I went into college unsure of what direction I was heading. I knew I enjoyed learning about science and medicine, but I had never seen myself becoming a doctor and did not know much about the other careers in healthcare and science that were out there. After my freshman year, I transferred schools, looking for a school that gave me more opportunities to explore careers beyond the classroom and one with more involvement in clubs, such as swimming and volunteering at the community garden- things I had missed from high school and had not realized how important a role they had in my life. A year and a half later, I have been able to redirect my focus and slightly narrow down what it is I will truly love doing for a lifetime. After seeing life from a healthcare worker's perspective through an internship and learning more about global pharmaceuticals, I have decided to pursue a pharmaceutical science minor in addition to my biology major. The minor is being offered to undergrads for the first time and encompasses everything from drug development to delivery and patient care. Having an opportunity like this is only one of the reasons I transferred, and while there is still some uncertainty about the direction my future is heading in, I feel more confident that I can find something in love through the glimpses I have seen of the pharmaceutical world through my family. This spring semester, I and a team of one other undergraduate and MBAs will be partnered with a corporate client to solve a business challenge in the pharmaceutical industry. I am excited to be a part of the program as it allows me to integrate pharmaceuticals into business, which is really where I see myself ending up. As my team and I work collaboratively to meet our goals, I believe I will gain some clarity on the type of job I want to look for post-graduation. The Morgan Levine Dolan Community Service Scholarship will allow me to continue to pursue an education in which I can combine many different interests into my degree. From business to pharmaceuticals and biology, I plan to continue to take courses across the board to develop a well-rounded profile after graduation while studying things that interest me and motivate me and my career goals. College allowed me to explore many avenues and rule out things I dislike while finding other things that I enjoy and want to hone in on.

I have been fortunate enough to grow up on a large amount of land which, in a way, fostered my love for animals. My life started with just a dog, then two more, chickens, followed by a rabbit, goats, and most recently a cat. I spend every morning and evening when I am home helping on our "hobby farm" not because I have to but because I enjoy it. Having animals has given great structure to my life that helps me thrive, I have a purpose and routine and I know there is something else relying on me to keep me accountable. For years, I have been keenly aware of my love for animals and have tossed around the idea of becoming a veterinarian, but when I entered college as a biology major everyone just assumed I was going to go into healthcare. I spent much of my first years trying to figure out what interests me in the healthcare field because ultimately I want to choose a job I am passionate about. While I have had plenty of great experiences, nothing has made me think "This is what I want to do for the rest of my life". This summer was the first time in a while I started revisiting the idea of veterinary sciences, I began to question why I was listening to everyone else telling me to go into healthcare when I knew what made me passionate. Not having a job lined up for the summer was at first frustrating, but after volunteering at a local animal rescue/boarding facility I was offered a job that could work with my schedule. The job is not one of glory and glamour, I spend most of my time cleaning dirty runs and prepping food, but I have learned to see more than just that from it. At first many of the shelter dogs were not fond of my presence, barking on and on for the hours I worked, and I knew not to force them to like me. Now when I walk into the shelter after those first few minutes most settle and my approach is not threatening to them. Despite the little direct engagement I have with the dogs, I have been able to see the difference I am making, and I feel content. The experience has brought to light my desire to work with animals small and large and make a difference.

I will explore the world and learn new cultures by living and working in Europe.

A little kindness goes a long way, and the world could always use more kindness. A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman delves into the pivotal role we have in another’s life. Persistence and friendship are quite literally lifesaving in Ove’s case and the story shares how the external and internal qualities of an individual can be very different. Kindness is extremely undervalued in the society we live in today. We are often cynical of both ourselves and others when we should be accepting of our flaws and proud of our achievements. Ove’s story gives a unique perspective to life and its meaning and to never lose hope despite the circumstances. The growing movement advocating for mental health awareness further emphasizes the importance of the novel. Behind closed doors, others may be struggling without the ones close to them ever noticing. Acting as a support system for one another only makes both parts stronger and can leave lasting impacts surrounding the ideas of value and self-worth. This was not the first, nor last, book of Fredrik Backman’s that I have read; all include internal and external struggle in some form, yet A Man Called Ove stood out to me more than any other. The story made me realize how important it is to feel loved, to feel as if there is someone you can turn to no matter what. I have been fortunate enough to have that in my life, but for many others, it may not be the case. From reading Ove’s story, however, it is possible that we can pull ourselves up from the worst of times if others give us our reason, but we must learn to be that reason for others, too.