Hello, my name is Leah Conger, I am a senior at Harford Technical High School in the nursing program. Next year I will be going to Salisbury University to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. I then plan to continue my nursing education in addition to becoming a Paramedic. I am a driven and determined individual, so I have already started taking steps to achieve these goals. I have successfully obtained a Certified Nursing Assistant license, and I am currently in the process of obtaining Geriatric Nursing Assistant and Certified Clinical Medical Assistant licenses. In addition to being a nursing student, I am also a participant in the Harford County Fire Cadet Program. In this program, I have received an Emergency Medical Technician license, and I am in the process of Firefighter 1 certification. I have chosen this path as I grew up among public servants. All of my parents are public servants in Maryland. My mother is a 4th grade teacher in the Harford County Public School system, my father is a Colonel with the Baltimore County Police Department, and my stepmother is an English professor at Morgan State University. All three of my parents have shown me how important it is to serve the community. They have an impact on others that inspires me. As kids they were my heroes, and I am so lucky to have them for my parents. I watch them help others, making me more compassionate and caring as well. One example is a day I spent at Morgan State University shadowing my stepmother. While on campus I watched how she interacted with students. She took time to work with them individually to further knowledge and education. My stepmother teaches mainly graduate programs, so it's really cool to watch her work with people as passionate about English as she is. Another example is my time shadowing my father in the BCoPD Command and Control Center during Thanksgiving. I learned about each position in the incident command system and how they use unity of command to ensure safety in the community. Everyone there really cared about the work they did and gave me a lot of advice for my future. I realized how much of an impact I could make on others as a future first responder. I demonstrate a passion for public service and leadership in the community. I plan to use the scholarship award towards a bachelor's degree. I will be able to give back to my community in service as a registered nurse, to join the healthcare profession, and to become an integral part of patient care. We live in a time where burnout in healthcare is prevalent, resulting in lower compassion in patient care. I plan to improve this by working to create wellness groups for nurses and physicians. This effort will improve overall staff morale and will give healthcare workers the support that they deserve. In this way, I can make a difference to healthcare providers in addition to the difference I can make to the community.

Hello, my name is Leah Conger, I am a senior at Harford Technical High School in the nursing program. Next year I will be going to Salisbury University to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. I then plan to continue my nursing education in addition to becoming a Paramedic. I am a driven and determined individual, so I have already started taking steps to achieve these goals. I have successfully obtained a Certified Nursing Assistant license, and I am currently in the process of obtaining Geriatric Nursing Assistant and Certified Clinical Medical Assistant licenses. In addition to being a nursing student, I am also a participant in the Harford County Fire Cadet Program. In this program, I have received an Emergency Medical Technician license, and I am in the process of Firefighter 1 certification. I have chosen this path as I grew up among public servants. All of my parents are public servants in Maryland. My mother is a 4th grade teacher in the Harford County Public School system, my father is a Colonel with the Baltimore County Police Department, and my stepmother is an English professor at Morgan State University. All three of my parents have shown me how important it is to serve the community. They have an impact on others that inspires me. As kids they were my heroes, and I am so lucky to have them for my parents. I watch them help others, making me more compassionate and caring as well. One example is a day I spent at Morgan State University shadowing my stepmother. While on campus I watched how she interacted with students. She took time to work with them individually to further knowledge and education. My stepmother teaches mainly graduate programs, so it's really cool to watch her work with people as passionate about English as she is. Another example is my time shadowing my father in the BCoPD Command and Control Center during Thanksgiving. I learned about each position in the incident command system and how they use unity of command to ensure safety in the community. Everyone there really cared about the work they did and gave me a lot of advice for my future. I realized how much of an impact I could make on others as a future first responder. I demonstrate a passion for public service and leadership in the community. I plan to use the scholarship award towards a bachelor's degree. I will be able to give back to my community in service as a registered nurse, to join the healthcare profession, and to become an integral part of patient care. We live in a time where burnout in healthcare is prevalent, resulting in lower compassion in patient care. I plan to improve this by working to create wellness groups for nurses and physicians. This effort will improve overall staff morale and will give healthcare workers the support that they deserve. In this way, I can make a difference to healthcare providers in addition to the difference I can make to the community.

Hello, my name is Leah Conger, I am a senior at Harford Technical High School in the nursing program. Next year I will be going to Salisbury University to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. I then plan to continue my nursing education in addition to becoming a Paramedic. I am a driven and determined individual, so I have already started taking steps to achieve these goals. I have successfully obtained a Certified Nursing Assistant license, and I am currently in the process of obtaining Geriatric Nursing Assistant and Certified Clinical Medical Assistant licenses. In addition to being a nursing student, I am also a participant in the Harford County Fire Cadet Program. In this program, I have received an Emergency Medical Technician license, and I am in the process of Firefighter 1 certification. I have chosen this path as I grew up among public servants. All of my parents are public servants in Maryland. My mother is a 4th grade teacher in the Harford County Public School system, my father is a Colonel with the Baltimore County Police Department, and my stepmother is an English professor at Morgan State University. All three of my parents have shown me how important it is to serve the community. They have an impact on others that inspires me. As kids they were my heroes, and I am so lucky to have them for my parents. I watch them help others, making me more compassionate and caring as well. One example is a day I spent at Morgan State University shadowing my stepmother. While on campus I watched how she interacted with students. She took time to work with them individually to further knowledge and education. My stepmother teaches mainly graduate programs, so it's really cool to watch her work with people as passionate about English as she is. Another example is my time shadowing my father in the BCoPD Command and Control Center during Thanksgiving. I learned about each position in the incident command system and how they use unity of command to ensure safety in the community. Everyone there really cared about the work they did and gave me a lot of advice for my future. I realized how much of an impact I could make on others as a future first responder. I demonstrate a passion for public service and leadership in the community. I plan to use the scholarship award towards a bachelor's degree. I will be able to give back to my community in service as a registered nurse, to join the healthcare profession, and to become an integral part of patient care. We live in a time where burnout in healthcare is prevalent, resulting in lower compassion in patient care. I plan to improve this by working to create wellness groups for nurses and physicians. This effort will improve overall staff morale and will give healthcare workers the support that they deserve. In this way, I can make a difference to healthcare providers in addition to the difference I can make to the community.

Hello, my name is Leah Conger, I am a senior at Harford Technical High School in the nursing program. Next year I will be going to Salisbury University to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. I then plan to continue my nursing education in addition to becoming a Paramedic. I am a driven and determined individual, so I have already started taking steps to achieve these goals. I have successfully obtained a Certified Nursing Assistant license, and I am currently in the process of obtaining Geriatric Nursing Assistant and Certified Clinical Medical Assistant licenses. In addition to being a nursing student, I am also a participant in the Harford County Fire Cadet Program. In this program, I have received an Emergency Medical Technician license, and I am in the process of Firefighter 1 certification. I have chosen this path as I grew up among public servants. All of my parents are public servants in Maryland. My mother is a 4th grade teacher in the Harford County Public School system, my father is a Colonel with the Baltimore County Police Department, and my stepmother is an English professor at Morgan State University. All three of my parents have shown me how important it is to serve the community. They have an impact on others that inspires me. As kids they were my heroes, and I am so lucky to have them for my parents. I watch them help others, making me more compassionate and caring as well. One example is a day I spent at Morgan State University shadowing my stepmother. While on campus I watched how she interacted with students. She took time to work with them individually to further knowledge and education. My stepmother teaches mainly graduate programs, so it's really cool to watch her work with people as passionate about English as she is. Another example is my time shadowing my father in the BCoPD Command and Control Center during Thanksgiving. I learned about each position in the incident command system and how they use unity of command to ensure safety in the community. Everyone there really cared about the work they did and gave me a lot of advice for my future. I realized how much of an impact I could make on others as a future first responder. I demonstrate a passion for public service and leadership in the community. I plan to use the scholarship award towards a bachelor's degree. I will be able to give back to my community in service as a registered nurse, to join the healthcare profession, and to become an integral part of patient care. We live in a time where burnout in healthcare is prevalent, resulting in lower compassion in patient care. I plan to improve this by working to create wellness groups for nurses and physicians. This effort will improve overall staff morale and will give healthcare workers the support that they deserve. In this way, I can make a difference to healthcare providers in addition to the difference I can make to the community.

Hello, my name is Leah Conger, and I believe that I am a worthy and exceptional candidate for the Gloria Rickett Memorial Scholarship. I am a senior at Harford Technical High School in the nursing program. Next year I will be going to Salisbury University to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. I then plan to continue my nursing education in addition to becoming a Paramedic. I am a driven and determined individual, so I have already started taking steps to achieve these goals. I have successfully obtained a Certified Nursing Assistant license, and I am currently in the process of obtaining Geriatric Nursing Assistant and Certified Clinical Medical Assistant licenses. In addition to being a nursing student, I am also a participant in the Harford County Fire Cadet Program. In this program, I have received an Emergency Medical Technician license, and I am in the process of Firefighter 1 certification. I have chosen this path as I grew up among public servants. All of my parents are public servants in Maryland. My mother is a 4th grade teacher in the Harford County Public School system, my father is a Colonel with the Baltimore County Police Department, and my stepmother is an English professor at Morgan State University. All three of my parents have shown me how important it is to serve the community. They have an impact on others that inspires me. As kids they were my heroes, and I am so lucky to have them for my parents. I watch them help others, making me more compassionate and caring as well. One example is a day I spent at Morgan State University shadowing my stepmother. While on campus I watched how she interacted with students. She took time to work with them individually to further knowledge and education. My stepmother teaches mainly graduate programs, so it's really cool to watch her work with people as passionate about English as she is. Another example is my time shadowing my father in the BCoPD Command and Control Center during Thanksgiving. I learned about each position in the incident command system and how they use unity of command to ensure safety in the community. Everyone there really cared about the work they did and gave me a lot of advice for my future. I realized how much of an impact I could make on others as a future first responder. I demonstrate a passion for public service and leadership in the community. I plan to use the scholarship award towards a bachelor's degree. I will be able to give back to my community in service as a registered nurse, to join the healthcare profession, and to become an integral part of patient care. We live in a time where burnout in healthcare is prevalent, resulting in lower compassion in patient care. I plan to improve this by working to create wellness groups for nurses and physicians. This effort will improve overall staff morale and will give healthcare workers the support that they deserve. In this way, I can make a difference to healthcare providers in addition to the difference I can make to the community. It would be an honor to receive this scholarship and represent Rickett in my college endeavors and in the healthcare field.

Hello, my name is Leah Conger, and I believe that I am a worthy and exceptional candidate for the Sara Jane Memorial Scholarship. I am a senior at Harford Technical High School in the nursing program. Next year I will be going to Salisbury University to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. I then plan to continue my nursing education in addition to becoming a Paramedic. I am a driven and determined individual, so I have already started taking steps to achieve these goals. I have successfully obtained a Certified Nursing Assistant license, and I am currently in the process of obtaining Geriatric Nursing Assistant and Certified Clinical Medical Assistant licenses. In addition to being a nursing student, I am also a participant in the Harford County Fire Cadet Program. In this program, I have received an Emergency Medical Technician license, and I am in the process of Firefighter 1 certification. I have chosen this path as I grew up among public servants. All of my parents are public servants in Maryland. My mother is a 4th grade teacher in the Harford County Public School system, my father is a Colonel with the Baltimore County Police Department, and my stepmother is an English professor at Morgan State University. All three of my parents have shown me how important it is to serve the community. They have an impact on others that inspires me. As kids they were my heroes, and I am so lucky to have them for my parents. I watch them help others, making me more compassionate and caring as well. One example is a day I spent at Morgan State University shadowing my stepmother. While on campus I watched how she interacted with students. She took time to work with them individually to further knowledge and education. My stepmother teaches mainly graduate programs, so it's really cool to watch her work with people as passionate about English as she is. Another example is my time shadowing my father in the BCoPD Command and Control Center during Thanksgiving. I learned about each position in the incident command system and how they use unity of command to ensure safety in the community. Everyone there really cared about the work they did and gave me a lot of advice for my future. I realized how much of an impact I could make on others as a future first responder. I demonstrate a passion for public service and leadership in the community. I plan to use the scholarship award towards a bachelor's degree. I will be able to give back to my community in service as a registered nurse, to join the healthcare profession, and to become an integral part of patient care. We live in a time where burnout in healthcare is prevalent, resulting in lower compassion in patient care. I plan to improve this by working to create wellness groups for nurses and physicians. This effort will improve overall staff morale and will give healthcare workers the support that they deserve. In this way, I can make a difference to healthcare providers in addition to the difference I can make to the community. It would be an honor to receive this scholarship and represent the Sara Jane Memorial Scholarship in my college endeavors and in the healthcare field.

I volunteer in the fire department as I feel it gives my life a sense of purpose. I know that the work I am doing is making a real change in the community that I can see first hand. I have always loved helping people. My father is a Colonel for the Baltimore County Police Department and has 28 years of active service under his belt. I have always looked up to him and that's what got me into public service. I would hear all about his adventures as a cop and admired his bravery and courage in the face of adversity. He gave me the push I needed to jump into service. We found a cadet program at the Kingsville Volunteer Fire Company. I joined immediately and started my journey to being a firefighter EMT. While in the Cadets I became lieutenant of over 40 other cadets and became a role model for my peers. I stayed with the cadet program for about a year. Then on the day of my 16th birthday I was inducted into the company. That was around 2 years ago now. Since then I got my EMT through the Maryland Fire Rescue Institute. I took classes while still being a junior in highschool as a nursing student. Then the following year I gained my Fire 1 certification at MFRI as well. Now I am getting to live my dreams in the department. I am going on out calls and making a difference. It really clicked when I actually got to work a call with my dad. For the first time I felt a sense of pride in myself like no other. I plan to keep doing this job as long as I can. I want to eventually either join a career department or join Maryland State Police as a part of the MEDVAC team. In addition to all of this I'm also a nursing assistant. I just couldn't get enough of helping people. The one part that always was rough about being an EMT was not getting to stay with the patient through care. But now by being a CNA and hopefully also gaining my RN I can help my patients through all stages of care. I can't wait to continue my education and gain all of the certifications. So that's why I do this. To help people and make a real difference. Whether that pulling someone out of a car accident or splitting a crushed femur I know the actions I take can make a difference.

The word selfless means to me that you give your everything to someone else no matter the reason. It means you are there for others in their time of need. To be kind to all without expecting anything in return. To be a good person. To be polite even when others aren’t treating you right. When you always do the right thing even when it isn’t the easy thing. Being empathetic when others are feeling down. Making somebody’s day just because you thought they deserved it. Giving out random compliments or putting yourself on the line. To either extreme both are selfless. I am selfless. I am a volunteer at my local fire department and put my needs on the line to support my patients. I have experienced it all from being cussed out to harassment. However, that never stopped me from giving them my all. I have gone through countless education to learn how to better my care for patients as well even when I wasn't expected to. I work as a team with my patrons to get the job done right. Though sometimes it can be hard seeing people at their lowest, it takes a toll on the mind. But I will go on with the next call and the next because all that matters is the patient at that moment. Everything else goes out of your mind for the next hour except what can I do to make them feel better. How do I fix this? But when you finally do that serotonin release is like no other. I also go to my local nursing home and help the elderly with tasks such as bathing, self-care, and just giving them someone to talk to. This is usually the highlight of my day as when I enter the resident rooms and see their faces light up it is an incredible feeling. Knowing that you are making somebody's day just by being kind to them is amazing. With Covid-19 cases increasing with new variants there has been a lack of visitors for these residents, increasing their depression rates. But the fact that just smiling at them can make their life a little better is insane. People don’t realize all the ways that just being kind helps the body. It helps reduce stress on the body and decreases the risk of mental health disorders. I choose every day to be selfless. It is easy to just wake up every day and do the same old boring things. To just live your life in such a plain way. But I don’t get it. I choose to smile and wave to others. I choose to listen to people and help them through travesties. I choose to be the best person I can be. Because maybe my actions can inspire the next person and the next. To spread that selflessness all over the world and create a better society.

I am saving lives every day at both Maryland Shock Trauma as well as with working for the Baltimore County Fire/EMT Carrer Academy as a Lieutenant.