Dear Mary Watson, I have always had a deep passion for animals and knew I wanted to help them from an early age, though I was unsure of the specific path I wanted to take. My name is Alana J. Clack, and I am currently a dual-enrolled Junior at East Village Middle College High School. This unique opportunity to be both a high school and college student has further encouraged my dreams of earning a Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine. I believe this scholarship can significantly contribute to my academic and professional success, helping me become a strong, influential veterinarian. I lost my best friend, Earl Gray, in April 2022. I adopted Earl Gray, a beautiful baby cockatiel, in November 2021. He brought joy to everyone’s day, especially mine. He was the special something I looked forward to seeing after school as he was a great listener who always made me laugh. Despite the short time we had together, Earl Gray taught me invaluable life lessons as a first-time pet owner. Caring for him made me a more mature and responsible teenager as I learned patience, priorities, and time management. In many ways, he taught me more than I could have ever taught him, including helping me realize who I want to be. Earl Gray’s passing was sudden, caused by an unknown illness. As a first-time pet owner, I didn’t fully recognize how small changes in an animal’s health could signal something serious, which unfortunately contributed to his loss. The guilt of losing him was difficult to overcome, but it motivated me to learn more about animals and grow from this experience. Earl Gray’s death opened my eyes to the importance of understanding and caring for animals, especially exotic species like him. His passing solidified my decision to dedicate my life to helping animals and to honor his memory by making a positive difference in their lives. This life-changing experience has shaped my ambition to advocate for animal welfare and create lasting bonds with animals, helping them live healthier and happier lives. I believe everything happens for a reason, and I know I wouldn’t have grown as a pet owner or a person without Earl Gray’s presence in my life. He is the reason I aspire to become a veterinarian and an advocate for animals who cannot speak for themselves. Winning this scholarship would help me achieve my goal of earning a Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine. The financial support would allow me to focus on my studies and commit fully to my education, removing barriers that come with pursuing such a rigorous field. Furthermore, this scholarship would recognize my resilience and dedication to turning personal loss into meaningful action. Earl Gray’s legacy continues to drive my passion, and receiving this scholarship would bring me one step closer to honoring his life by making a lasting impact on the lives of animals and the people who care for them. This scholarship would not only help me achieve my academic and career goals but also allow me to give back to my community. As I continue to thrive in my education, I hope to inspire others who share a love for animals and encourage them to pursue their dreams, no matter the challenges they face. Earl Gray’s story has taught me that even through loss, there is an opportunity for growth and change. His life has motivated me to strive for excellence and dedicate myself to a career where I can advocate for the wellbeing of all animals, especially those who need a voice. Thank you for your consideration, Alana J. Clack

Dear For the Love of Pinot Memorial Scholarship Review Committee, I have always had a deep passion for all animals and knew I wanted to help them at a very early age, though I was unsure of what I wanted to be when I grew older. My name is Alana J. Clack, and I am currently a dual-enrolled Junior at East Village Middle College High School. As I have the opportunity to be a high school student and college student simultaneously, attending this school has further encouraged my dreams of earning a Doctorate Degree in Veterinary Medicine. Attributing to this, I strongly believe that this scholarship can greatly contribute to my overall academic and professional success in becoming a strong, influential Veterinarian when I’m older. I lost my best friend in April of 2022. I adopted a beautiful baby cockatiel who I named Earl Gray in November of 2021. Earl Gray was loved by many as he made everyone's day, especially mine. He was the something special I looked forward to seeing everyday after school, as he was a great listener and always knew how to make me laugh. Though his life was cut way too short, he taught me so many valuable life lessons during that short period, especially as a first time pet owner. With the task of taking care of someone other than myself, he made me want to be a mature and responsible teenager as he taught me patience, priorities, and time management. He taught me more things than I could’ve ever taught him, a significant one being who I wanted to be. Earl Gray’s passing was very sudden, as he passed away from an unknown illness. As a first time pet owner, I was unaware of the significance small changes can have when our animal friends get sick and this unfortunately was the case with Earl Gray. The guilt of losing him is something that I have had to work through and I’m so glad that I have overcome. The life experience of losing my best friend opened my eyes to learning about many other animals out there and he is the reason why I chose to learn and grow from being a first-time pet parent. This has further encouraged me to want to dedicate my life and make a huge difference by continuing to learn how to help save and take care of various different animals, especially our exotic animal friends. His death helped me come to the realization that I wanted to be a veterinarian and continue to celebrate and honor his life through giving back to all animals. With this I can say, though losing him was sad for me, it has been positively turned around into helping save so many other animals. Having the ability to form bonds with animals, advocate for their needs, and help them live healthier, happier lives is what drives my ambition to keep thriving in my education and as a person in general. Though I often create ‘what-ifs,’ I believe that everything happens for a reason and I know I wouldn’t have grown as a pet owner or human-being in general if it wasn’t for my first pet and best friend, Earl Gray and his life. He is the reason why I am the person I am today and the reason why I want to be a veterinarian and advocate for animals. Thank you for your consideration, Alana J. Clack