Overcoming Adversity - Jack Terry Memorial Scholarship

What inspires me the most about Jack Terry’s story is what he chose to do with his life after the unimaginable things he experienced. It reminds me that it truly is up to you how your life turns out. I find it remarkable that he had no more than an elementary school education, spoke no English, and endured the beginning of his life to make his way to medical school. Again, it is a reminder to me that anything is possible. A person could start life in a horrendous situation, but that start does not define your future. My life started out being born to drug-addicted parents whose last priority was to parent their children. I was fortunate to be saved from exposure to that environment by my great-grandmother who did prioritize my life. She provided a safe and loving environment for me and my siblings for the first seven years of my life until she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and passed away. I was then fortunate to have a great-great aunt take over my guardianship, secured by my great-grandmother before her passing. I have resided with that great-great aunt for the last 10 years. This beginning of my life presented many adversities for me to overcome. I lost the person I loved the most, feeling different from my classmates who had intact families, having to change schools and leave friends behind, as well as having to adjust to a new home environment and a new parent. From the perspective of a 17-year-old looking back at the start of her life, I’ve learned the importance of having a strong support system that prioritizes me and my future. I learned the importance of surrounding myself with strong people with good intentions. I’ve learned what I want in my future and what I don’t. I’ve learned that service to others is important. I’ve learned the difference a single individual can make in another person's life. And like Jack Terry, I’ve learned the beginning of your story does not predict the end. I plan to be a Registered Nurse, focusing on the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). I have twin brothers who spent the first three months of their life in a NICU. In a way, it’s my way of giving back what they got. As a Registered Nurse, I will spend time at my job offering support to babies who have a similar start to life as I did, not only by providing medical care but also by sharing my story with parents. As a Registered Nurse, I plan to volunteer in my community, working with children born in similar circumstances as mine. I am also interested in serving on community committees and boards whose goal is to provide assistance and resources for children born into adverse situations and environments.

I believe the greatest adversity I have faced, and will probably continue to face is my health. I have been chronically ill for 7 years, and while I am doing pretty well right now, that has definitely not always been the case. When I was first diagnosed, I thought that maybe there would be a cure or at least a medication that could treat me so that I could be “normal” and functional again, but unfortunately, intractable chronic migraines and POTS have no cure, and most medications don’t work for me. I found that out through years of trial and error. This meant that I had to learn how to function while constantly being in pain. I had to learn how to be able to complete necessary tasks by pushing through pain, while also knowing how to pace myself so that I don’t get worse. I had to learn how to live a life that was guided by my conditions, and how to stay motivated even when times were hard. I realized that I could still dream big, and set goals for myself, but that I might have to adjust my life and the path to that goal, in order to achieve it. I am at a point in my life, where I have finally gotten past just surviving, and have actually started thriving again because I have learned about the importance of balance through my health. I still struggle sometimes, but I now have clear goals, and a plan on how to achieve them, without causing my health to decline. I believe facing this adversity made me a stronger and more empathetic person, especially toward others with invisible illnesses and disabilities. It also taught me how to set important priorities in my life. My goal for the future is to study childhood development and education and become a Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS), while also getting a master's degree in either early childhood development or education. I realized being a CCLS was going to be my goal after I was hospitalized myself at 15 years old for 10 days, due to my conditions. During my hospital stay, I met a Child Life specialist, and was immediately fascinated! I have always wanted to help people, I love working with children, and I believe I have a unique perspective for helping children in medical settings, seeing as I was a very sick child/teen myself. I fell in love with the job and the idea that I could help others like me. Hopefully, I will be able to put a little bit of the support, love, and guidance that I have received throughout my journey back into our society by helping not only my young patients but also supporting their siblings and their parents!