I have made great strides in pursuit of my dream life. At the age of 23 I have an associates degree, a full time job, a wife, and two kids. All of which are completely fulfilling to me. My dream life would consist of first completing my Registered Nursing degree, then completing my BSN degree, and completing my education with a doctorate of nursing in nurse anesthesia. Providing anesthesia as a nurse has been my goal since 2019 when I became a licensed practical nurse. I would also love to build a large beautiful home in the country with a beautiful landscape. This would be an amazing setting to raise my children in. In my dream life I would have more free time that I can spend at home with my family or out in the community providing volunteer services, as I enjoy it very much. To conclude, I am very happy with my life as it is currently. But in an absolutely perfect world this would be my life. Thank you very much for accepting my application!

As high school was coming to a close, I had my mind set that I was going to play in the MLB and not have to worry about an education. I was hit with brutal reality when I played college ball my first semester at a division two college in Arkansas. My father always tried to persuade me to work at the GP paper mill he had spent his whole life at. I just knew I was destined for more. I gave up my dreams of being a professional athlete and began wondering what I should do going forward. My family all worked manual labor jobs starting directly after they graduated high school. My mother and I had a conversation over dinner about my plans. She recommended to me that I go into nursing. She says I have always been a natural caretaker. I thought at the time it was a crazy suggestion, but after some time had passed it sounded better. In December 2017 I announced to my family that I was going forward with taking preparatory classes for the LPN program at my local college. I received mixed responses. Some ecstatic for me and others tried to sway my decision to another field. I graduated with my LPN on June 27th, 2019. I can honestly say it was the hardest experience I have ever been through in my life. I devoted all of my time to learning the practice and skills of nursing. I studied during all of my free-time and gave up social life. Being a first-generation college student made things a little more difficult. Many of my classmates were following family footsteps to the nursing profession, which gave them an advantage over me. I had nobody readily available to assist me with my work. The one thing that set me apart from the group was my drive. I was extremely motivated to pass, and that's what I did. I graduated nursing school with a 3.7 GPA! Currently, I am getting ready to begin my RN program. I have been accepted and plan on graduating in May 2022. I decided to further my education in the nursing practice to open more opportunities for myself. This scholarship will help out tremendously going towards my tuition balance. Thank you very much for accepting my application and listening to my story. Cannot wait to hear back on the decision! Thank you, Ron Burchell

I am interested in joining the Luv Michael Volunteer Program to be able to offer myself to a cause. I enjoy volunteering and community service. It fills my heart with joy to be able to help others. I have a soft spot for those with autism. I enjoy the opportunity to be able to bring them joy and feel welcome. I work in healthcare and am commonly faced with a variety of disabilities. I work to make sure that each person feels equal and well taken care of. If there is anything I can do to help someone, I will do it.

My favorite scientist currently is Dr. Anthony Fauci. He has been crucial in the pursuit of controlling the Covid-19 pandemic. I read through his articles and watch interviews to educate myself on all new findings regarding this disease. I am able to help modify my nursing approach with the findings that Dr. Fauci has taught.

My favorite film hands-down is Joker, starring Joaquin Phoenix. Batman versus the Joker has always been my favorite battle. In my opinion, no one could ever perform the Joker better than Heath Ledger. Although, Joaquin Phoenix played the part magnificently. His character was so intriguing from all sides. I enjoy seeing the escalation of societal affects on his poor mental health. This movie brought me chills all the way throughout. I really love being able to see what made the Joker who he is.

I was so excited to see this scholarship funded by you, Mr. JuJu Smith-Schuster. I am a big fan of watching you play ball on Sundays! I have had many different temporary inspirations throughout my life. Growing up, I was a big sports guy. My focus was always the game of baseball and or football. I focused on this because I wanted to carry it as far as I could. My drive ended up pushing me on to play college baseball. Once my sports career was over, I set my focus on my college academics. I went on to graduate from nursing school with a 3.6 GPA. Now I am currently an LPN at my local hospital trying to help lessen the curve during this pandemic we are facing. Aside from these temporary inspirations that I have used for my own benefit, I have had a few things that have stayed consistent in pushing me to be better. The first one being God. I am a proud Christian, working towards being a better follower everyday. I am comforted by his graces during these trying times our country is facing. My second inspiration being my family. I have a wonderful partner who I will be marrying later this year. Together, we have a 4 year old son and a 7 month old baby girl. These 3 people make me the man that I am today. I strive to be better everyday to make sure that they are healthy and well taken care of in every aspect of life. I have learned that things come and go in this life. The only thing that you can count on at the end of the day is God and family. That is what drives me! Thank you for accepting my application! I hope to hear something from you soon!

I have learned from playing chess that it is HARD. Chess requires intelligence, skill, and most importantly experience. I have been playing chess for approximately a year. When I first began, I lost multiple games before getting any better. To become better at chess, you must continue to practice. I have learned from many mistakes that I have made playing the game. I have come a long way since I started, and I still have much more room for improvement. I like playing chess because I enjoy a challenge. I believe it keeps your mind sharp and exercises your brain. Thank you for accepting my application!

My name is Ron Burchell. I am a simple southern man from Arkansas. I have been blessed with a loving partner who I will be marrying this year. Together, we have a 4 year old son and a 7 month old, sweet little girl. I am an LPN at my local hospital where I care for acutely ill members of my community, amidst the middle of this pandemic we are in. I am currently going back to school to get education that will allow me to further myself in my career field. By May 2022 I plan to be graduating from Southeast Arkansas College in Pine Bluff, Arkansas with my RN license. I enjoy taking care of people. I have always been a caregiver at heart. It fills me with joy to be able to help be a light for someone when they need it. I have an opportunity to do this everyday at my workplace, as well as, at home with my family. I plan on continuing to serve the members of my community through the healthcare that I provide at my hospital. I feel as though I have been called to do this. I enjoy it and I feel my purpose is to help see my patients back to health. Thank you for accepting my application!

I remember in March of 2020 when the Covid-19 pandemic began. I was working nights on the medical-surgical floor at my local hospital located in Monticello, Arkansas. My charge nurse called me to the front to inform me I was going to be taking an admission from the emergency room. The patient presented with cough, shortness of breath, and extremely low oxygen saturation. Before she even had the chance to tell me this was a covid patient, I knew. My heart sank to my stomach. I can vividly remember the fear that poured over me in that very moment. This was the very first case that my hospital had at this time, and the patient was very sick. My mind began racing regarding all of the people in my family I could possibly transmit this illness to. From that moment on, the pandemic began full speed ahead. We quickly hit capacity due to so many Covid cases. Our facility soon ran out of PPE. We, the healthcare professionals, were forced to take care of members of our community with limited PPE. We had to reuse masks for months, if we even had N-95s. We had to re-use gowns and face shields for patients. This made me fear for my safety, my family’s safety, and my patients. Fast forward to January 2021 and things have still not yet changed. I can not tell that the pandemic has slowed any. We are still caring for the same amount of Covid patients. I have had to call many families to let them know that their family member has passed. This disease is causing so many to pass away without even being able to see their loved ones before death. Covid has had a major impact on my life. I hope I can have an impact on my patients lives as they fight this disease. I am hopeful things will return to normal. I have seen too much death and grief. Although, I still love my job being able to help care for these people. I enjoy being able to give my patients some comfort during their darkest times. This is what I do it for. Thank you for accepting my application! Sincerely, Ron Burchell

I have always been a focused man. As long as I can remember, I have always been all work and no play. I get it from my dad through all of his life lessons. He taught me the importance of a good work ethic, which I am very thankful for. I have always been so goal-oriented. I put pride into everything I do, and come out with positive results. This trait has been very helpful throughout the years. I have just recently learned that I cannot be all work and no play at all times. I have to learn to stop and smell the roses. I have to slow down occasionally and enjoy life. My mindset changed as soon as I found out that I was going to be a father! My soon to be wife slipped a surprise pregnancy test out of her purse. I glanced down with a shaking hand and burst into tears as I noticed to two tiny little indication lines. I cried tears of joy knowing I soon will be met with a little baby of my own. Soon after I found out my fiance and I were pregnant I began soul-searching. I sat down and conducted some self-reflection on my life. I made a list of my personal pros and cons. I thought about what kind of man I want to be. I pondered on what kind of father I want to be. I believe that my work ethic is one of my strongest traits. I would be the guy who is the first to show up and last to leave. This is the case whether it be for sports, school, or work. I decided that I need to learn to adjust and balance. Fast forward a couple of months to the coming week of the birth of my daughter. I get a call at work from my fiance. She tells me that her water has just broken and her contractions have begun. I am hit with a sense of urgency knowing I have got to get her to the hospital. I begin gathering my things just before letting my boss know the situation. She states, "where do you think you are going?" I then explained to her of my fiances water breaking. The boss looks at me with anger and says "you still have a whole shift to go and no one to cover for you." She threatened me with termination if I left for the coming of my child. I needed this job, and my boss knew it. She held it over my head. I took a brief moment to collect my internal thoughts before reacting. I then shook her hand and clocked out. I decided I was not going to be the 'workahaulic' anymore. I left that job and got my fiance to the hospital where she soon gave birth to the most beautiful creation I had ever seen. This moment really impacted me. I learned that family really is most important. No one cares about you like your family. Jobs and opportunities will come and go, but family is always there. I now live much slower in order to be able to enjoy life. Also, I am much happier than before. I am thankful for this experience and how it has shaped me. Thank you for listening to my story and accepting my application. Sincerely, Ron Burchell

Mental illness is a major problem in the world today. More than twenty percent of American adults have struggled with metal health. This is more than every one in five adults in our country. These numbers are shocking. Although I am a healthy person, I deal with mental illness daily. I work at the local hospital in my hometown located in South Arkansas. I often work in the emergency room and geriatric-psych unit. I have seen an unimaginable amount of mental illness here. Prior to working in healthcare, I never would have imagined the prominence of poor mental health located here in my own community. I have seen people between ages of ten to 90 years old hospitalized with major mental health problems. We have cared for many suicidal ideation patients with failed suicide attempts. I have seen all types of illnesses while working at this facility. These include but are not limited to major depressive disorders, anxiety crises, schizophrenics, eating disorders, and addictive behaviors. After being introduced to the healthcare world and dealing with a wide array of mental illnesses my mindset on the subject has changed. I have now become aware of the crisis of poor mental health. Previously, I had always believed mental illness to be uncommon. I now see that this problem is out of control. I want to get help to those struggling. I enjoy caring for these patients and showing them that I am there for their needs. I plan to work in a psychiatric unit upon graduation when I obtain my registered nursing license. I feel I can be of good service to the community and help heal people struggling with mental illness. Thank you for accepting my application. I applaud you for bringing awareness to the poor mental illness problem we have in todays time. I hope to hear something from you soon! Sincerely, Ron Burchell

I grew up in a good christian home in the South. We went to church every Sunday morning and night. I was baptized and saved at the age of 13. I have known and accepted Jesus as my savior for as long as I can remember. Although, just like you, I never really lived for him. I was blessed with a good family, food on my table, and meaningless possessions. I just still felt like there was something missing. When I decided to turn to God and live for him during the beginning of the pandemic is when I felt as though the hole has been filled. I can see the world in a totally new light. I can stop worrying about things I have no control over, because I trust that he has a plan for me. I am so thankful for the life that he has allowed me to have. I know he will take care of the financial struggles regarding paying for tuition. Thank you, Hailey for sharing your story, as well as, listening to mine. I wish you the best of luck on all of your journeys because with God, all things are possible!

A legacy is defined as "anything handed down from the past, as from an ancestor or predecessor" via dictionary.com. This can be anything from possessions, money, reputation, or many other possibilities. In my opinion, a legacy is a byproduct of doing something you are passionate about. One does not set out on a goal to build a legacy. A legacy is built from the ground up by hard work and passion. There are two types that a person can leave with, a positive one or a negative one. A legacy can fall very quickly if someone is careless. We see this happen many times when a person hands over the legacy to someone who does not care enough to carry it on. The legacy that I want to build is one of honor. When I pass away, I want others to reflect back on my life as honorable. My legacy will be full of compassion, care, and thoughtfulness. I plan to build this legacy in every aspect of my life. I want to teach my kids these same values and one day pass the legacy on to them. If I have taught them right, they will carry on the legacy for me, and themselves. Thank you for accepting my application! I hope to hear something back from you soon! Ron Burchell

I have fought with temporary cases of depression occasionally throughout my life. There have been some tough times that I have had to endure. I have not faced anything nearly as trying as what my future wife has dealt with. My fiance battles with mental illness everyday. As a young girl she was visiting family at her vacation getaway in North Arkansas. Most of her family were there enjoying the time spent together. When least expecting it, her uncle followed her behind closed doors and molested her with no remorse. Being the young child she was, she had no idea what was going on. She just knew she did not like it. When she finally worked up the nerve to tell her mother what had happened it only made things worse for my fiance. Her mother not only didn't believe her, but she scolded her for claiming this incident had happened. As a result of this experience, my fiance now lives with depression, anxiety, and claustrophobia everyday. She is very scared to be near men most of the time. She fears being alone. She is terrified of persons of authority. She has to be medicated in order to be able to help cope with her daily struggles. I am not very intelligible on mental health, but from her teachings and experiences, I have learned a lot more on the issue of mental health. I hope to see more assistance available for those struggling with mental illness. We should do better with conducting research and finding healthy ways to treat mental illness. Thank you for listening to my story and accepting my application for this scholarship! I applaud you for raising awareness on mental health. I stand with you!. I hope to hear something back from you soon! Sincerely, Ron Burchell

I think that involvement in the community is a powerful thing. Providing service to your community shows care and compassion. Those who do engage in serving of their community are taking pride in the place that helped mold them into the person whom they have become. I enjoy volunteering at my local church and food pantry. At First baptist church of Crossett, where I am a member, I have had many opportunities to serve my community. Our fellowship group would take up an offering on Sunday morning. Then, on our Wednesday night meetings, once a month we would venture out from the church. We would load up and meet at a local grocery store and buy essential groceries from the offering collected previously. We would then disperse these food items around the community to members who we know needed help. To be able to see the impact we had on people in our hometown was so moving. I am thankful for these experiences I have had. I also volunteered for the food pantry. My role was to gathered up food items from places around town and transport them to our local food pantry. I applaud the food pantry for their service in ensuring that members of the community have food on their table. I also have the opportunity to care for my community at my workplace. I am a nurse at my local hospital caring for patients during this pandemic. I am going back to school to obtain my RN license and be able to provide a higher level of care to patients in my community. I want to end by saying thank you for accepting my application and I hope to hear something back from you!

I have recently become aware of the situation that Miami Beach is facing in Florida. The community there has seen an increase of flooding every single year. The article I read on the issue created a fear in me for the residents of Miami Beach. These people have to find ways to adapt to their city being flooded. Roads all over the area are becoming inaccessible. Many locals have already lost their home and properties to the flooding. The flooding has been attributed to the global warming issue caused by the melting ice caps. A wise philosopher states that the amount of water on earth is a fixed amount. The way it is dispersed across the globe is what changes. This is why Miami Beach is having to deal with this dilemma. The city has begun to place large water pumps to move out water, and begun raising the heights of roads to help. This is proving to be of very little effectiveness. I think that we should all make it a point to be better to the environment. We are contributing to the problem with all of our gas emissions. I hope that someone a whole lot smarter than me can come up with a solution. Also, that everyone can get on board to help leave the Earth better than we found it.

Fitness has always been an important aspect of my life. I believe staying in shape is a great form of self-care. When I am working out, I am free from responsibility and everyday life. My only focus is whichever exercise I am currently doing. I work out at least two times per week. Usually I work out four to five times a week. I have a membership at my local gym which is funded by the hospital where I work. I typically get off of work and head straight to the gym and get dressed for my workout. I make sure to always eat a small nutrient dense meal prior to beginning my fitness session. I then go on to insert my headphones and begin my playlist for the lift. I alternate my sessions between muscle groups. One day I may be doing upper body and cardio workouts, whereas the next I may be doing lower body strength exercises. I enjoy doing low weight exercises with higher amounts of repetitions. Occasionally I will do a couple of days worth of very high weight with a smaller amount of repetitions. Whenever I have completed my workout I will proceed to take a private shower in the dressing room of the gym. This is where I have the opportunity to reflect back on my workout and talk myself through the day. I enjoy taking pictures of myself occasionally in order to assess the progress that I have made. I know that staying fit can be hard, especially whenever life gets in the way. We all get busy from time to time. I believe that most people would feel better mentally and physically if they began a routine to stay in shape. This is my story. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this. Thank you also, for considering me for this application. I hope to hear something from you soon!

This is Jewel Dog! She is a 2 year old Lab. She brightens the day of everyone she comes across! She loves bones, football, and spending time at the lake!

A role model is a person whom one looks up to. Role models are very important, as people transform themselves to be more like that person. A role model carries a lot of responsibility. They can influence a persons life for the better or for the worst. My role model has always been my mother. I look up to her in so many ways. She raised me to be the young man I am today. My father left her to care for me all by myself as an infant. I struggled with that some over the years. Although, I now realize that my mother was also my father. She molded me into a respectable young man all by herself. All of the lessons I learned in my childhood came from her. Without my mom I would not be the individual I am today. What I will take away from my mom is her selflessness. She always made sure that I was taken care of. I want to be that kind of parent for my children. From all of my mothers teachings, I have applied her work ethic to my life. This is what made it possible for me to become a nurse. I will always be thankful for my mother setting me up for success in all of my endeavors. I will use all of her attributes and values while raising my own two children. Thank you for all you have done for me, mom. I hope I make you proud! Thank you, Jordan DiPietro and Bold for listening to my story and accepting my application. I hope to hear something from you soon!! Sincerely, Ron Burchell

I am an LPN at my local hospital working on the medical-surgical floor. Currently, I am awaiting acceptance to the LPN-RN program at Southeast Arkansas College. With this grant, I will be able to put that money towards tuition in college. A little help would go a long way in helping me to pay for school. I hope to be accepted into the program in March of this year. Soon after, I will begin the program in May of 2021. When The following May rolls around I will be graduating with my RN license. This grant would be an investment into my future. I hope you take time to consider me for this grant. Thank you so much for accepting my application! I hope to hear something from you soon! Sincerely, Ron Burchell

There are many things in my life that give me meaning. So many factors have influenced and changed me. The reason that I am the man I am today can mostly be attributed to my daughter. Cora Marie Burchell was born June 22 of this year at 2:20 PM. She came into the world weighing at 7 pounds one ounce. Everything I do, I do it for her. She if my muse and all I want is to raise her to be a strong independent woman who is a productive member of society. Since she was born, I have been changed in so many ways. I respect women so much more. I have stopped chewing tobacco and drinking alcohol. I feel like a better person overall.

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I aspire to be a nurse practitioner in my local emergency room one day. I currently work as an LPN on the med surg floor at Ashley County Medical Center. In order to achieve my goals, I am currently working towards obtaining my registered nursing license. I have completed all pre requisite courses and am awaiting an acceptance letter from Southeast Arkansas College. I expect to get my acceptance letter in March of 2021. Soon after, I will be beginning the LPN-RN program in May 2021. The program will be completed by May 2022 and I will exit with my RN license upon passing my NCLEX test. I am desperate to find scholarships due to the financial situation I am in. My ability to pay is dependent upon whether or not I get financial aid. I am currently paying back loans from LPN school. I have just recently moved out of my parents house and had a baby. I hope to receive financial support in order to be able to make my dreams come true. Thank you so much for listening to my story. Thank you also for offering this scholarship, as whomever receives it will be thrilled. I hope to hear something back from you soon!! Sincerely, Ron Burchell

I am posing with my 6 month old first born baby girl, Cora. She had the pleasure of enjoying her first Christmas!

My name is Ron Aubrey Burchell. I am from small town USA, also known as Crossett, Arkansas. I enjoy fishing, hunting, and nearly anything outdoors. I grew up a sports fanatic. I was awarded all-state in baseball and football in high school. I’m really only a simple southern guy who just wants to make it out of that hometown and make a name for himself. I am interested in ultrasound technology because of the important role that it carries. Ultrasounds are key in diagnosing many diseases. Doctors rely on ultrasound results to make decisions regarding patient care and management. Many procedures, like central line placement are made very simple with help of an ultrasound tech. Ultrasounds are helpful during maternity appointments. I feel that if I become an ultrasound technologist I would be able to help and work in an environment that I love. Thank you so much for offering this scholarship and I cannot wait to hear back from you!

It’s actually scary how accurate the stereotypes of firstborn, middle-child, and ‘the baby’ apply to my family. I was always the one in charge. The most responsible of the kids. My younger brother was the mischievous one always looking to make trouble. He would always fuss and fight with me and our baby brother. The baby was always the one who would do no wrong. The child of our parent who always received the most attention. Many could possible guess how these dynamics affected me growing up as the firstborn. Growing up I would always hit the ground running no matter what I did. I figure things out as I go. I’ve never been much of a planner. Due to always being ‘the first,’ I was always the guinea pig. A trial run, some might say. My parents had no experience before me so we were all just figuring it out as we go. Many times my parents have told me that they will know better how to raise my two younger brothers better after learning so much from me. Even though I learned a lot of things through trial and error, being the firstborn caused some hardships as well. When it became time to enroll in college me and my parents were all struggling. I wish someone had prepared me and helped me to realize earlier what I needed to do to be able to get help paying for college. My parents worked good jobs and made a fair amount of money. Therefore I was never able to get grants for college. I wish someone had taught me how to search for scholarships and opportunities. I am hoping now that I have moved out, I too, will be eligible for financial aid to help me reach my goals!