As a Grey’s Anatomy fan, I’ve seen many medical emergencies unfold on screen, but I’ve never imagined myself becoming the patient. During my eighth-grade year, I experienced a challenge that completely shifted my perspective on life. In the middle of the night, I woke up with a sharp, painful sensation around the area of my chest. It was so painful that I could barely gasp for air. My mother immediately drove me to the emergency room, where the doctors rushed me to the back to begin running tests. After the tests were completed, it was brought to my mother’s knowledge that I was diagnosed with a blood clot in my lungs, known as a pulmonary embolism, in addition to a very dangerous hemoglobin level of 3. I was appalled. How could a 13-year-old possibly have a blood clot suddenly accumulate in her lungs? Out of all the emergency room visits I’ve had, this one was the most frightening. Being told that my life was potentially at risk was horrifying. Many thoughts were racing through my head like: “How could this happen?” and “Am I even going to live?” The doctors explained to me and my mother that I needed treatment immediately. However, they also told us that I had to be airlifted to a hospital in New Orleans, which was hours away from my hometown. It felt like my heart split in two. This was the first time I was traveling without my mother and my grandmother being by my side. Despite these circumstances, I chose to face this situation with courage and determination. I researched the health condition I was dealing with, getting to know more about the causes as well as the types of treatments. Upon my research, I found out that the birth control that I’ve been taking for my menstrual cycle might have been the root of the cause since it had estrogen in it. Trying to inform myself on certain topics gave me a sense of optimism and soothed all of my worries, as it always has. The process of getting better was very gradual. I had to take blood thinners, had to find a new birth control and travel back and forth from my hometown to New Orleans for frequent checkups. Although most of the classes I took I had good grades in, after I was discharged from the hospital, I had one grade drop from a B to a D. This caused me not only struggle from frustration, but isolation as well since we were in a pandemic and it was the end of the 3rd nine weeks. However, I didn’t know my strength. Each step at a time— whether it was being able to walk for longer periods without having a shortness of breath, or to wake up refreshed instead of being tired— gave me the power to keep going. This life-changing experience taught me many lessons. I learned the importance of having a hopeful and positive outlook. I discovered that being vulnerable is not a weakness but a strength; it acknowledges us to receive help and to relate deeply to others. I’ve learned to live life to the fullest, and to never take life for granted. This health scare was a turning point in my life. It taught me that we can’t always control what happens to us, but we can control how we can deal with the circumstances.

My name is Stephaija Toliver, and I am a senior who attends Wossman High School. I plan to attend Louisiana State University, where I would plan to major in pre-medicine. As a high school senior with an excellent academic record, I am truly honored to be applying for the Mark Green Memorial Scholarship. I believe that I should be the recipient for this scholarship due to my experiences of perseverance and hard work, my community involvement, and financial need. Growing up as an only child in a single-parent household, I learned from my mother and grandmother the importance of hard work and resilience. I had to deal with obstacles that made my path more difficult to walk, but I managed to be successful in spite of all that I endured. At a younger age, while teachers applauded me for my hard work, I was ridiculed by my peers for being smart. However, it taught me that there is true strength in standing out and being authentic in a world of conformity. Additionally, my grandmother was diagnosed with stage one breast cancer in my 4th grade year and my mother was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer in my junior year. For years, I was stressed and worried because they were fighting for their lives. Their declaring victory over cancer had eased my fears. Lastly, in my eighth-grade year, I was diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism along with a very dangerous blood count level of 3. I was hospitalized for nearly a week. Despite these challenges, I made many accomplishments. I managed to balance extracurriculars and school clubs and take rigorous dual enrollment, gifted, and advanced placement courses while obtaining a 4.0 GPA every semester with an overall 3.96 GPA. I was elected President of the Beta Club for my junior and senior years. Ultimately, I was chosen as Student of the Year at my school. I certainly believe that hard work and dedication can help you in the long run. Aside from my academic record, I have been actively involved in my community. I have participated in various community cleanups, volunteered at recycling events, and assisted in organizing the closet at school for students who are in need. These experiences not only showed me the value of giving back to the community but also the importance of teamwork and the development of genuine leadership and communication skills. Even though I have achieved various successes, I still have struggles. As mentioned above, I am an only child raised in a single parent household. Additionally, we are a low income family. My mother does everything possible to financially support, but she does not make enough money to provide assistance in funding my education. My grandmother receives Social Security benefits and me and my mother receive SNAP benefits. This scholarship would not only ease my financial worries in paying for college but also help in laying the foundation for my career path. I am so grateful for this opportunity as it shows the support I’ve gotten from my family, teachers, and peers. Being chosen as a recipient for this scholarship would not only be a prestigious award but also be an example and create a positive standard in my school and my community. With this scholarship, I plan to make a positive contribution to the world by breaking the color barriers in the medical field. I hope to inspire others to be whatever they want to be if they put their minds to it. Again, thank you for this opportunity.

My name is Stephaija Toliver, and I am a senior at Wossman High School. I was born and raised in Monroe, Louisiana, where I have spent my life surrounded by a loving family. Growing up as an only child in a single-parent household, I learned from my mother and grandmother the importance of hard work and resilience. I had to deal with obstacles that made my path more difficult to walk, but I managed to be successful in spite of all that I endured. Attending Wossman High has been a transformative experience for me; the faculty and staff have been very supportive. They have always encouraged me to succeed academically and to achieve to the best of my ability. As they have molded me into the young lady I am today, I have always been influenced by issues such as mental health awareness, cancer awareness, and education equality. Mental health is fundamental, as it helps us function in our everyday lives, despite mental health often being stigmatized in society. Many people do not understand that mental health is a real problem. In my family, we support one another and show kindness to those who are suffering. In addition to mental health, cancer awareness is very dear to my heart due to my mother’s battle with cancer and her eventual victory over it. Also, my maternal grandmother battled cancer and won. For years, I was worried and stressed out because my mother and grandmother were fighting for their lives. I lived in fear that they would leave me. Listening to music has always given me a sense of calmness and tranquility. It also keeps me motivated in times of struggle. Music can be seen as an escape from reality, as well as help people relate to each other and see the things that they have in common. Music brought me through many hard days. Another way I have coped during hard times is participating in community service. I have participated in various community cleanups, volunteered at recycling events, and assisted in organizing the closet at school for students who are in need. These experiences not only showed me the value of giving back to the community but also the importance of teamwork and the development of genuine leadership and communication skills. Perhaps seeing my mother and grandmother struggle with cancer is the reason why ever since I became a teenager, I have been intrigued by the topics of science, specifically biology. This interest has inspired me to do well in my science classes as well as participate in Health and Biology II at the Literary Rally. This has influenced me to pursue a career in the medical field. Also, it is the main reason why I want to become an oncologist. Cancer awareness educates people about the risk factors, early detection, which can significantly help in the long run, and the steps people can take to prevent it. The final issue that has influenced me is education equality. Everyone should have access to education despite their income status, background, or race. For example, my mother dropped out of college because she was never able to get into the classes she needed. She had planned to become a nurse. She saw that the classes were full of people of another race, and she was unable to get into the class. No one in the class looked like her. She felt discriminated against, and she gave up. That is one example of how there is often a lack of education equality. I believe my mother’s struggle has influenced me to work even harder.

During my childhood, I’ve always been known as the student who gets the best grades and is intelligent. While teachers have applauded me for my hard work, my peers have mocked me. While looking back on this situation, I realize it taught me a very important lesson… One day in elementary school, the social studies teacher was going over review questions for the test on Friday. “Can anyone tell me who was a conductor on the Underground Railroad?” the teacher says. I raised my hand and the teacher called on me. “Harriet Tubman,” I said. “Correct,” the teacher said. The teacher asked another question. I quickly raised my hand and answered the question, getting it also correct. One student said, “Dang, can you let us answer?” while other students giggled to themselves. Being hesitant, I decided to stay silent for the remainder of class. The next day, the teacher proceeded to go over the remaining review questions for the test. Remembering what happened yesterday, I allowed other students to answer. Eventually, the teacher asked a complicated question. She called on me, assuming that I would know the answer. I reluctantly answered the question. The teacher then said, “I’m sorry, but that’s incorrect.” The room went silent. “I guess she’s not smart after all,” one student says. Instantly, I could see faces light up with joy. The laughter was a harmony of deep belly laughs and screeching giggles, reverberating down the hallways. I would have shrugged off such comments, but this one stung. Each word felt like a jagged knife, twisting and shoving deeper into my chest, leaving immense pain. I managed not to cry at that moment; however, the air felt thick with the scent of Expo markers, making it hard to breathe. After class, the teacher called me to her desk. “What’s wrong? You haven’t been acting like yourself today,” she said. I immediately burst into tears. “Students have been teasing me for being smart. It has been eating me alive for the past two days,” I said sobbing. “Honey, they mock you because they wish they had the intelligence you have,” the teacher said while trying to calm me down. “You are intelligent, and don’t let anyone tell you that you’re not.” Hearing those words made me feel like I could do anything. It was like a surgeon mending the broken pieces of my heart back together—the next day, I raised my hand, letting the laughter disappear into the background. The more I raised my hand, the more I felt like myself again. Looking back, I realize that being ridiculed for my intelligence was not about me, but about others feeling insecure about themselves. I learned that accepting my capabilities was far more important than seeking validation from others. My advice to someone facing the same challenges is to stay true to yourself. Use adversity to give you motivation to keep going, even if others don’t believe in you. There is true strength in standing out and being authentic in a world of conformity.