
Scholarship Submissions
Write an essay where you tell us about what drives you in your pursuit of your graduate degree.
As a child, I would often search online for the highest paying careers, and immediately select the options listed as a desired future career. Such professions included anesthesiologists, dentists, and physicians. I struggled when asked "what do you want to be when you grow up?", knowing that I had little to no interest in these fields, as they were not professions I could see myself being involved in. After years of this internal dilemma, I vividly recall in my junior year anatomy and physiology class, we had completed a unit on the heart. Anatomy itself was a class I enjoyed overall, but this particular unit was especially interesting to me. I was eager to learn about the structures and functions of heart, and felt confident in my ability to recall such information. When selecting our coursework for the following year, I had a variety of medical certification classes to choose from, including Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), Certified Electrocardiograph Technician (CET), Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA), and Certified Personal Trainer (NASM-CPT). My enjoyment of the cardiovascular unit allowed for ease in my decision of which course I would enroll in, that being CET. Currently, I am learning about the conduction system of the heart, as well as electrocardiograph administration and interpretation. I am eager to earn this certification and I plan to use it after graduating high school. After high school, I also plan to attend the University of South Florida, majoring in Pre-Med. I am hopeful that this will prepare me for medical school where I would like to study to become a cardiothoracic surgeon. Doing this, I hope to help others by preventing and reducing harm due to heart disease, which is the most common cause of death for both men and women in the United States. I am also hopeful that with years of experience learning about the heart and it's functions, I can be knowledgeable and reliable when working with future patients and other health workers.
Marissa from Florida
Palm Harbor University High School