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Samantha Jarbou

795

Bold Points

1x

Nominee

1x

Finalist

Bio

I am a Chaldean-American that is driven to pursue a degree in Medicine and Entrepreneurship.

Education

Clio Area High School

High School
2019 - 2023

Miscellaneous

  • Desired degree level:

    Master's degree program

  • Majors of interest:

    • Medicine
    • Engineering, General
  • Planning to go to medical school
  • Career

    • Dream career field:

      Medicine

    • Dream career goals:

      Sports

      Track & Field

      Junior Varsity
      2018 – 20202 years

      Awards

      • Won 1st place in 100m and 200m dash

      Basketball

      Club
      2013 – Present11 years

      Awards

      • MVP

      Research

      • Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General

        The Chaldean Community Foundation — Researcher
        2019 – 2022
      • Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other

        Genesee Career Institute — Researcher
        2020 – Present

      Public services

      • Volunteering

        Saint Paul Church — Teacher
        2019 – Present
      • Volunteering

        The Salvation Army — I helped the families shop for their kids.
        2014 – Present

      Future Interests

      Advocacy

      Politics

      Volunteering

      Philanthropy

      Entrepreneurship

      Francis “Slip” Madigan Scholarship
      My name is Samantha Jarbou, and I am a senior at Clio High School. My parents were born in Iraq, which dates to Mesopotamia. My parents immigrated to the United States from Iraq during the war to avoid religious persecution. Growing up in a first-generation, low-income household was hard. My parents worked day and night to support my siblings and me. When they came to America, they had to work hard to put food on our table. To begin with, growing up, I was influenced by my parent's background and upbringing. They have always instilled in me that working hard is necessary to achieve any goals I have. Both my parents want me to further my education. I want to aim for higher education to make their investment in my life special. I want to pursue a career in STEM to make a positive impact on families like mine. Especially immigrant families who go to the doctor's office can not afford to pay their medical bills. And for the bilingual people that can barely understand what the doctor is saying to them. As a result, volunteering has played a massive role in my personal development. Since Kindergarten, I have been a part of the Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan. Girl Scouts instilled in me the value of communication skills, business ethics, money management, decision-making, and goal setting. I have volunteered a lot with my girl scout troop in my community. In December 2012, I started volunteering at the toy shop in The Salvation Army gymnasium and with the Adult Rehabilitation Center. The toy shop contains toys, clothes, pajamas, coats, and even bikes. My favorite part was watching the joy on the parent's faces when they knew they could reward their children with Christmas presents that year. Around the week before Christmas, my family and I helped parents shop for their kids. One day out of the week, the Adult Rehabilitation Center, also known as the ARC, came over to shop. I got to wrap their gifts after they picked them up and I made hot cocoa and pastries too! It was the highlight of my holiday season. Another organization I volunteer for is Saint Paul Church. I serve at the altar at Saint Paul Chaldean Church and help the Priest during mass. Additionally, I teach the communion class and help with events. Since the 5th grade, I have been achieving the highest honors. I have actively taken part in my school's National Honor Society, Student Council, HOSA, and the Distributive Education Clubs of America, known famously as DECA. In my intellectual interest in business, I am proud of my achievement in the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship, also known as NFTE. This past year I created a vest-like backpack called the Vest Pack. I made a business plan and I won first place in my school competition, which led me to win first place at the county-wide competition. This allowed me to go to the National competition in New York City. I am now an NFTE alumni and the chair of NFTE for Michigan. As president of the NFTE program, I am looking forward to mentoring other students willing to join the pursuit of entrepreneurship. In the future, I plan to work hard to achieve my goals and serve my community in any way I can. I believe the secret to success lies in knowledge and perseverance. I thrive on a challenge and it motivates me to work harder. I would love to win this scholarship to make my dreams of becoming a Physician a reality.
      Bill Kuhn Science Scholarship
      My name is Samantha Jarbou, and I am a senior at Clio High School. My parents were born in Iraq, which dates to Mesopotamia. My parents immigrated to the United States from Iraq during the war to avoid religious persecution. Growing up in a first-generation, low-income household was hard. My parents worked day and night to support my siblings and me. When they came to America, they had to work hard to put food on our table. To begin with, growing up, I was influenced by my parent's background and upbringing. They have always instilled in me that working hard is necessary to achieve any goals I have. Both my parents want me to further my education. I want to aim for higher education to make their investment in my life special. I want to pursue a career in STEM to make a positive impact on families like mine. Especially immigrant families who go to the doctor's office can not afford to pay their medical bills. And for the bilingual people that can barely understand what the doctor is saying to them. Since the 5th grade, I have been achieving the highest honors. I have actively taken part in my school's National Honor Society, Student Council, HOSA, and the Distributive Education Clubs of America, known famously as DECA. In my intellectual interest in business, I am proud of my achievement in the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship, also known as NFTE. This past year I created a vest-like backpack called the Vest Pack. I made a business plan and I won first place in my school competition, which led me to win first place at the county-wide competition. This allowed me to go to the National competition in New York City. I am now NFTE alumni and the chair of NFTE for Michigan. As president of the NFTE program, I am looking forward to mentoring other students willing to join the pursuit of entrepreneurship. As a result, volunteering has played a massive role in my personal development. Since Kindergarten, I have been a part of the Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan. Girl Scouts instilled in me the value of communication skills, business ethics, money management, decision-making, and goal setting. I have volunteered a lot with my girl scout troop in my community. In December 2012, I started volunteering at the toy shop in The Salvation Army gymnasium and with the Adult Rehabilitation Center. The toy shop contains toys, clothes, pajamas, coats, and even bikes. My favorite part was watching the joy on the parent's faces when they knew they could reward their children with Christmas presents that year. Around the week before Christmas, my family and I helped parents shop for their kids. One day out of the week, the Adult Rehabilitation Center, also known as the ARC, came over to shop. I got to wrap their gifts after they picked them up and I made hot cocoa and pastries too! It was the highlight of my holiday season. Another organization I volunteer for is Saint Paul Church. I serve at the altar at Saint Paul Chaldean Church and help the Priest during mass. Additionally, I teach the communion class and help with events. In the future, I plan to work hard to achieve my goals and serve my community in any way I can. I believe the secret to success lies in knowledge and perseverance. I thrive on a challenge and it motivates me to work harder. I would love to win this scholarship to make my dreams of becoming a Physician a reality.
      Seeley Swan Pharmacy STEM Scholarship
      My name is Samantha Jarbou, and I am a senior at Clio High School. My parents were born in Iraq, which dates to Mesopotamia. My parents immigrated to the United States from Iraq during the war to avoid religious persecution. Growing up in a first-generation, low-income household was hard. My parents worked day and night to support my siblings and me. When they came to America, they had to work hard to put food on our table. To begin with, growing up, I was influenced by my parent's background and upbringing. They have always instilled in me that working hard is necessary to achieve any goals I have. Both my parents want me to further my education. I want to aim for higher education to make their investment in my life special. I want to pursue a career in STEM to make a positive impact on families like mine. Especially immigrant families who go to the doctor's office can not afford to pay their medical bills. And for the bilingual people that can barely understand what the doctor is saying to them. As a result, volunteering has played a massive role in my personal development. Since Kindergarten, I have been a part of the Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan. Girl Scouts instilled in me the value of communication skills, business ethics, money management, decision-making, and goal setting. I have volunteered a lot with my girl scout troop in my community. In December 2012, I started volunteering at the toy shop in The Salvation Army gymnasium and with the Adult Rehabilitation Center. The toy shop contains toys, clothes, pajamas, coats, and even bikes. My favorite part was watching the joy on the parent's faces when they knew they could reward their children with Christmas presents that year. Around the week before Christmas, my family and I helped parents shop for their kids. One day out of the week, the Adult Rehabilitation Center, also known as the ARC, came over to shop. I got to wrap their gifts after they picked them up and I made hot cocoa and pastries too! It was the highlight of my holiday season. Another organization I volunteer for is Saint Paul Church. I serve at the altar at Saint Paul Chaldean Church and help the Priest during mass. Additionally, I teach the communion class and help with events. Since the 5th grade, I have been achieving the highest honors. I have actively taken part in my school's National Honor Society, Student Council, HOSA, and the Distributive Education Clubs of America, known famously as DECA. In my intellectual interest in business, I am proud of my achievement in the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship, also known as NFTE. This past year I created a vest-like backpack called the Vest Pack. I made a business plan and I won first place in my school competition, which led me to win first place at the county-wide competition. This allowed me to go to the National competition in New York City. I am now NFTE alumni and the chair of NFTE for Michigan. As president of the NFTE program, I am looking forward to mentoring other students willing to join the pursuit of entrepreneurship. In the future, I plan to work hard to achieve my goals and serve my community in any way I can. I believe the secret to success lies in knowledge and perseverance. I thrive on a challenge and it motivates me to work harder. I would love to win this scholarship to make my dreams of becoming a Physician a reality.
      Do Good Scholarship
      My name is Samantha Jarbou, and I am a senior at Clio High School. My parents were born in Iraq, which dates to Mesopotamia. My parents immigrated to the United States from Iraq during the war to avoid religious persecution. Growing up in a first-generation, low-income household was hard. My parents worked day and night to support my siblings and me. When they came to America, they had to work hard to put food on our table. To begin with, growing up, I was influenced by my parent's background and upbringing. They have always instilled in me that working hard is necessary to achieve any goals I have. Both my parents want me to further my education. I want to aim for higher education to make their investment in my life special. I want to pursue a career in STEM to make a positive impact on families like mine. Especially immigrant families who go to the doctor's office can not afford to pay their medical bills. And for the bilingual people that can barely understand what the doctor is saying to them. As a result, volunteering has played a massive role in my personal development. Since Kindergarten, I have been a part of the Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan. Girl Scouts instilled in me the value of communication skills, business ethics, money management, decision-making, and goal setting. I have volunteered a lot with my girl scout troop in my community. In December 2012, I started volunteering at the toy shop in The Salvation Army gymnasium and with the Adult Rehabilitation Center. The toy shop contains toys, clothes, pajamas, coats, and even bikes. My favorite part was watching the joy on the parent's faces when they knew they could reward their children with Christmas presents that year. Around the week before Christmas, my family and I helped parents shop for their kids. One day out of the week, the Adult Rehabilitation Center, also known as the ARC, came over to shop. I got to wrap their gifts after they picked them up and I made hot cocoa and pastries too! It was the highlight of my holiday season. Another organization I volunteer for is Saint Paul Church. I serve at the altar at Saint Paul Chaldean Church and help the Priest during mass. Additionally, I teach the communion class and help with events. Since the 5th grade, I have been achieving the highest honors. I have actively taken part in my school's National Honor Society, Student Council, HOSA, and the Distributive Education Clubs of America, known famously as DECA. In my intellectual interest in business, I am proud of my achievement in the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship, also known as NFTE. This past year I created a vest-like backpack called the Vest Pack. I made a business plan and I won first place in my school competition, which led me to win first place at the county-wide competition. This allowed me to go to the National competition in New York City. I am now NFTE alumni and the chair of NFTE for Michigan. As president of the NFTE program, I am looking forward to mentoring other students willing to join the pursuit of entrepreneurship. In the future, I plan to work hard to achieve my goals and serve my community in any way I can. I believe the secret to success lies in knowledge and perseverance. I thrive on a challenge and it motivates me to work harder. I would love to win this scholarship to make my dreams of becoming a Physician a reality.
      Charlie Akers Memorial Scholarship
      My name is Samantha Jarbou, and I am a senior at Clio High School. My parents were born in Iraq, which dates to Mesopotamia. My parents immigrated to the United States from Iraq during the war to avoid religious persecution. Growing up in a first-generation, low-income household was hard. My parents worked day and night to support my siblings and me. When they came to America, they had to work hard to put food on our table. To begin with, growing up, I was influenced by my parent's background and upbringing. They have always instilled in me that working hard is necessary to achieve any goals I have. Both my parents want me to further my education. I want to aim for higher education to make their investment in my life special. I want to pursue a career in STEM to make a positive impact on families like mine. Especially immigrant families who go to the doctor's office can not afford to pay their medical bills. And for the bilingual people that can barely understand what the doctor is saying to them. As a result, volunteering has played a massive role in my personal development. Since Kindergarten, I have been a part of the Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan. Girl Scouts instilled in me the value of communication skills, business ethics, money management, decision-making, and goal setting. I have volunteered a lot with my girl scout troop in my community. In December 2012, I started volunteering at the toy shop in The Salvation Army gymnasium and with the Adult Rehabilitation Center. The toy shop contains toys, clothes, pajamas, coats, and even bikes. My favorite part was watching the joy on the parent's faces when they knew they could reward their children with Christmas presents that year. Around the week before Christmas, my family and I helped parents shop for their kids. One day out of the week, the Adult Rehabilitation Center, also known as the ARC, came over to shop. I got to wrap their gifts after they picked them up and I made hot cocoa and pastries too! It was the highlight of my holiday season. Another organization I volunteer for is Saint Paul Church. I serve at the altar at Saint Paul Chaldean Church and help the Priest during mass. Additionally, I teach the communion class and help with events. Since the 5th grade, I have been achieving the highest honors. I have actively taken part in my school's National Honor Society, Student Council, HOSA, and the Distributive Education Clubs of America, known famously as DECA. In my intellectual interest in business, I am proud of my achievement in the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship, also known as NFTE. This past year I created a vest-like backpack called the Vest Pack. I made a business plan and I won first place in my school competition, which led me to win first place at the county-wide competition. This allowed me to go to the National competition in New York City. I am now NFTE alumni and the chair of NFTE for Michigan. As president of the NFTE program, I am looking forward to mentoring other students willing to join the pursuit of entrepreneurship. In the future, I plan to work hard to achieve my goals and serve my community in any way I can. I believe the secret to success lies in knowledge and perseverance. I thrive on a challenge and it motivates me to work harder. I would love to win this scholarship to make my dreams of becoming a Physician a reality.
      Margalie Jean-Baptiste Scholarship
      My name is Samantha Jarbou, and I am a senior at Clio High School. My parents were born in Iraq, which dates to Mesopotamia. My parents immigrated to the United States from Iraq during the war to avoid religious persecution. Growing up in a first-generation, low-income household was hard. My parents worked day and night to support my siblings and me. When they came to America, they had to work hard to put food on our table. To begin with, growing up, I was influenced by my parent's background and upbringing. They have always instilled in me that working hard is necessary to achieve any goals I have. Both my parents want me to further my education. I want to aim for higher education to make their investment in my life special. I want to pursue a career in STEM to make a positive impact on families like mine. Especially immigrant families who go to the doctor's office can not afford to pay their medical bills. And for the bilingual people that can barely understand what the doctor is saying to them. As a result, volunteering has played a massive role in my personal development. Since Kindergarten, I have been a part of the Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan. Girl Scouts instilled in me the value of communication skills, business ethics, money management, decision-making, and goal setting. I have volunteered a lot with my girl scout troop in my community. In December 2012, I started volunteering at the toy shop in The Salvation Army gymnasium and with the Adult Rehabilitation Center. The toy shop contains toys, clothes, pajamas, coats, and even bikes. My favorite part was watching the joy on the parent's faces when they knew they could reward their children with Christmas presents that year. Around the week before Christmas, my family and I helped parents shop for their kids. One day out of the week, the Adult Rehabilitation Center, also known as the ARC, came over to shop. I got to wrap their gifts after they picked them up and I made hot cocoa and pastries too! It was the highlight of my holiday season. Another organization I volunteer for is Saint Paul Church. I serve at the altar at Saint Paul Chaldean Church and help the Priest during mass. Additionally, I teach the communion class and help with events. Since the 5th grade, I have been achieving the highest honors. I have actively taken part in my school's National Honor Society, Student Council, HOSA, and the Distributive Education Clubs of America, known famously as DECA. In my intellectual interest in business, I am proud of my achievement in the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship, also known as NFTE. This past year I created a vest-like backpack called the Vest Pack. I made a business plan and I won first place in my school competition, which led me to win first place at the county-wide competition. This allowed me to go to the National competition in New York City. I am now NFTE alumni and the chair of NFTE for Michigan. As president of the NFTE program, I am looking forward to mentoring other students willing to join the pursuit of entrepreneurship. In the future, I plan to work hard to achieve my goals and serve my community in any way I can. I believe the secret to success lies in knowledge and perseverance. I thrive on a challenge and it motivates me to work harder. I would love to win this scholarship to make my dreams of becoming a Physician a reality.
      Sloane Stephens Doc & Glo Scholarship
      A quality that I value most is my life is volunteerism. My name is Samantha Jarbou, and I am a senior at Clio High School. My parents were born in Iraq, which dates to Mesopotamia. My parents immigrated to the United States from Iraq during the war to avoid religious persecution. Growing up in a first-generation, low-income household was hard. My parents worked day and night to support my siblings and me. When they came to America, they had to work hard to put food on our table. To begin with, growing up, I was influenced by my parent's background and upbringing. They have always instilled in me that working hard is necessary to achieve any goals I have. Both my parents want me to further my education. I want to aim for higher education to make their investment in my life special. I want to pursue a career in STEM to make a positive impact on families like mine. Especially immigrant families who go to the doctor's office can not afford to pay their medical bills. And for the bilingual people that can barely understand what the doctor is saying to them. As a result, volunteering has played a massive role in my personal development. Since Kindergarten, I have been a part of the Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan. Girl Scouts instilled in me the value of communication skills, business ethics, money management, decision-making, and goal setting. I have volunteered a lot with my girl scout troop in my community. In December 2012, I started volunteering at the toy shop in The Salvation Army gymnasium and with the Adult Rehabilitation Center. The toy shop contains toys, clothes, pajamas, coats, and even bikes. My favorite part was watching the joy on the parent's faces when they knew they could reward their children with Christmas presents that year. Around the week before Christmas, my family and I helped parents shop for their kids. One day out of the week, the Adult Rehabilitation Center, also known as the ARC, came over to shop. I got to wrap their gifts after they picked them up and I made hot cocoa and pastries too! It was the highlight of my holiday season. Another organization I volunteer for is Saint Paul Church. I serve at the altar at Saint Paul Chaldean Church and help the Priest during mass. Additionally, I teach the communion class and help with events. Since the 5th grade, I have been achieving the highest honors. I have actively taken part in my school's National Honor Society, Student Council, HOSA, and the Distributive Education Clubs of America, known famously as DECA. In my intellectual interest in business, I am proud of my achievement in the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship, also known as NFTE. This past year I created a vest-like backpack called the Vest Pack. I made a business plan and I won first place in my school competition, which led me to win first place at the county-wide competition. This allowed me to go to the National competition in New York City. I am now NFTE alumni and the chair of NFTE for Michigan. As president of the NFTE program, I am looking forward to mentoring other students willing to join the pursuit of entrepreneurship. In the future, I plan to work hard to achieve my goals and serve my community in any way I can. I believe the secret to success lies in knowledge and perseverance. I thrive on a challenge and it motivates me to work harder for my community.
      Etherine Tansimore Scholarship
      My name is Samantha Jarbou, and I am a senior at Clio High School. My parents were born in Iraq, which dates to Mesopotamia. My parents immigrated to the United States from Iraq during the war to avoid religious persecution. Growing up in a first-generation, low-income household was hard. My parents worked day and night to support my siblings and me. When they came to America, they had to work hard to put food on our table. To begin with, growing up, I was influenced by my parent's background and upbringing. They have always instilled in me that working hard is necessary to achieve any goals I have. Both my parents want me to further my education. I want to aim for higher education to make their investment in my life special. I want to pursue a career in STEM to make a positive impact on families like mine. Especially immigrant families who go to the doctor's office can not afford to pay their medical bills. And for the bilingual people that can barely understand what the doctor is saying to them. As a result, volunteering has played a massive role in my personal development. Since Kindergarten, I have been a part of the Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan. Girl Scouts instilled in me the value of communication skills, business ethics, money management, decision-making, and goal setting. I have volunteered a lot with my girl scout troop in my community. In December 2012, I started volunteering at the toy shop in The Salvation Army gymnasium and with the Adult Rehabilitation Center. The toy shop contains toys, clothes, pajamas, coats, and even bikes. My favorite part was watching the joy on the parent's faces when they knew they could reward their children with Christmas presents that year. Around the week before Christmas, my family and I helped parents shop for their kids. One day out of the week, the Adult Rehabilitation Center, also known as the ARC, came over to shop. I got to wrap their gifts after they picked them up and I made hot cocoa and pastries too! It was the highlight of my holiday season. Another organization I volunteer for is Saint Paul Church. I serve at the altar at Saint Paul Chaldean Church and help the Priest during mass. Additionally, I teach the communion class and help with events. Since the 5th grade, I have been achieving the highest honors. I have actively taken part in my school's National Honor Society, Student Council, HOSA, and the Distributive Education Clubs of America, known famously as DECA. In my intellectual interest in business, I am proud of my achievement in the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship, also known as NFTE. This past year I created a vest-like backpack called the Vest Pack. I made a business plan and I won first place in my school competition, which led me to win first place at the county-wide competition. This allowed me to go to the National competition in New York City. I am now NFTE alumni and the chair of NFTE for Michigan. As president of the NFTE program, I am looking forward to mentoring other students willing to join the pursuit of entrepreneurship. In the future, I plan to work hard to achieve my goals and serve my community in any way I can. I believe the secret to success lies in knowledge and perseverance. I thrive on a challenge and it motivates me to work harder. I would love to win this scholarship to make my dreams of becoming a Physician a reality.
      Minority/Women in STEM Scholarship
      My name is Samantha Jarbou, and I am a senior at Clio High School. My parents were born in Iraq, which dates to Mesopotamia. My parents immigrated to the United States from Iraq during the war to avoid religious persecution. Growing up in a first-generation, low-income household was hard. My parents worked day and night to support my siblings and me. They came to America with hopes that they would be free and successful. When they came to America, they had to work hard to put food on our table. To begin with, growing up, I was influenced by my parent's background and upbringing. They have always instilled in me that working hard is necessary to achieve any goals I have. Both my parents want me to further my education. This has led me to be a driven student. Even though my parents do not have a college degree, they still support my siblings and me. One of my biggest challenges in pursuing my education became the fear of letting my parents down. They sacrificed so much for me to live a better life than them. They have endured hardship but they still support me in everything I do. I want to pursue higher education to make their investment in my life special. I want to pursue a career in STEM to make a positive impact on families like mine. Especially immigrant families who go to the doctor's office and can not afford to pay their medical bills. And for the bilingual people that can barely understand what the doctor is saying to them. As a result, volunteering has played a huge role in my personal development. Since Kindergarten, I have been a part of the Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan. Girl Scouts instilled in me the value of communication skills, business ethics, money management, decision-making, and goal setting. I have volunteered a lot with my girl scout troop in my community. In December 2012, I started volunteering at the toy shop in The Salvation Army gymnasium and with the Adult Rehabilitation Center. Another organization I volunteer for is Saint Paul Church. I serve at the altar at Saint Paul Chaldean Church, and I help the Priest during mass. Additionally, I teach the communion class and help with events. Since the 5th grade, I have been achieving the highest honors. I have actively taken part in my school's National Honor Society, Student Council, HOSA, and the Distributive Education Clubs of America, known famously as DECA. In my intellectual interest in business, I am proud of my achievement in the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship, also known as NFTE. This past year I created a vest-like backpack called the Vest Pack. I made a business plan and I won first place in my school competition, which led me to win first place at the county-wide competition. This allowed me to go to the National competition in New York City. I am now an NFTE alumni and the chair of NFTE for Michigan. As president of the NFTE program, I am looking forward to mentoring other students willing to join the pursuit of entrepreneurship. In the future, I plan to work hard to achieve my goals and serve my community in any way I can. I believe the secret to success lies in knowledge and perseverance. I thrive on a challenge and it motivates me to work harder. I would love to win this scholarship to make my dreams of becoming a Physician a reality.
      Stand and Yell Community Impact Scholarship
      My name is Samantha Jarbou. I am a 17-year-old Chaldean woman. I was born in Saginaw, Michigan. But, my parents were born in Iraq, which dates back to Mesopotamia times. My parents immigrated to the U.S from Iraq when the war and religious persecution was occurring. At 6 years old, I got introduced to the Salvation Army. People think it is just a thrift store, but it is so much more. In December of 2015, I remember volunteering at the toy shop. The toy shop was in The Salvation Army gymnasium, which contained toys, clothes, pajamas, coats, and even bikes! All of the items were separated by size and age. I would constantly restock and break boxes as more families started coming in. But, my favorite part was watching the joy on the parents' faces, when they knew they could reward their children with Christmas presents that year. Around the week before Christmas, my family and I helped parents shop for their kids. One day out of this week, the Adult Rehabilitation Center, also known as the ARC, came over to shop too. The ARC is for dads who are recovering from substance abuse. Our youth group at the Army got to wrap their gifts after they picked them up. We even were able to provide hot cocoa and pastries too! It was the highlight of my holiday season. Another recent addition to the Salvation Army is their Life Center located in Beecher, Michigan. They help families get back on their feet by helping them with their expenses. As I got older, the toy shop helped me realize that Christmas was a time for giving and not receiving. At one point I was in these kids' shoes. My parents found the Salvation Army because they were trying to get me and my siblings toys for Christmas too. My parents were struggling financially because they immigrated to America during their teens, so they did not have a complete education. Although it affected their job stability during most of my childhood, it has taught me the value of selflessness, commitment, and service to others. This program helped my family and I am lucky that I am a part of it now. I am grateful that they were there for my family and I am blessed to return my gratitude to them. This program has helped and will continue to help many families in Flint, Michigan, and beyond. However, the Salvation Army has more programs that go unrecognized, like their weekly character-building activities where people of any age are welcome. Another favorite of mine, the Salvation Army has a brass band. They teach younger kids how to play instruments that build into a brass band including the trumpet, tuba, trombone, percussion, and baritone. I play the trumpet and I have played in the youth band for 7 years along with my siblings. The Salvation Army is leveraged throughout America, but it has unseen activities and programs. There are not many young people in these groups and they have slowly diminished as students have gone off to college. Using my experience in my future career as a Physician, I plan on improving patients' lives with physical critical care. I want to inform them that the Salvation Army is a wonderful organization to become a part of. I hope to demonstrate the compassion and dedication I have learned at The Salvation Army, with all of my patients. My goal is to bring awareness to these amazing programs that the Salvation Army has so graciously and generously provided for communities all over the world.