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Eirinn Duley

885

Bold Points

1x

Finalist

Bio

My name is Eirinn, and I am currently a student at Naugatuck Valley Community College in Connecticut. This past semester I studied psychology with a focus on drug and alcohol counseling. I was a full-time student and received a term GPA of 4.0. I was named to the Dean's list for the Fall 2021 semester and was invited to apply to the Honors program at the college. When I am not completing school work you can find me at my desk writing. I am a staff writer for my school's newspaper, "The Tamarack", for which I have written a variety of articles. My most recent pieces have focused on social justice issues, specifically income inequality. I will be transferring to a 4-year institution in the Fall of 2022. I am awaiting my admission status at four schools across the country. I will be pursuing a Bachelor's in Psychology fully online. My dream is to become a clinical psychologist and earn a PhD. I am hardworking and focused on academic excellence, volunteer work, and writing. I like to spend my time learning new information and helping others. I've gone through my fair share of struggles but have been able to come out the other side stronger than ever. I myself have suffered from both mental illness and substance use disorder. I began to turn my life around in September of 2020. I now do all that I can to help those struggling with substance abuse and persistent mental health problems. I hope that I may be worthy of earning your scholarships and support.

Education

Naugatuck Valley Community College

Associate's degree program
2018 - 2022
  • Majors:
    • Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology
    • Psychology, Other

Miscellaneous

  • Desired degree level:

    Doctoral degree program (PhD, MD, JD, etc.)

  • Graduate schools of interest:

  • Transfer schools of interest:

  • Majors of interest:

    • Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology
    • Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
    • Psychology, General
    • Psychology, Other
  • Not planning to go to medical school

    • Career

    • Dream career field:

      Psychology

    • Dream career goals:

      Clinical Psychologist

      Sports

      Cross-Country Running

      Intramural
      2008 – 20157 years

      Arts

      • Naugatuck Valley Community College

        Theatre
        Cabaret , Movement Showcase
        2016 – 2017

      Public services

      • Volunteering

        St. Mary's Hospital — Emergency Department Summer Volunteer
        2012 – 2012

      • Volunteering

        Mattatuck Museum — Educational Assistant
        2017 – 2018

      • Volunteering

        A New Beginning Recovery Houses — Case Worker
        2020 – 2021

      • Volunteering

        Girls Inc. — Camp Staff
        2021 – 2021

      Future Interests

      Advocacy

      Volunteering

      Philanthropy

      Bold Turnaround Story Scholarship
      My struggle with substance abuse began in high school. I have battled the disease of addiction for many years. You see your friends die, you constantly end up in the hospital, you sacrifice everything good in your life for that one thing. I chose to begin my journey in sobriety on September 1st 2020. I had to rebuild my life from the ground up. For years, I had been unable to finish the things I started. I dropped out of school, lost jobs and many people who were close to me. Today, I’m happy to say that I am drug and alcohol-free for over a year now. I went back to school full-time in the fall of 2021. Without my disease holding me back, I was able to excel in classes. I forged strong relationships with my professors, was well known for assisting other students, and began participating in extracurricular activities. I joined the school newspaper, the Tamarack, writing articles about social justice issues and creating a book recommendation column. I finished each class with an A. I have since realized that nothing is impossible. If you put in the work, you can accomplish anything. All people have the capacity for resilience. I am proud to be who I am today and proud to be able to witness others succeed as well.
      Bold Books Scholarship
      “Life is like a book son. And every book has an end. No matter how much you like that book you will get to the last page and it will end. No book is complete without its end. And once you get there, only when you read the last words, will you see how good the book is.” -Fabio Moon & Gabriel Ba. The graphic novel Daytripper by Fabio Moon and Gabriel Ba has had a significant impact on the way I look at life. Time does not move in a straight line in this novel. Each chapter is a different story of the main character Bas’s life, told out of order, but all with the same heartbreaking end. The chapters all conclude in the same way, with Bas’s death. After every death is an obituary, each written more beautifully than the last. This novel reminded me of the duality of life and death and the need for acceptance of one’s fate. There was so much raw emotion in this piece, and as a writer, it inspired me greatly. It showed me that to truly live, one must not focus on death but accept it, living without fear of the future. Never had a book made me feel such complex emotions. I was left not only impressed by the work itself but on its power to produce such a strong emotional reaction in the reader. I had finally found a book that I could relate to. Daytripper reignited my love for reading and inspired ideas for my own writing. I will never forget this memorable piece of work. I look back on it from time to time for inspiration.
      Bold Loving Others Scholarship
      There are nearly one million words in the English dictionary, but I will never be able to string together the right ones to tell my loved ones how much they mean to me. In my darkest days, my family and friends stood by my side. I will never be able to truly repay the people in my life because what they have given me is priceless. I believe everyone deserves encouragement, empathy, and understanding in life. Words are just words if you don’t live by what you say. Actions and how we treat ourselves and others are of the utmost importance. You never know how much time you have left with the people in your life. At the end of every day, all I truly want is to make one person feel loved and appreciated. I show my appreciation through my actions. I am always there for my loved ones. When struggling in life, having someone by your side that you know truly cares about you is important. When I look at my friends and family, I realize something. These people in my life never have to be alone again. If they are struggling, I promise to be there. I will always show up.