Paws for Progress Scholarship

My mom is a science teacher, and for as long as I remember, she would take us kids to every science related experience possible. As a family, we visit natural history museums, aquariums, nature centers, and zoos wherever we go. At five years old, I attended my very first summer camp learning about dinosaurs at the Delaware Museum of Nature and Science. In second grade, my parents drove me each day to a summer camp in Smyrna called “Creatures Under the Sea to Dinosaurs on Land” because they knew how much I loved animals. As a boy scout, I focused on earning merit badges in nature science, fishing, oceanography, and wildlife. I had the opportunity to go into the penguin exhibit at the Baltimore Zoo, take a behind the scenes shark tour at Sea World, spend a day with a zoologist and swim with dolphins at Discovery Cove, and travel to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. While in the Galapagos, we got to tour a tortoise sanctuary, visit the Charles Darwin Research Station, and snorkel with white tip sharks. Last summer, I volunteered at The Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center in North Carolina. I cleaned tanks as well as fed and helped give medication to the turtles. I also educated the public about how to protect marine turtles. Many of the turtles needed rescuing because of interactions with boats and humans, which was very frustrating to me. I was able to enjoy this experience because I was accepted to a special Sea Turtle Camp on TopSail Island. In addition to learning about turtles, we dissected squid, studied other ocean animals, and participated in beach clean ups. My number one goal in life is to become a marine biologist. I want to discover things about marine animals that no one has ever seen before, such as the reproductive habits of a certain species of eel. I want to uncover mysteries in this field and bring light to endangered species and ocean conservation. I want to lead the next generation into a path of conservation and make them love the ocean just as much as I do. Being a leader in this field is not just about telling others what to do, it's about being an example and guiding others into a future where both people and the world around them will be better. It's about passing down the knowledge from one person to the next and so on. The more people I can reach out to and guide into my passion, the better the world will be. My experiences volunteering with kids at day camp, coaching soccer, working counter service at part-time jobs, and at the Sea Turtle Rescue will be invaluable as I move forward into college, internships, and eventually my dream career in marine biology. I would be proud to be honored with a Paws for Progress Scholarship. Remaining drug and alcohol free, putting forth my best effort in college, and continuing to volunteer are ways I can honor my community and the sponsor of this scholarship, Little Landmines. I understand that while my career will have a positive impact on the environment and the wildlife around us, being a marine biologist is not going to bring in a big salary. I want to spend my time in college focusing on experiences and research, while not having to worry my family or myself with student debt. This scholarship will help me do just that.

My passion for veterinary science sparked during my placement experience at the Middletown Veterinary Hospital. During this placement, I was given the incredible opportunity to witness operations, clinical appointments, and emergency response care, observe numerous treatments, compare the anatomy of different species, and even assist with the neutering of a shelter dog. Throughout my experience, I was able to gain insights into different treatment decisions and medical scenarios by asking questions and listening to what the doctors had to say. The most memorable experience that pushed me to become a veterinarian was when I assisted with an emergency canine C-section. It was a day like any other, except when I got there I was told that my mentor, Dr.Jackson, was already in the surgery room. When I walked in, a dog was already on the table ready to go through a procedure, so I knew something was urgent. When I asked what was happening it was explained to me that they had decided to conduct an emergency C-section on a chihuahua in an attempt to save the mother's life. We were expecting the outcome of this procedure to be a mother whose children did not make it, but we could not have been more wrong. During the procedure, Dr.Jackson would carefully remove the babies from the mother's stomach, and could then hand them off to her surgical tech and vet student to try and make them whine and show signs of life. They had me assist with handing them materials like towels and suction devices to get the fluid out of the puppies' lungs. After the mother was closed back up I was able to see that the majority of her puppies were active and breathing. While I was also holding the babies in my hands, to help with the removal of their umbilical cords, I was enthralled by the amazing experience of witnessing this happening while also being able to hold and nurture the little lives that our team had just saved. Feeling the beating hearts of the puppies getting stronger and stronger in my hands, when moments ago we had thought that they were already gone, was so inspiring to me. This procedure was all I could talk about when I got back home and I knew that this would be a moment that I could never forget. This experience piqued my interest in surgical studies and has greatly influenced my plans for the future in the field of veterinary medicine. My eyes were opened to just how intricate and intriguing veterinary science is, and how it can be utilized to save lives that can not save themselves. I now aspire to explore the world of veterinary medicine and have taken my first steps toward that pursuit as I have committed to majoring in small animal science at Delaware Valley University to dedicate myself to these studies and ensure that my future lies in a career where I can use my knowledge to benefit the lives of animals.