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Taryn Larson

675

Bold Points

1x

Finalist

1x

Winner

Bio

I am a passionate and hardworking individual who loves to help people. I started working at a local daycare provider and have taken care of children with disabilities and absolutely love working with them. My mom is a pediatric physical therapist and has been an inspiration to me in regard to helping children. It is for that reason I plan to take is medicine. I want to work in pediatrics as some form of doctor. I love kids and want to make a difference in their lives whatever way I can. I have even thought about going specifically into the pediatric rehabilitation unit of medicine as a physiatrist. This specialty can help me to make a big difference in children's lives who are disabled or have suffered from brain injuries. I feel very strongly about making a difference for these kids in any way I can.

Education

Washington High School - 01

High School
2022 - 2023

Miscellaneous

  • Desired degree level:

    Doctoral degree program (PhD, MD, JD, etc.)

  • Majors of interest:

    • Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other
  • Planning to go to medical school
  • Career

    • Dream career field:

      Medical Practice

    • Dream career goals:

      Pediatrician or Pediatric Physiatrist

    • Caregiver

      Self
      2017 – Present7 years
    • Assistant Caregiver

      Tiger Tots
      2022 – Present2 years

    Sports

    Volleyball

    Junior Varsity
    2019 – 2019

    Track & Field

    Varsity
    2019 – Present5 years

    Cross-Country Running

    Varsity
    2020 – 20211 year

    Basketball

    Club
    2017 – 20225 years

    Basketball

    Varsity
    2019 – Present5 years

    Awards

    • Coca Cola Player of Month, Team Captain

    Public services

    • Volunteering

      Self Created Group — Clean Up Crew
      2022 – 2022
    • Volunteering

      SD Special Olympics — Assisted in Track and Field Event
      2021 – 2022
    • Volunteering

      Sanford Health — Ditch Walking
      2019 – Present

    Future Interests

    Advocacy

    Volunteering

    Tim Gjoraas Science and Education Scholarship
    Winner
    For me, science and education are only part of my passion. Science helps to get me the knowledge I need and also to get my foot through the door for my future career. The true thing that makes me so passionate about majoring in science is what I can do with it. I have known I wanted to be a doctor since I was little as I found out going through old school work. I love the idea of helping children and working to make their life just a little bit easier. Not only do I want to help the children but I also want to help the parents. I want to educate them on what needs to be done for their child or help them to understand how things will be different for them. Being a parent to a child with a disability can be sad but you can not spend the rest of your life mourning what could have been and instead be happy about what you have. It will be harder taking care of a child with a disability but it can also be just as rewarding as caring for any other child. I also want to be able to help the siblings to understand that things at home will look different than at other homes and that their siblings will need extra attention, but that does not mean their parents love them any less. I strive to be a person who can help as many people as possible. My passion for working with children only grew when I started to work at the local daycare in Canton, South Dakota. There is a two-year-old at the daycare who has a rare lifelong genetic condition that significantly impacts all of her abilities rendering her fully dependent on a caregiver. While working at the daycare, I took the initiative to work on her physical therapy exercises with her and found great joy in knowing I was helping and making her feel noticed. She quickly became my favorite little girl in that daycare and she gave me the idea to specialize in working with children who have disabilities. Working at the daycare was not the only thing that pushed me in the direction of a Pediatric Physiatrist. My mother also helped me to find my way through her knowledge as a physical therapist for children ages birth to three years old. A quote that she has said that makes me love the idea of working with children, even more, is, “They have taught me more than I have taught them.” I do not want to only teach children, I also want to learn from them and gain more knowledge throughout my career. Because of my experiences with that little girl and working with children for so long, I have found my passion for life and that passion starts with science in many aspects. Science is one of the biggest factors that will get me to where I want to be and because of that, I will put as much passion into my education and further my scientific knowledge. I also like that science is ever-evolving and by going into a field involving science you will constantly be learning new things throughout your career.