To the Scholarship Selection Committee, My name is Kaitlyn and my journey into healthcare began at just three years old, when I was diagnosed with absence seizures, a form of epilepsy. Growing up with a chronic neurological condition, alongside later diagnoses of endometriosis and an anxiety disorder, meant that medical hurdles were a constant backdrop to my life. Navigating physical pain and the mental weight of an anxiety disorder taught me resilience at a young age. More importantly, it gave me a profound, lifelong understanding of what it feels like to face invisible battles, while being judged along the way, allowed me to build a deep sense of empathy for the holistic needs of vulnerable patients. Having just completed my freshman year at Lewis-Clark State College, I am entering a pivotal sophomore year where I will be applying directly to the competitive upper-division nursing program to secure my spot for my junior and senior years. To prepare for this next academic step and put my passion into practice, I am spending my summer working as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) in a nursing home. In long-term care, I quickly realized that physical treatments are only half the battle; the mental health of our elderly residents is just as critical. Many residents face profound isolation, confusion, and anxiety. Because of my own struggles with anxiety, I make it my daily mission to prioritize their emotional well-being—taking the extra time to listen to their stories, calm their fears, and provide a reassuring presence that ensures they feel emotionally safe. Balancing a demanding prerequisite nursing curriculum at LC State while managing chronic health conditions, anxiety, and working in long-term care presents unique hurdles. Receiving this scholarship during this critical sophomore application window would greatly alleviate the financial burden of my tuition. It would allow me to channel my full focus into maintaining the high academic standards required to gain admission into the junior and senior clinical program cohorts. My lifelong journey as a patient has uniquely prepared me to care, listen and respect individuals as a whole while they are in my care. As a future Registered Nurse, I am dedicated to bringing mental health to the forefront of geriatric care, ensuring that my elderly patients receive both the physical clinical excellence and the mental health support they deserve. Thank you for your time, consideration, and investment in my future in healthcare. Sincerely, Kaitlyn Wittenbrock Lewis-Clark State College Lewiston, Idaho

To the Scholarship Selection Committee, My name is Kaitlyn Wittenbrock and my journey into healthcare began at just three years old, when I was diagnosed with absence seizures, a form of epilepsy. Growing up with a chronic neurological condition, alongside later diagnoses of endometriosis and an anxiety disorder, meant that medical hurdles were a constant backdrop to my life. Navigating physical pain and the mental weight of an anxiety disorder taught me resilience at a young age. More importantly, it gave me a profound, lifelong understanding of what it feels like to face invisible battles, allowing me to build a deep sense of empathy for the holistic needs of vulnerable patients. Having just completed my freshman year at Lewis-Clark State College, I am entering a pivotal sophomore year where I will be applying directly to the competitive upper-division nursing program to secure my spot for my junior and senior years. To prepare for this next academic step and put my passion into practice, I am spending my summer working as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) in a nursing home. In long-term care, I quickly realized that physical treatments are only half the battle; the mental health of our elderly residents is just as critical. Many residents face profound isolation, confusion, and anxiety. Because of my own struggles with anxiety, I make it my daily mission to prioritize their emotional well-being—taking the extra time to listen to their stories, calm their fears, and provide a reassuring presence that ensures they feel emotionally safe. Balancing a demanding prerequisite nursing curriculum at LC State while managing chronic health conditions, anxiety, and working in long-term care presents unique hurdles. Receiving this scholarship during this critical sophomore application window would greatly alleviate the financial burden of my tuition. It would allow me to channel my full focus into maintaining the high academic standards required to gain admission into the junior and senior clinical program cohorts. My lifelong journey as a patient has uniquely prepared me to care for the whole person. As a future Registered Nurse, I am dedicated to bringing mental health to the forefront of geriatric care, ensuring that my elderly patients receive both the physical clinical excellence and the mental health support they deserve. Thank you for your time, consideration, and investment in my future in healthcare. Sincerely, Kaitlyn Wittenbrock Lewis-Clark State College Lewiston,Idaho

To the Scholarship Selection Committee, My name is Kaitlyn Wittenbrock and my journey into healthcare began at just three years old, when I was diagnosed with absence seizures, a form of epilepsy. Growing up with a chronic neurological condition, alongside later diagnoses of endometriosis and an anxiety disorder, meant that medical hurdles were a constant backdrop to my life. Navigating physical pain and the mental weight of an anxiety disorder taught me resilience at a young age. More importantly, it gave me a profound, lifelong understanding of what it feels like to face invisible battles, allowing me to build a deep sense of empathy for the holistic needs of vulnerable patients. Having just completed my freshman year at Lewis-Clark State College, I am entering a pivotal sophomore year where I will be applying directly to the competitive upper-division nursing program to secure my spot for my junior and senior years. To prepare for this next academic step and put my passion into practice, I am spending my summer working as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) in a nursing home. In long-term care, I quickly realized that physical treatments are only half the battle; the mental health of our elderly residents is just as critical. Many residents face profound isolation, confusion, and anxiety. Because of my own struggles with anxiety, I make it my daily mission to prioritize their emotional well-being—taking the extra time to listen to their stories, calm their fears, and provide a reassuring presence that ensures they feel emotionally safe. Balancing a demanding prerequisite nursing curriculum at LC State while managing chronic health conditions, anxiety, and working in long-term care presents unique hurdles. Receiving this scholarship during this critical sophomore application window would greatly alleviate the financial burden of my tuition. It would allow me to channel my full focus into maintaining the high academic standards required to gain admission into the junior and senior clinical program cohorts. My lifelong journey as a patient has uniquely prepared me to care for the whole person. As a future Registered Nurse, I am dedicated to bringing mental health to the forefront of geriatric care, ensuring that my elderly patients receive both the physical clinical excellence and the mental health support they deserve. Thank you for your time, consideration, and investment in my future in healthcare. I am thankful for finding this scholarship listed on bold.org Sincerely, Kaitlyn Wittenbrock Lewis-Clark State College Lewiston, Idaho

To the Scholarship Selection Committee, My journey into healthcare began at just three years old, when I was diagnosed with absence seizures, a form of epilepsy. Growing up with a chronic neurological condition, alongside later diagnoses of endometriosis and an anxiety disorder, meant that medical hurdles were a constant backdrop to my life. Navigating physical pain and the mental weight of an anxiety disorder taught me resilience at a young age. More importantly, it gave me a profound, lifelong understanding of what it feels like to face invisible battles, allowing me to build a deep sense of empathy for the holistic needs of vulnerable patients. Having just completed my freshman year at Lewis-Clark State College, I am entering a pivotal sophomore year where I will be applying directly to the competitive upper-division nursing program to secure my spot for my junior and senior years. To prepare for this next academic step and put my passion into practice, I am spending my summer working as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) in a nursing home. In long-term care, I quickly realized that physical treatments are only half the battle; the mental health of our elderly residents is just as critical. Many residents face profound isolation, confusion, and anxiety. Because of my own struggles with anxiety, I make it my daily mission to prioritize their emotional well-being—taking the extra time to listen to their stories, calm their fears, and provide a reassuring presence that ensures they feel emotionally safe. Balancing a demanding prerequisite nursing curriculum at LC State while managing chronic health conditions, anxiety, and working in long-term care presents unique hurdles. Receiving this scholarship during this critical sophomore application window would greatly alleviate the financial burden of my tuition. It would allow me to channel my full focus into maintaining the high academic standards required to gain admission into the junior and senior clinical program cohorts. My lifelong journey as a patient has uniquely prepared me to care for the whole person. As a future Registered Nurse, I am dedicated to bringing mental health to the forefront of geriatric care, ensuring that my elderly patients receive both the physical clinical excellence and the mental health support they deserve. It would be an honor to be chosen for this scholarship which honors the lives of Charles Shively and Kathleen Stone. Thank you for your time, consideration, and investment in my future in healthcare. Sincerely, Kaitlyn Wittenbrock Lewis-Clark State College 208-691-0569

My name is Kaitlyn Wittenbrock and I am pursuing a Bachelors Degree in nursing at Lewis & Clark State College in Lewiston, Idaho. I am currently in my second semester of my freshman year. I began this journey, during my junior year of highschool when working towards my CNA certification at Kootenai Technical Education Campus in North Idaho, while enrolled Timberlake High School. The knowledge and skills I gained over the past two years at Kootenai Technical have inspired me to further my education in the medical field. I have always shown interest in the medical field. My experiences with the medical field started at age three, when I was diagnosed with epilepsy. When I was younger, I told my family that I wanted to become a phlebotomist. This interest came from the numerous blood draws I experienced starting at age of three to ensure that the medication I was taking for my epilepsy was not harming my organs. When I was in the third grade, the school nurse helped me create a presentation board about epilepsy, and what my seizures looked like. I did not want my classmates to be afraid if they saw me having a seizure. After my presentation with the help of the school nurse, I handed out epilepsy awareness bracelets to my classmates. Even now, at age nineteen, I take time to educate my classmates and teachers about my specific type of epilepsy, which is complex partial seizures. I have spent the majority of my highschool years with adults and peers telling me that I do not look like I have epilepsy. That statement always made me feel really mad inside to where I would want to yell, " What does that mean, what does epilepsy look like?'. Instead, I took the time to educate and explain how there are many different forms of epilepsy and provided examples of what mine looked like and how I felt afterwards and how they could best support me during and after a seizure. Living with epilepsy has presented many challenges, from difficulties in school; such as writing papers to leaning how to study in a way that works for me and how I best learn. I also had to wait until I was eighteen to obtain my driver's license. It has been frustrating and heartbreaking. For the past sixteen years, epilepsy has posed a significant obstacle in my life; however, it has also motivated me to persevere. I refuse to let epilepsy keep me from my goals of pursuing a degree in nursing or from achieving anything else I aspire to do in life.

This funding is essential for me to reach my educational goals without worrying about financial stress or having to put off college to work and save money. I have worked hard to graduate with my high school diploma and CNA certificate. With your help, I can focus on my classes, work part-time on campus, and complete the prerequisites for the nursing program at Lewis and Clark State College. I am currently finishing up my first semester at Lewis and Clark State College. Your support will help me achieve my goals and allow me to give back to the healthcare field in the future. I have applied for community and state scholarships and have been accepted into Idaho's Launch program, which will give me $4,000 for my first year. I have also saved $2,000, but I am still $12,164 short of covering my first-year costs. My interest in medicine began at age three, and by age six, I was already educating my school community about epilepsy. ​When I was younger, I considered becoming a phlebotomist. Numerous blood draws starting at age three ensured my epilepsy medication was safe. In first grade, I asked my teacher and parents if I could teach my classmates about my seizures. With their approval, the school nurse helped me explain my condition to the class. In third grade, the nurse helped me create a presentation about epilepsy, and I handed out awareness bracelets. Even now, at eighteen, I educate classmates and teachers about my specific epilepsy. Over the years, I have had people tell me I do not look like I have epilepsy. This used to frustrate me, but now I take every opportunity to educate them and hope they will inform others about the many types of epilepsy. ​Living with epilepsy has presented many challenges, from difficulties in school to having to wait to obtain my driver's license until I was 18 and only had four months of high school left. It has been blood-boiling, frustrating, heartbreaking, and often disappointing. For the past sixteen years, it has posed a significant obstacle in my life; however, it has also motivated me to persevere. I refuse to let epilepsy keep me from my goals of pursuing a degree in nursing or from achieving anything else I aspire to do in life. ​While at Lewis and Clark State College, I plan to narrow down the focus of my nursing degree. At this time, I am considering pediatric neurology. I want to give back to the community that has done so much for me. I want to be there to support and encourage little kids who are battling epilepsy. I was fortunate to have a neurologist who is deaf and another who struggles with epilepsy. I cannot express how having those two in my epilepsy journey has motivated me to work hard and never give up on my dreams. I want to be that person for young children. Epilepsy awareness is a journey that I will be spreading throughout my entire life. There are over thirty types of epilepsy, and although we do not have to know about each type in detail, it is essential to have awareness and support those who are struggling. ​I started educating my school community at the age of six, although I did not know that was what I was doing then. I was just a six-year-old who did not want my classmates to be afraid of me. I will continue to educate my college community as well. It will be a journey of education and advocacy about epilepsy awareness. ​

I plan to study nursing at Lewis and Clark State College this fall. I began this journey in when at KTEC. The knowledge and skills I have gained over the past two years in this program have inspired me to further my education in the medical field. I have always had an interest in the field of medicine. As you will soon learn, my experiences within the medical field started at the age of three, and I started educating my school community at the age of six. When I was younger, I considered becoming a phlebotomist. This interest came from the numerous blood draws I experienced starting at age three to ensure that the medication I was taking for epilepsy was not harming my organs. In first grade, I asked my teacher and parents if I could teach my classmates about my seizures. With their approval, the school nurse helped me explain my condition to the class. In third grade, the school nurse helped me create a presentation board about epilepsy, and I handed out epilepsy awareness bracelets to my classmates. Even now, at age eighteen, I take every opportunity to educate my classmates and teachers about my specific type of epilepsy, which is complex partial seizures. I believe that educating people about the kind of seizures I experience is essential on so many levels. Over the years, I have had classmates, teachers, and coaches come up to me and tell me that I do not look like I have epilepsy. When I first heard that in junior high, it made me incredibly angry! Now, when someone makes that statement, I take the opportunity to educate them, hoping that they will inform others about the various types of epilepsy. Living with epilepsy has presented many challenges, from difficulties in school to having to wait to obtain my driver's license. It has been frustrating, heartbreaking, and often disappointing. For the past fifteen years, it has posed a significant obstacle in my life; however, it has also motivated me to persevere. I refuse to let epilepsy keep me from my goals of pursuing a degree in nursing or from achieving anything else I aspire to do in life. While at Lewis and Clark State College, I plan to narrow down the focus of my nursing degree. At this time, I am considering pediatric neurology. I want to give back to the community that has done so much for me. I want to be there to support and encourage little kids who are battling epilepsy. I was fortunate to have a neurologist who is deaf and another who struggles with Tourettes. I cannot express how having those two in my epilepsy journey has motivated me to work hard and never give up on my dreams. I want to be that person for young children. Epilepsy awareness is a journey that I will be spreading my entire life. There are over thirty types of epilepsy, and although we do not have to know about each type in detail, it is essential to have awareness and support those who are struggling. I started educating my school community at the age of six, although I did not know that was what I was doing then. I was just a six-year-old who did not want my classmates to be afraid of me. I will continue to educate my college community as well. It will be a journey of education and advocacy for epilepsy awareness.

I plan to study nursing at Lewis and Clark State College this fall. I began this journey in when dual enrolled at Kootenai Technical Education Campus. The knowledge and skills I have gained over the past two years in this program have inspired me to further my education in the medical field. I have always had an interest in the field of medicine. As you will soon learn, my experiences within the medical field started at the age of three, and I started educating my school community at the age of six. When I was younger, I considered becoming a phlebotomist. This interest came from the numerous blood draws I experienced starting at age three to ensure that the medication I was taking for epilepsy was not harming my organs. In first grade, I asked my teacher and parents if I could teach my classmates about my seizures. With their approval, the school nurse helped me explain my condition to the class. In third grade, the school nurse helped me create a presentation board about epilepsy, and I handed out epilepsy awareness bracelets to my classmates. Even now, at age eighteen, I take every opportunity to educate my classmates and teachers about my specific type of epilepsy, which is complex partial seizures. I believe that educating people about the kind of seizures I experience is essential on so many levels. Over the years, I have had classmates, teachers, and coaches come up to me and tell me that I do not look like I have epilepsy. When I first heard that in junior high, it made me incredibly angry! Now, when someone makes that statement, I take the opportunity to educate them, hoping that they will inform others about the various types of epilepsy. Living with epilepsy has presented many challenges, from difficulties in school to having to wait to obtain my driver's license. It has been frustrating, heartbreaking, and often disappointing. For the past fifteen years, it has posed a significant obstacle in my life; however, it has also motivated me to persevere. I refuse to let epilepsy keep me from my goals of pursuing a degree in nursing or from achieving anything else I aspire to do in life. While at Lewis and Clark State College, I plan to narrow down the focus of my nursing degree. At this time, I am considering pediatric neurology. I want to give back to the community that has done so much for me. I want to be there to support and encourage little kids who are battling epilepsy. I was fortunate to have a neurologist who is deaf and another who struggles with Tourettes. I cannot express how having those two in my epilepsy journey has motivated me to work hard and never give up on my dreams. I want to be that person for young children. Epilepsy awareness is a journey that I will be spreading my entire life. There are over thirty types of epilepsy, and although we do not have to know about each type in detail, it is essential to have awareness and support those who are struggling. I started educating my school community at the age of six, although I did not know that was what I was doing then. I was just a six-year-old who did not want my classmates to be afraid of me. I will continue to educate my college community as well. It will be a journey of education and advocacy for epilepsy awareness.