and it would be hard for many to formulate goals for their future, but with it, life is a beautiful thing, and learning is a beautiful thing.