Hi. My name is Ellie Kerrigan. I am eighteen years old and just graduated from high school. I have a type of muscular dystrophy called Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). I am missing a gene that provides protein for my muscles to grow. My muscles are strong enough that I can write, type on a computer, use a phone, and talk. However, my muscle weakness prevents me from having enough strength to walk, crawl, stand, or lift my arms above my head. I cannot roll over in bed or sit up without help. I rely on my caregivers to get me through each day. Without them, I couldn’t even get out of bed in the morning. Even though I am totally dependent on others, my life-long goal is to be as independent as possible. At college, I intend to live on campus and hire caregivers to help me. I will need assistance in getting dressed, going to the bathroom, taking a shower, and getting into my wheelchair each day. My disability has prompted me to search for a university that is handicap accessible and not too spread out. I also factored the weather into my decision. Wearing a winter coat is like wearing a straight-jacket for me. I can move my limbs easier in the warmer weather and I tend to not get sick as often when the sun is shining. I was fortunate to find the perfect fit at the University of Alabama. The campus was rebuilt after a tornado went through it in 2011. The sidewalks, dorms, and lecture halls are now all state-of-the-art handicap accessible. Even the sorority houses are accessible! The campus is also self-contained within the city of Tuscaloosa. I think that if I was not wheelchair dependent, I would have majored in nursing. As a young child, I liked to play doctor with my dolls and can still picture myself taking care of sick patients. I enjoy helping people; it especially makes me feel good about myself because people help me all the time. They open doors for me, help me take off my jacket, get my books out of my backpack, and look out for me. I take pride in being able to help them back by being a good listener, offering suggestions to their problems, and being a true friend. This is why I have chosen to major in psychology. I believe I can inspire others to get out of their slump and move on in life. Additional funds from this scholarship would help to offset my caregiving expenses. My plan is to hire students who are majoring in nursing, physical therapy, or just those who like to help others as my round-the-clock caregivers. I will create a work schedule and spread out their hours in short 1-2 hour shifts throughout the day. Ultimately, my goal is to make my caregivers feel that they are achieving a valuable experience by learning first-hand what it takes to help someone with low muscle tone such as myself. This experience may be especially useful for students majoring in physical therapy or nursing as their caregiving role may be a beneficial addition to their resume. Mutually, I would also benefit by gaining a support group of caregivers and new friends. Having the opportunity to go away to school and arrange for my own caregiving, will be a very valuable learning experience for me. Being responsible for finding and scheduling my caregivers along with my studying will be detrimental to my success. This experience will help to set me up for life-long independence.

My dream job is to be a clinical psychologist. I am passionate about being able to help others because people help me all the time. They open doors for me, help me take off my jacket, get my books out of my backpack, and look out for me. I take pride in being able to help them back by being a good listener, offering suggestions to their problems, and being a true friend. I am physically disabled and my only means of independently getting around is in my wheelchair. I have had many struggles throughout my years of trying to fit in and do what everyone else my age was doing. Most middle school and high school students won’t talk to me first. They typically give me a quick glance then keep their head down. I have discovered that if I start talking to them first, I can get a decent conversation going and I can break that ‘what do I say to a disabled person’ barrier. I believe that one of my strengths is being able to get people to open up and talk. My friends rely on me the most to unload their troubles to. I take pride in being a good listener and offering up advice to alleviate their drama or anxiety-related issues. I think I can use my disability to make a difference because I can motivate people and inspire them with examples of accomplishments that I have overcome. Examples of how I start a conversation to mingle with a group or how I strategically plan to get out of my house to get to an event. I imagine the field of clinical psychology as one that would empower me to make a positive difference in someone’s life. I will look for a job in which I can talk to people, understand their troubles, and offer advice. I expect challenges where I would have to do some research to fully understand a patient’s issues before I could make a favorable impact in their life. I look forward to the challenge of doing my due diligence and research before carefully prescribing the proper medication or feedback. Specific qualities I will seek out when looking for a job in my field are job openings that will allow me to interact with patients one-on-one to allow me to fully understand their personality. Jobs that provide support and training to help me get started. Jobs that are flexible to my needs and will allow a caregiver to come in and take me to the bathroom during the day. Most of all, I imagine a career experience where I can make a positive impact on someone’s life and one that will provide me with a rewarding purpose.