Education is more than a goal for me it is my calling. Guided by my Christian faith and a deep commitment to service, I view learning not only as a personal responsibility but as a powerful way to uplift others, especially those who have been historically under resourced and underserved. As I pursue multiple certifications and degrees, I am preparing myself to become a transformative educator, mentor, and advocate, especially for children and families in marginalized communities. Currently, I am working toward certification as a medical assistant while completing requirements for speech-language pathology (SLP) certification. At the same time, I am enrolled in a five-year master’s program in early education and educational technology, with a specialty in elementary teaching. I will also be graduating with a minor in biology and an additional minor in environmental studies in May 2027. These areas of study may seem broad at first glance, but they are intentionally interconnected. My goal is to meet the needs of the whole child mentally, physically, academically, and spiritually. My faith teaches me that every person is created with purpose and deserves dignity, compassion, and opportunity. As a future educator, I am committed to making my classroom a place where students feel seen, valued, and empowered, no matter their background or circumstances. I am especially passionate about working with children who have speech or developmental delays, those facing trauma, and those growing up in underfunded school systems students who are too often written off or left behind. Becoming a certified medical assistant and gaining my SLP certification equips me with tools to support students not only in their learning but in their overall development and health. Many children in underserved areas lack access to early intervention and basic healthcare, which deeply impacts their ability to thrive academically. By combining my medical and educational training, I aim to bridge these gaps and offer holistic support. The environmental and biological aspects of my education are just as intentional. I believe that access to clean air, water, and green spaces is a justice issue. Children cannot learn effectively when they are battling the consequences of environmental neglect, which often hits low-income communities hardest. As an educator with a background in environmental studies, I will integrate nature-based learning and sustainability education into my teaching. I want students to know that their well-being is connected to the world around them and that they have the power to care for and protect it. Beyond the classroom, I hope to start faith-based community initiatives that focus on early childhood education, literacy, and family wellness. I want to create programs that support young parents, provide tutoring and mentorship, and offer resources for navigating healthcare and educational systems. My Christian faith calls me to be a servant leader, and I see education as the most powerful way to answer that call. This scholarship will not only help ease the financial burden of my education but also allow me to devote more time to gaining hands-on experience in schools and clinics. Every certification I earn and every class I complete brings me closer to building a future where all children regardless of zip code have access to quality education, compassionate support, and the opportunity to thrive. In a world filled with division and inequality, I choose to be a bridge between science and faith, education and healing, knowledge and compassion. My educational journey is not just about achieving titles or degrees; it’s about preparing myself to be a light for others, a guide for children in need, and a voice for communities that are too often silenced. With your support, I will not only reach my goals but I will help others reach theirs.

My name is Katelyn Tierney, and I am currently an undergraduate student in the Honors Program at Molloy University, enrolled in a unique five-year interdisciplinary track that combines Biology, Childhood Education, and Educational Technology. This program has allowed me to explore the intersection of the fields of healthcare and education, particularly in supporting the developmental needs of children. My passion for helping others and fascination with how the human body and mind work have led me to pursue a career in pediatric healthcare, where I hope to become a practitioner who integrates compassion, science, and innovation in caring for young patients. During my academic journey, I’ve earned certifications as both a medical assistant and in speech-language pathology (SLP), and I’ve completed coursework through Duquesne University’s nursing program to build a strong biological and clinical foundation. My hands-on experiences in both healthcare and education have shown me the life-changing potential of early, individualized interventions, particularly for children who face developmental or communicative challenges. These experiences have inspired me to pursue a path that allows me to support children not only medically but holistically, through both therapy and advocacy. Though I am not currently enrolled in an occupational therapy (OT) program, I have a deep appreciation for the work occupational therapists do, especially in the pediatric field. OT embodies many of the values I strive to bring to my career: client-centered care, developmental support, and restoring the dignity and independence of individuals through compassionate practice. Like Christina Taylese Singh, I am driven by the desire to help people reach their full potential, and I intend to do so by bridging healthcare and education through a future in pediatric therapy or speech-language pathology. I view this field not just as a profession but as a calling—one that requires empathy, resilience, and an unwavering belief in the human capacity to grow. I also remain actively involved in volunteer work, including educational outreach and child-focused community programs, which has only strengthened my commitment to serving others and giving back. These experiences, along with my academic path, continue to shape the person and healthcare professional I am becoming—one who leads with heart, purpose, and the ambition to make a meaningful impact in others’ lives. Receiving this scholarship would not only be an incredible honor, but it would also motivate me to carry forward Christina's legacy of service, compassion, and commitment to improving lives. I am ready to walk a path similar to hers—uplifting others through healthcare—and I hope to make her proud through the work I will do.

I am an undergraduate student at Molloy University. Previously I had attended Duquesne University for nursing before transferring to education with a specialty in biology. From a young age, I developed a passion for biology through my academic achievements in science. In high school, I was in advanced science classes and thrived learning about different aspects of science. With this scholarship, the money will help me continue my study of science. I am hoping to find a career as an educational teacher with a way to incorporate biology as a science teacher at the elementary or high school level. I chose a degree with a biology concentration because biology is something that is very intriguing to me. I have always not only been invested and good at my classes in sciences including biology but I have taken courses like microbiology, biology, and chemistry which have expanded my knowledge of the different forms of science the world has to offer. This scholarship will provide essential financial support, allowing me to focus on my studies in science as I have at both my universities it is remarkable that my passion for science through my major and school change has remained the same. I hope to finish my dual degree 5 year program at Molloy University without the burden of financial stress for myself and my family who have shown me unconditional support through my educational journey thus far. Currently, to try to stay afloat on my student loans I work two jobs while going to school full-time at Molloy University as I am responsible and diligent in paying my loan payments by myself every academic year. Post graduation I hope to pass my teaching certification exam and start teaching biology to an elementary student of high school students. With the program I am in a dual degree in childhood education with biology and educational technology I am fortunate enough to take 2 classes in addition to my program to be certified in adolescence education so high school level, biology, childhood education, and educational technology which opens many career paths that I can choose to explore and test to my best abilities until I find something that not only makes me happy every day to do but is something I can make the most impact on the most people as which is my ultimate goal in whatever career within education I decided to embark on.

Going to college has been a journey for me as a first-generation college student in my family. Initially, I went away to college for two years to pursue a bachelor's degree in nursing at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. After two years into the program, I realized that I was not financially able to complete my degree and had to transfer home to continue my college education for my bachelor's degree. Transferring to a new university was very difficult for me as I had not even been home in two years and knew things were going to be a lot different at home. For starters, my parents were having trouble in their marriage which was very hard for me too. Deal with this while now trying to find a new school and continue my education at a new institution my support system of my friends had resided at school in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. Nonetheless, I transferred to Molloy Univeristy but financially not being able to afford college I went for education as I was fortunate enough to have tuition remission through my father but none of my nursing. Credits had transferred over meaning I would have to restart the nursing program that I was halfway done with from my previous university. The decision to change from nursing to an education major was not a light decision. Just entering my twenties less than a month ago it felt very rushed to have my major and career all picked out for me at such a early age. I have been working with children since I was 12 through babysitting or spending 4 years working at a summer camp to realize that I want to spend every day not caring for children but being around their laughter and presence in a positive atmosphere such as a classroom. To confirm this idea I started working as a Teacher's Aide at the beginning of this semester to see how I would like teaching for my career and I fell in love with it. The after-school program I TA for is full of children from grades Pre-K through 8 the grade which allows me to not only explore and observe different teaching techniques but also get a feel for what age I would like to teach when for my career and I have chosen childhood education with my love for biology through the nursing courses incorporated as a biology concentration in childhood education. I hope with my ups and downs to get where I am in my educational journey today financially and personally that I have the opportunity to make a difference in this evolving world.

My name is Katelyn Tierney and I am passionate about learning to help others. I went to school for nursing for two years at Duquesne University to explore my passion for helping others through healthcare in which I gained much knowledge and experience. Currently, I am pursuing my passion to help others through education at Molloy University as a transfer student in which I am utilizing my biology expertise from my previous university with my studies in childhood education to graduate with my Masters degree in May of 2028. These two passions of helping people through healthcare and education have helped me to realize that life is truly a blessing to be able to go to school for any career you want and even go back to school to do what you are most passionate about. This scholarship would provide me with the financial support to pursue my education further as from gaining experience in health care at Duquesne University I was not able to continue my studies for financial reasons and debt I had collected. Being fortunate enough to gain an education from two universities has allowed me to gain knowledge and skills that are essential for my career. The money from this scholarship would pay off my interest on my student loan so I could have a sense of financial relief to pursue my education without finances being a reason I would have to lose my master's degree from not being able to financially finish my degree which is in about 3 more years. Although I am only a sophomore in my program I have the dedication and the strive to succeed in being one of the first grandchildren in my family to graduate college while being fortunate enough to obtain a job that I truly enjoy. I hope to as a teacher teach the next generation of children with the inspiration to become whatever they want when they grow up and change young minds for the better which I can influence shaping the young minds of our future through a great foundation of elementary education I would be fortunate enough to give some of this children. I hope that by finishing my education with the benefit of having enough finances through my student loans and working two jobs I can make my family and my future children proud from the educational journey I have come from to pursue my dream career.

I am an undergraduate student at Duquesne University. I have just finished my first year as a freshman; however, with my credits from high school, I am a second-semester sophomore, but that is beside the point. During this past academic year, I have prided myself on school first. Although prestigious, the nursing program at Duquenese provides me with many opportunities for my passion for pursuing pediatrics within the medical field. Duquesne, unlike many schools, starts in-hospital clinics in the fall semester of sophomore year. This allows students like me who are exploring areas of expertise to be involved directly and begin to grasp what the medical field entails. Taking college credits like anatomy, physiology, and statistics in high school while being in 5 different clubs, playing two sports, and being part of the honor society with winning two academic awards has prepared me for the BSN program. Not only have I met the requirements for my entry to the BSN program, but I am actively striving to do more with my education and take advantage of every opportunity open to me as an undergraduate nursing major. My passion for pediatrics started when I started babysitting my neighbors. I often watched my 4 and 6 yea rold neighbors for several hours while their parents were at work during the week. I didn't really pick up about it then, but I had so much fun with my two little neighbors that I didn't realize that I was caring for them simultaneously. I felt fortunate to be able to care for and look after these kids for the time being. Exploring more on if I enjoyed looking after children and enjoying their safety as much as I had while babysitting applied for a summer recreational counselor job. I started watching 10-year-olds, then once I loved that I did 6-year-olds in my second year, and now this year, I will be watching 8-year-olds. I plan to start my practice with doctors who specialize in pediatrics one day. I have always wanted to not only help children but to be able to provide them with the adequate care they deserve. After obtaining my BSN, I plan to further my education by applying to medical school, attending for four years, and starting my pediatric residency for about three years. Although I have a long journey to get to where I want to be within pediatrics, I am confident that with more education and constant perseverance in exploring every option life offers, I will get to where I need to be within the medical field.

My mission for joining the healthcare industry has had a long history. Stemming from grade school, I was always asked what do you want to be when I grew up. My answer to this was always a doctor! However, when I was asked why a doctor, I would answer," I don't know; it makes a lot of money." Which probably was not the best answer, but at eight years old, I answered to the best of what I had thought. My mission for joining the healthcare industry from there was to explore the possibilities of being a doctor when I was older. However, I needed to figure out what field or specialty wanted to start the process of figuring it out. Being so young and naive without experience in the healthcare industry, being a doctor was fascinating. I felt so lucky to be in my early teens taking in everything happening by the side of my aunts. The stories I heard, the complaints, the chaos, and the people in agony were overwhelming. I have never been in an environment with so much happening and feeling like I shouldn't be there because I couldn't help anyone. Fortunately, I have two aunts who are nurses in hospitals nearby, so I twisted their hands to bring me to work to show me the ropes. To prepare for college and finalize my decision to help people and make a difference in healthcare, I took anatomy and physiology. I took college forensics, chemistry, statistics, and college-level anatomy and physiology classes to prepare me for my dream career. I had determined I would be in the pediatric area sINCE I am passionate about caring for children as a certified babysitter and summer recreational counselor. With my first year of college coming to an end and through the experimentation with my interests throughout grade school, I am excited to be in such a prestigious nursing program at Duquesne Univeristy of the Holy Spirit. My mission has only expanded from such a young age, and I am fortunate to be pursuing a career in the healthcare industry. My mission is to actively participate in the healthcare field to ensure each patient is comfortable, cared for, and given the best outcome possible. In the fall semester of the next academic year, I will be starting clinical in the fall. That means just as a sophomore in college; I will be able to be put into the health care field in the hospital I am assigned to. Although clinical is a part of my nursing program curriculum, I find it amazing that at 18 years old, I can start making my dream a reality, even through observing, shadowing, and taking notes.

Currently, in my nursing program, a lot of attention and focus is needed, which is extremely difficult when one of my eyes has an Amblyopia(aka a Lazy Eye). Having an Amblyopia in my left eye has caused significant difficulty in my education. Becoming more severe as I have gotten older, this condition has caused me to experience things like double vision, consistent blurriness, and impaired vision during class/study sessions. Having online work and in-class lectures, especially online homework, makes my condition more difficult to manage because of the strain staring at a screen can put on my eye. My lazy eye gets a lot worse when I don't get enough sleep, which is hard to achieve in college. Although there are ways to significantly decrease how often my lazy eye is with eye therapy or even surgery, those options were never for my family as a kid when diagnosed. Growing up was extremely difficult with this setback because many kids would point out my eye or tease me. Of course, I can't feel it when my eye wanders, making it so much harder to control. Trying not to be embarrassed about it since I cannot control it is hard, but I've learned to accept it. In middle school, my eye started to get worse, impacting some of my grades in class since I kept having to refocus and focus on that rather than my coursework. This carried on throughout high school and impacted my education the most when my friends started to create posts of pictures of my eye wandering in photos and post them. Not letting this get to me, I went away to college to get a fresh start, but there is always that part inside of me that knows this issue will be something that happens when I'm tired, or anytime I may stare/look at something for too long. I feel like with all my struggles of having Amblyopia in which I have experienced double vision, drop in grades, short attention span, failure to make eye contact, and less self-confidence, I would be a perfect candidate for this scholarship because of how I have continued my education adjusting to my setbacks due to my eye. Becoming a nurse has been challenging so far, but I know in a program as good as it is, my setbacks will pay off when I achieve my dream career in pediatrics.

The loss of a close family member has caused me to reevaluate what matters most in my life to me. My uncle, who recently passed, suffered from Alzheimer's. This deteriorating disease taking my uncle also still lives on with me. Ever since he passed, I started questioning what impact I should have and what cause I want to know that I did everything for in my lifetime. Thinking more about what I wanted to pursue major-wise to create this reason I would focus my career on caused me to know how to start my fight. The first step was to apply to nursing school upon high school graduation. I quickly discovered that besides helping people, I wanted to take it a step further and eliminate the struggle many people have today with their diagnosis, no matter how severe. Watching my uncle's condition progress was draining on the whole family; I could never wish that upon anyone. Enrolling in nursing school at Duquesne was my first step to wanting to fight and relieve some stress families have to go through. Fighting to help those in need, I must go through many years of financial struggle to become a doctor. Still, I know that when I actively work in the hospital helping many people, all my hard work will pay off, and I have made headway in supporting my cause.

The Career Path I am pursuing is a pathway to achieve my dream of becoming a pediatrician. In becoming a pediatrician I hope to make a positive impact on the world through helping and caring for others in need. By being trained and educated to help people who are not able to help themselves would truly be a privledge. By exercising the knowledge I have been taught through the Bachelor's Degree in Nursing I will earn to carry on to the next steps to can achieve this dream of mine to truly do good in becoming a pediatrician. As the medical field today continues to change I have noticed that worldwide the message that does no harm and help those in need has never changed with these changing times. Doing no harm I believe that everyone should have the right and privilege to seek medical care in any way possible without the constant financial worries or fears. Health is a top priority when it comes to doctors as they are there for that reason alone to help and care for you. I have in the past been prepared for my career path through my employment at Major Post for the past 2 summers as a camp counselor while possessing my certification to care for children through daycare and babysitting. From my experience of certification to care for children I believe I have changed from the certification. I started to volunteer at my local library and take opportunities in the babysitting industry. Shortly after taking involvement in the babysitting industry, I started my employment at Majorie Post where I watched, entertained, and cared for ages 6-10. On a daily basis, I would see these children every morning and leave every afternoon content with the knowledge of knowing and learning things like what they ate for breakfast, their favorite colors, the names of their dogs, etc. Although every day was completely different with many ups and downs it was such a joy to care for these kids and now have the experience to achieve my dream career. Currenly enrolled at Duquesne University I am in the process of my Bachelor's Degree in Nursing Proogram. Once achieving this degree I will go on to earn my Master's Degree. Then with my Master's Degree I will hopefully have a college internship, and some type of employment in the medical field an dnow start to browse my permanent employment options.