Once again I knew in my heart that I am going to have to wait to be a nurse. Hello. My name is Olivia Smith. Thank you for your time reading this essay. Presently, I am 43 years old, married with 3 children (21,19,17). I currently work full-time in a medical billing position, and plan to continue working while obtaining my education to become a licensed practical license. The nursing program begins September of 2024, and finishes September of 2026. Because I need to work, I will not be attending full-time, but part-time for 3 nights a week. My husband and I take a different approach on education and how to pay for it. We firmly believe in no student debt. This means that student loans are not an option. Our options to pay for continuing education is tuition reimbursement, extra work, scholarships or grants. We are implementing this for our children and it works exceedingly well. On top of working fulltime, we collectively work extra via overtime. When I am not working, I make time to apply for grants and scholarships. If I were to be chosen for the Morgan Levine Dolan scholarship, it alone will pay for the entire program. That in turn will enable to me to focus on my studies without daily stress of tuition costs. Even though I work overtime every week sometimes life does get in the way, especially with teens, and if I need to use PTO for an appointment, my overtime will get forfeited. This scholarship will help me with my first goal. Historically, I have attempted to apply for this program twice, and money and tuition has been a roadblock both times. While we don't let roadblocks get in the way for our kids, we do allow them for us. I think that the challenges of overcoming such roadblocks are character builders, however we can't do for it all and need some help. So this scholarship would be a huge blessing to us if you were to consider me for it. I hope this is the last time that I have to wait to be a nurse. Serving my community is very important to me, and I want to be able to use my skills and abilities at our local homeless shelter. At the City Mission, there is a place people can go to for medical care, and it is volunteer run. Looking beyond the practical nursing achievement, I would then like to acquire my bachelors in nursing where many more opportunities for advancement are possible. This scholarship alone would make my future career goals very possible.

Hello, and thank you for taking the time to learn how I am inspired to pour into my community. My inspiration to be involved in my community began with and was modeled by my mom. She always showed her daughters that if a group didn’t exist, to start one. She started a Girl Scouts troop and started a local 4H group. She either showed us directly or brought someone in to teach others. She and others showed the groups how to sew, cook, camp, and how to work with others and accomplish a goal. She wanted to share with others what had been shared with her, and in turn, I now do the same. When Covid started, the folks teaching Sunday School at my church stopped, not because they wanted to but because the church was closed per state mandate. Later when the doors opened again, hardly anyone returned. It was very sad. Now prior to COVID, I had taken a leave of absence from teaching Sunday School. But when I heard and when I saw the few who had returned, I was prompted to return to service. These little kids were without a teacher. Not anymore. I soon returned, determined to be a constant for them. Each week I would bounce around different age groups, but eventually settled with kindergarten. They were just the sweetest little things. They had no idea what was going on in the world. They couldn't understand why we had to sit apart and wear masks. It would be months and months until I saw the faces of these little children, as most of the face had been hidden under a mask. I enjoyed our time singing, giggling, and learning about Jesus- still do! When I was tired and didn’t ‘feel’ like teaching that morning, their sweet faces and hearts inspired me to push through and serve them. I followed them to every grade. We are now in 3rd-grade together and still giggling- no masks. I am not sure if I have made a change or a difference in my community. I hope that my time and investment in others has made a difference. If I could just make a change in one child’s life, by letting them know that Jesus loves them no matter what, then the investment is returned. What I am sure of, is that there has been a change in me from my community. Yes, I have made sacrifices to be present for the kids, but the kids have blessed me and made a difference to me. It's a beautiful and mysterious turnaround. There is a deep desire to help others- it has always been a part of me. Someday I would like to offer my time to those who are young, scared, and pregnant, who need help navigating the next steps. I will be able to do that once I become a nurse and can offer some medical care and guidance. In the future, I would like to go global and help in Central America, offering medical care to those who are diagnosed with kidney disease. Helping people with kidney disease was my mission for a number of years. That mission went on the backburner when my dad passed away from the same disease, but it still lives inside me. As for the present, the kids at third grade (class B) are my mission field. They encourage me so much just by being themselves.

Hello. My name is Olivia Smith. I have been married to Michael for twenty-two years, and together we have three children. We have two boys, Nathan (21) and Aaron (17), and one daughter, Rebekah (19). I love dogs, cats, and horses. Working outside is where I am happy and how I flourish. For the past three years, I have worked remotely for a medical billing company in the accounts receivable department. My job is to research claims and analyze payments. My background is pretty diverse. Like many, I started working in a department store during high school. Working in retail was enjoyable in the late 90’s. Stores were very busy and there was room to grow. When I graduated, I worked at a beauty counter selling makeup, skincare, and perfume. That sparked an interest in the beauty industry and would lead me to obtain a diploma in the Cosmetology umbrella of Esthetics. However in southwest Pennsylvania, Esthetics wouldn’t pay the bills in the early 2000’s, so I shifted to my first love; nursing. Most of my background revolves around a clinical and non-clinical setting. I started off working in nursing homes as a certified nursing assistant. Then I moved up to a hemodialysis technician in a dialysis clinic. When my father passed away in 2017, I left dialysis for a bit. My father was a dialysis patient, and when he died I lost my mission. I bridged the gap working in a doctor’s office but did return to dialysis. For the past 5 years, I have since shifted to an office setting doing medical billing for physical and occupational therapy. In this area, most of our trade schools include a practical nursing program. I am motivated to pursue this career because this is what I should be doing. I should have been a nurse all along. A nursing career pays well, it rewards exceedingly great and I am urgently needed to serve many people as a nurse. People will always need medical attention. My job will not go away, and the opportunities beyond trade school are only limited by me. The trades are also near and dear to my heart. Most of my family have completed a trade program. Trade school is where my family has always started, and the programs they chose never let us down. The trades are my backbone; I just chose the wrong one for me twenty-plus years ago! The school I am aiming for is called Western Area Career & Technology Center. It has produced many nurses in its many years, and it allows me to attend part-time so I can continue to work my full-time job and render care to my family. I hope you will consider me a worthy candidate and offer me a scholarship. Thank you for your time reading this. ( I did not upload an Image. Cameras are not allowed near patients or patient info, even at home. )

The Lord captured my heart at 20 years of age. Now at 43 years of age, I am seeking the Lord and His counsel for every move in my life. That’s why I’m looking for scholarships, and I know He will provide. My husband and I do not know how we are paying for school and are desperately avoiding taking out student loans. So I’m seeking His plan and His wisdom for the next paths in my life, and by faith, I am attempting to get scholarships. I know the LORD will provide; He provides for us every day . For instance, to enroll in the practical nursing program, I will take an entrance exam. Much of the entrance exam is knowledge I don’t use daily. My prayer has been to expand my brain, allow me to remember these forgotten bits of knowledge so I can pass, and finally enroll. Every day, I make time to refresh math and sciences. I know He will provide, and He is building my faith to be more strong. More recently, I experienced another faith builder. On June 9th, 2023, we sold our home and moved to our current home. Back in April of 2022, we wanted to move and could not due to many variables. So every day from April 2022 until we closed on our house last year, I clung to Him, asking for guidance and patience. I prayed through every challenge and every setback. At the same time, I praised Him for every challenge, setback, and victory. He met our every need. Going through the process of returning to school has been another faith builder because earlier in my life, I would’ve just had an idea and acted upon it. Whether it is wisdom or maturity, I’ve learned I need God’s guidance with every decision and plan that comes my way. He is teaching me to slow down, think, and rely on Him. The next question in this essay is, how will my faith assist in my career? Well, I think on the surface that question is easy to answer. At first, I wrote down this long and complex answer, but I have condensed my answer to this. My faith will assist me in my career just like every day for the past twenty-four years. Because of my faith, I’ll be loving and patient with coworkers, doctors, and everyone that I encounter. I’ll share Jesus when the Holy Spirit moves me to. I’ll be kind and compassionate. I’ll speak up when I need to speak up. I’ll let Him mold, challenge, and test me through every circumstance, all by faith! Thank you for your time and this special scholarship.

What skilled trade are you planning to study or are currently studying and why have you chosen it? I plan on entering a practical nursing program at Western Area Technical School. I have always wanted to be a nurse. In the past, many times, I have come close to starting a program but have had to stop due to family and job priorities. Nursing is a great job with rewarding benefits, both tangible and intangible. It will provide a stable income and is a job to be proud of. Why do you plan/have you planned a career in this chosen trade? Post-graduation, I plan on working in a hospital. Perhaps starting off in the ER. I am not sure where my career will take me. Children and babies and the care I can give to them is something I would like to explore, either in child and labor or in a Children's hospital. I know that I will not stop at practical nursing. Pursuing a degree like Associates in Nursing (ADN) is the next goal. In addition, I will use my skill to serve others. With this skill, I can go to Central America and serve on a short-term mission trip, and when I am home I can swerve in the medical tram at church. Why will you be successful in your trade? I am motivated to be debt-free, so I will work overtime every time it is offered to achieve my goal. I will show up early, stay late and go over and above, just as I do now in my current job. My work ethic is very strong. I own everything I do, and so for me, my success will be my responsibility. The use of words like, ‘it’s not my job’, will not be spoken by me. In general, what does a successful life look like and why will you be successful? Making the best of what you do, not complaining about your job, and being the light in every place you go, not just the workplace. Coming home from work and knowing you did the best you could, that to me is success. Success is also not having debt hanging over your head. This scholarship would help offset the cost of tuition for my family. The worry of money may ease a little bit with a scholarship and I can focus more on studying and doing well. Thank you for this scholarship. The trades are near and dear to my heart.

My name is Olivia Smith. Thank you for your time reading this. The journey I have taken in my life has been unpredictable, yet has matured into a bountiful bouquet of life experiences. To briefly share my journey, I began my education and employment in the beauty industry and after bearing and raising children did not return to that industry. I knew I needed to return to a stable and moderate means of employment, yet at that time, the beauty industry did not provide that in our region. So, to generate some income I took a job in nursing, as an aide. The job fit my family’s schedule and paid the bills. It would also cultivate something in me that I suppressed when I was in middle school (to be a nurse) and set me on a path that takes me to today. Over the years, many attempts were made to return to school and obtain a nursing license. I even attempted the Navy as a means. I have taken some prerequisites, but have yet to enter into a nursing program. Working full-time and raising three children has been my priority, and over the years, I could not see a way to fit a program into our busy schedule. Through it all though, I learned how to be patient through sacrifice. It hasn't at all been for nothing! At 43 years old, my maturity level and academic level is greater than it has ever been. Perseverance, patience, hope, and frustrations have primed me daily to bide my time and look ahead. So, my career aspirations have been shaped by setbacks, for instance, one time I had the chance to leave my job and attend school full-time, but my husband was furloughed. Also, I have experienced rejection at work from not being chosen to perform a side role for lack of accreditation. My goals, in addition to becoming a nurse, are to use my skills voluntarily in Panama with my church on short-term mission trips, and at church on Sundays with the medical team. For 7 years I worked as dialysis technician, and the company I worked for sent volunteers to central America to help those in kidney failure. The desire the be on that team was ever present, but my lack of education prevented me from going. Through that disappointment, I knew I had to wait for my children to get older so I could return to school when I wasn’t needed so much at home. When I obtain this license, I also have a desire to help young and exhausted mothers with their young babies via the WIC program that the state of Pennsylvania provides. My husband and I do not plan on taking out any loans. We do not desire to take on debt and are proud to pay for our own things, but if this scholarship could offset this tuition just a bit, I personally would be so grateful. If you chose me for this scholarship, I would not disappoint. I have waited 20+ years to return to school. I met someone once, when I was in my scrubs, who asked if I was a nurse. Quickly I corrected them saying I was not a nurse but an aide, and they said ‘do not sell yourself short- if you take are of anyone, you are a nurse’. I have held onto that for a long time and hope someday to make that noun an official title. Thank you again for your time.

My name is Olivia Smith. I am 43 years old, married with 3 children (21,19,17). I currently work full-time in a medical billing position, and plan to continue working while getting my license. My plan for school is to start the program in September of 2024, and finish September of 2026. I will not be attending full-time, but part-time for 3 nights a week. I aspire to work as a nurse and am seeking a scholarship to help reduce the costs of tuition. Student loans are not an option; debt is something that we as a family steer from. This trade will enable me to obtain a license which will provide a more stable income, with job opportunities in abundance, and job security. In addition, the school I have chosen meets my needs. Trade school is my chosen path for mainly two reasons. First, it is affordable. There are community colleges nearby that offer this same program, but its tuition soars above the trade school tuition. With the help of some scholarships, I can afford this program without the use of a loan. Second, I can obtain my education around my schedule. The option to stop working and be a student first is not applicable to me, and this school, historically, has been there for the working adult to achieve their goals. So, I can still work my 40-47 hours a week and go to school. May I finish by adding that choosing the path of the trades is not only the backbone of this country but is near and dear to my heart. My dad was a long-haul trucker, my mom a hairdresser (now bus driver), and my son an automotive technician. Without these jobs, and many others, life in this country would be less comfortable. Even if comfort was not important, we still need trades to build, be competitive and maintain our businesses and homes. Thank you for your time.