Growing up in a small town brings hardships many people do not realize. Some still believe that women are for raising families, women do not go to college, and the best career paths are close to home. I had to push and prove myself to be able to go to Mercer University, which is two hours from my house. There is little in Hazlehurst besides trees, cows, and crops, but I still manage to help people at every chance I get. Starting my first year of high school, I have coordinated and managed many volunteer and community service projects with the nursing home, food bank, and the school for special needs students. My favorite event was holding a prom for the special needs students at my school. It took standing up for their rights and showing people that a regular prom would be too much for these students. They would have never been able to experience a dance. While holding this event was heartwarming, volunteering at the nursing home (my mom's work) touched me the most. I loved dressing out and going up to the operating room. But imagine my excitement when I learned they allowed me to return to shadow the ophthalmologist. There, I watched my first cataract eye surgery and fell in love with the field of ophthalmology. While being from a rural town can have some perks, there are few healthcare options. There is no stationed ophthalmologist in South Georgia, meaning hospitals and nursing homes must have ophthalmologists from two hours away for cataract or retina eye surgeries. Even then, people must realize that insurance does not fully cover these surgeries. Without the money to pay for it, they go blind. When covid hit my small town, Twin Oaks nursing home shut its doors to the public and no longer let volunteers in for the safety of its patients. My mom came home every day scared and too shaken to talk about the horrors that had happened. When an understaffed and underequipped facility experiences a hardship, they often have to make decisions that they never thought they would have to. After all, how do you decide who the equipment should go to? Some people may not know this, but South Georgia has a high population of Hispanics which often led to language barriers during covid when nurses who could translate were sick. Hearing my mom's stories and hardships made me decide to study Spanish in college. I hope to inspire others that a small-town girl's dreams can come true. To show them they are not stuck in this life and can become whatever they wish, even if it seems wild to the whole community. I have found strength in other amazing women's perseverance, and I want to be that for other young girls after me. The fight for women's equality is still ongoing. My plan to positively impact the world is to graduate with a Bachelor's in Biology and Spanish, then continue to medical school and an ophthalmology program to be a bilingual ophthalmologist. One day I plan to open a pro bono clinic for patients who cannot afford cataract surgery.

In the greenest scrubs you can imagine, I stand in the dressing room. I am shaking just a little from excitement. I can only remember a few times in my life that I have felt this much thrill. It is like going down from the highest spot on a rollercoaster. I pull my scrub shoes and cap on and wash my hands before exiting the room. I step into the fluorescent lights of the hospital emergency room hallway, and I know I am fixing to make a memory I will never forget. I practically sprint down to where the ER nurses were standing and they say Dr. Imhoff had already begun a new procedure. So, I wait until Dr.Imhoff exits. He walks back down the hallway to the laser room where the real magic takes place. He places the patient under the scope and their eye pops up onto the screen with a graph showing the hertz of the laser. For me, this is the most incredible thing I have ever seen. The doctor is using a graph that I have learned about in Calculus. He uses it to laser the cataract so he can repair it in the surgical room. While most shadowers would get bored after two patients, I stayed for all 25 patients that day and return on another day. Watching him fix these people’s eyesight, I felt something inside of me, and I knew that I had to become an Ophthalmologist. My mom is a nurse in a community nursing home which is also part of a hospital. She has shown me how to love people and care for them no matter who they are. She helped me gain experience and schedule shadowing experiences for several healthcare positions. It allowed me to see that healthcare is the field I am meant to be in. While I was going through these experiences, I learned patience and quick-thinking skills that shows in my everyday life and academically. However, the most important skill I gained was a passion for people. My family and friends often ask how I can care for people who I know nothing about. I have volunteered for homeless shelters and nursing homes because I love to help people. Ultimately, I dream to be able to restore a vital part of the human senses, and I know for many patients it was like changing from an old box television to a new high-resolution imaging television. I already loved the medical field, but the feeling I felt in that operating room let me know that it was where I belong. Meeting these patients and watching Dr. Imhoff restore eyesight is why it is my dream to open an Ophthalmologist clinic for the underprivileged. I currently attend Mercer University, and I plan to get a bachelor's in Biology and Spanish. In my first year here at Mercer, I volunteered with MerServe and joined the Mercer Pre-med organization on campus. I have also made it onto the Special Consideration Program for Medicine at Mercer. I loved volunteering in my hometown, and since being in Macon, GA I have found another passion of caring for the homeless. While I am only a freshman, I have already found an ophthalmologist clinic where I can work part-time as a medical assistant. It has further affirmed that I love what ophthalmologists do and I cannot wait to make a difference in this field.

Einstein once stated, "It's not that I'm so smart, I just stay with problems longer." This quote has played a major role in my life and is an all-time favorite of mine. Einstein was telling people that he is not as smart as people think. The difference between him and everyone else was that he kept going even when things got tough. In this way, Einstein and I are a lot alike because my best characteristic is persistence. I am not speaking of the persistence to finish a race without stopping, or starting something and never giving it up. I speak of the persistence that is needed when told something is impossible. I always accomplish what I put my mind to. I never give up. I have had people try to defer me from my destination. I have been told before, "You cannot go to college because you are a female." Despite the naysayers who say I am not smart enough, I keep going. Trying to become a surgeon seems like an impossible feat in my small town. I have never listened to the naysayers in my life, and that is why I persist. I knew from a young age; I wanted to be an eye surgeon. Starting in middle school, I have always been overlooked and had to fight to stay in all advanced classes. Then, I go to high school, and it is certainly no better. But, I persevere. Something no one can take away is graduating high school with a 99-grade point average, and my class rank being 2nd. A group of experienced parliamentary procedure debaters asked me to compete with them even though I had no clue how to. But within one week, I was able to be as experienced as them. We ended up winning first place, and one of the student teachers certainly amazed me. She wrote me a note saying, "You will accomplish great things because you finish whatever you put your mind to." My persistence is not just something that I WILL use to drive me, but it is something that I have been using and will continue to use. This strength will continue to be the driving force of my success. I write this today to tell you that my vision is to become an ophthalmologist, and I will go to medical school. My mom works at a local nursing home, and I was able to shadow a cataract eye surgeon. The day I stepped into the operating room and watched the procedure I knew that it was what I wanted to do. I, also, learned that insurance does not cover all cataract surgeries, and many people cannot afford it so they go blind. I have always had a passion for people, so it is my dream to be able to open a pro-bono clinic in South Georgia. In my first year here at Mercer, I volunteered with MerServe and joined the Mercer Pre-med organization on campus. I have also made it onto the Special Consideration Program for Medicine at Mercer. I loved volunteering in my hometown, and since being in Macon, GA I have found another passion of caring for the homeless. While I am only a freshman, I have already found an ophthalmologist clinic where I can work part-time as a medical assistant. It has further affirmed that I love what ophthalmologists do and I cannot wait to make a difference in this field.

Einstein once stated, "It's not that I'm so smart, I just stay with problems longer." The difference between Einstein and everyone else was that he kept going even when things got tough. In this way, Einstein and I are a lot alike because my best characteristic is persistence. I have been told before, "You cannot go to college because you are a female." The hardest part of living in rural Georgia is growing up with the old southern ridicule. I have never listened to the naysayers in my life, and that is why I persist. Trying to become a surgeon seems like an impossible feat in my small town. We have only one small hospital for emergencies, but if someone is needing help they will be life flighted to Savannah or a 30 to 45-minute drive to the next hospital. When I was little I had severe stomach pains, my parents took me to many doctors nearby but no one knew what was wrong. My curiosity of how medicine worked began at a young age because I wanted to stop hurting. It was not until I was 16 that I discovered I have a non-celiac gluten sensitivity. However, I mostly get my passion for medicine from my mom. My mom is a registered nurse in a community nursing home which is also a part of a hospital. Through volunteering and working alongside her, she has shown me how to love people and care for them no matter who they are. She helped me gain experience and schedule shadowing experiences for several healthcare positions. It allowed me to see that healthcare is the field I am meant to be in. While I was going through these experiences, I learned patience, quick-thinking skills, and persistence that show in my everyday life and academically. However, the most important skill I gained was a passion for people. My family and friends often ask how I can care for people who I know nothing about. Throughout my high school career, I arranged for my local and the neighboring county’s nursing home patients to receive valentines personally made with a treat attached. However it was after shadowing an ophthalmologist who had to fly from Brunswick, I knew that I wanted to fix people’s eyes. There are not many ophthalmologists in South Georgia and no pediatric or general ophthalmologists. On top of this, I have seen nursing home patients not be able to pay for cataract surgery, and they eventually went blind. It is my dream to be able to one day have a pro-bono clinic in South Georgia for patients who cannot afford cataract surgery. While being a full-time college student, I am still pushing through to find time to be a volunteer in my new home in Macon, Ga. At Mercer, we have a program called MerServe that hosts community service events at several locations in Macon on Saturdays. I have been privileged to be a part of the Mulberry Outreach Program during a Mer-Serve Saturday and it was one of the best experiences in my life. I plan to continue to participate in Mer-Serve Saturdays and get involved with a specific program this next semester. I have fought for everything I have accomplished and will continue to persist until I have met all my goals to get into medical school. It is not just something that I WILL use to drive me, but it is something that I have been using and will continue to use. This strength will continue to be the driving force of my success.

In the greenest scrubs you can imagine, I stand in the dressing room. I am shaking just a little from excitement. I can only remember a few times in my life that I have felt this much thrill. It is like going down from the highest spot on a rollercoaster. I pull my scrub shoes and cap on and wash my hands before exiting the room. I step into the fluorescent lights of the hospital emergency room hallway, and I know I am fixing to make a memory I will never forget. I practically sprint down to where the ER nurses were standing and they say Dr. Imhoff had already begun a new procedure. So, I wait until Dr.Imhoff exits. He walks back down the hallway to the laser room where the real magic takes place. He places the patient under the scope and their eye pops up onto the screen with a graph showing the hertz of the laser. For me, this is the most incredible thing I have ever seen. The doctor is using a graph that I have learned about in Calculus. He uses it to laser the cataract so he can repair it in the surgical room. While most shadowers would get bored after two patients, I stay for all 25 patients that day and return on another day. Watching him fix these people’s eyesight, I felt something inside of me and I knew that I had to become an Ophthalmologist. My mom is a nurse in a community nursing home which is also a part of a hospital. She has shown me how to love people and care for them no matter who they are. She helped me gain experience and schedule shadowing experiences for several healthcare positions. It allowed me to see that healthcare is the field I am meant to be in. While I was going through these experiences, I learned patience and quick-thinking skills that shows in my everyday life and academically. However, the most important skill I gained was a passion for people. My family and friends often ask how I can care for people who I know nothing about. I have volunteered for homeless shelters and nursing homes because I love to help people. Ultimately, I dream to be able to restore a vital part of the human senses, and I know for many patients it was like changing from an old box television to a new high-resolution imaging television. I already loved the medical field, but the feeling I felt in that operating room let me know that it was where I belong. I plan to get a bachelor's in Biology with a minor in Spanish. Then, I will continue my education in Medical School while also learning Spanish to be a bilingual surgeon. From there, I will go into an Ophthalmology internship. I love people and I want to help them as much as possible. I have met nursing home patients who could not afford cataract surgery and they will go blind without it. Meeting these patients and watching Dr. Imhoff restore eyesight is why it is my dream to open an Ophthalmologist clinic for the underprivileged. I have 6/7 years of schooling left because I have completed some through dual enrollment. This means I have that many years of tuition left to pay. This scholarship would be able to help fund this dream.

In the greenest scrubs you can imagine, I stand in the dressing room. I am shaking just a little from excitement. I can only remember a few times in my life that I have felt this much thrill. It is like going down from the highest spot on a rollercoaster. I pull my scrub shoes and cap on and wash my hands before exiting the room. I step into the fluorescent lights of the hospital emergency room hallway, and I know I am fixing to make a memory I will never forget. I practically sprint down to where the ER nurses were standing and they say Dr. Imhoff had already begun a new procedure. So, I wait until Dr.Imhoff exits. He walks back down the hallway to the laser room where the real magic takes place. He places the patient under the scope and their eye pops up onto the screen with a graph showing the hertz of the laser. For me, this is the most incredible thing I have ever seen. The doctor is using a graph that I have learned about in Calculus. He uses it to laser the cataract so he can repair it in the surgical room. While most shadowers would get bored after two patients, I stay for all 25 patients that day and return on another day. Watching him fix these people’s eyesight, I felt something inside of me and I knew that I had to become an Ophthalmologist. I dream to be able to restore a vital part of the human senses, and I know for many patients it was like changing from an old box television to a new high-resolution imaging television. I already loved the medical field, but the feeling I felt in that operating room let me know that it was where I belong. I already loved the medical field, but the feeling I felt in that operating room let me know that it was where I belong. If I do one thing for the rest of my life, it has to be this. All my hard work in school is so that one day I will be able to do what this surgeon was doing. I plan to get a bachelors in Biology with a minor in Spanish. Then, I will continue my education in Medical School while also learning Spanish to be a bilingual surgeon. From there, I will go into an Ophthalmolgy internship. I love people and I want to help them as much as possible. I have met nursing home patients who could not afford cataract surgery and they will go blind without it. Meeting these patients and watching Dr. Imhoff restore eyesight is why it is my dream to open an Ophthalmologist clinic for the underprivileged.

I have been told before, "You cannot go to college because you are a female." Despite the naysayers who say I am not smart enough, I keep going. Trying to become a surgeon seems like an impossible feat in my small town. I have never listened to the naysayers in my life, and that is why I persist. I knew from a young age; I wanted to be an eye surgeon. Starting in middle school, I have always been overlooked and had to fight to stay in all advanced classes. Then, high school was certainly no better. But, I persevere. Something no one can take away is my 99-grade point average, my class rank being 2nd, and I am STAR student (highest SAT in my class). Also, I am an active member of Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America. In my freshman year, I stepped in front of several judges in a speaking contest. I came out getting 2nd place in a contest that I had no clue what I was doing. Again this year, a group of experienced parliamentary procedure debaters asked me to compete with them even though I had no clue how to. But within one week, I was as experienced as them. We ended up winning first place, and one of the student teachers certainly amazed me. She wrote me a note saying, "you will accomplish great things because you finish whatever you put your mind too." While being a full-time college student, I am still pushing through to find time to be a volunteer in my community. Just this past year, I gave gifts to nursing homes in my surrounding communities, and I planned a special education formal party. I was never supposed to amount to anything, yet here I am thriving.

Einstein once stated, "It's not that I'm so smart, I just stay with problems longer." This quote has played a major role in my life and is an all-time favorite of mine. Einstein was telling people that he is not as smart as people make him out to be. The difference between him and everyone else was that he kept going even when things got tough. In this way, Einstein and I are a lot alike because my best characteristic is persistence. I am not speaking of the persistence to finish a race without stopping, or starting something and never giving it up. I speak of the persistence that is needed when told something is impossible. I always accomplish what I put my mind to. I never give up. I have had people try to defer me from my destination. I have been told before, "You cannot go to college because you are a female." Despite the naysayers who say I am not smart enough, I keep going. Trying to become a surgeon seems like an impossible feat in my small town. I have never listened to the naysayers in my life, and that is why I persist. I knew from a young age; I wanted to be an eye surgeon. I write this today to tell you that Einstein's words have guided me in every problem I have faced. Starting in middle school, I have always been overlooked and having to fight to stay in all advanced classes. Then, I go to high school, and it is certainly no better. But, it does not matter how they see me, it matters that I keep going. Something no one can take away is my 99-grade point average, and my class rank being 2nd. Also, I am an active member of Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America. In my freshman year, I stepped in front of several judges in a speaking contest. I came out getting 2nd place in a contest that I had no clue what I was doing. Again this year, a group of experienced parliamentary procedure debaters asked me to compete with them even though I had no clue how to. But within one week, I was able to be as experienced as them. We ended up winning first place, and one of the student teachers certainly amazed me. She wrote me a note saying, "you will accomplish great things because you finish whatever you put your mind to." While being a full-time college student, I am still pushing through to find time to be a volunteer in my community. I have fought for everything I have accomplished and will continue to persist until I have met all my goals to get into medical school. It is not just something that I WILL use to drive me, but it is something that I have been using and will continue to use. This strength will continue to be the driving force of my success.

The yellow sun started to set in the colorful sky. A mother looked down at her newborn child. He looked across the table at the love of his life. Imagery is often used in descriptions to catch peoples' attention and let them see what they see. However, sight is taken for granted because it is a luxury not everyone has. I have volunteered to help the homeless, abused women and children, and nursing homes. The first time that I was truly heartbroken was when a man in the nursing home was blind because he could not afford cataract surgery. . My mom works there, and she told me, "He would be able to see again if he was able to afford cataract surgery." That was when I realized I could not help everyone. Many patients there are older and can only stay there because of their insurance; therefore, this patient does not have the money for eye surgery and will never have the ability to see again. In fifth grade, I decided I wanted to be an ophthalmologist when I grew up. I once had a doctor tell me, "Fixing people's eyesight is the most rewarding because of the impact it leaves on people's lives." His statement has led me to pursue the medical field to come back and help my small/ underserved community. My community is not very wealthy; therefore, it has shown me that many people around us need medical care but cannot afford it. Along with getting a medical degree, I plan on having a minor in a foreign language. Many members of my community speak Spanish, and I believe that it is important for Spanish speakers to feel comfortable in health care environments. Them being able to speak directly to a doctor would help ease some of the nerves already created by the environment. I have always found it most important to be able to communicate with someone in their first language to limit any miscommunication. I want to work in underserved communities so I can make a difference in places that do not have the help they need. I have seen firsthand the good within people, and they deserve to get the care they need no matter how much money they make. Underprivileged communities should be getting the same treatment as privileged because getting help should not be about money. Health care should always be about helping people be in the best health they can be in.