Achievement Scholarship Essay

From an early age, the importance of education was instilled within me. I was completely immersed in educational programs that were dedicated to educating young people who were interested in the medical field. By having a mother who is a registered nurse, I was constantly engulfed in dialogue centered around medicine and patient care. There was no space for other career possibilities in my life; my parents dedicated their time and energy to ensure that I partake in educational programs that ultimately led to the road of medicine. I was accepted into Hampton and granted an Achievement Scholarship, which I was able to maintain scholarship for the duration of my undergraduate career. Students that receive an Achievement Scholarship possessed at least a 3.5-grade point average in high school. In order to retain the scholarship, students must maintain a 3.3-grade point average at the conclusion of each school year. My love for science and thirst for knowledge allowed me to remain on the Dean’s List for my

entire undergraduate career. By doing so, I graduated from Hampton University with the highest grade point average in the overall concentration, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Biology with a concentration in organisms, ecology, and biodiversity.
In addition to maintaining respectable grades, I have been exposed to limitless opportunities that have allowed me to gain valuable experience and explore different avenues of science education with strong community ties. During my tenure at Hampton University, I participated in a BS/MD summer enrichment program at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, TN. I completed courses with peers that held similar aspirations and goals. While attending the summer enrichment program at Meharry Medical College, I was exposed to different aspects of patient care. A visit to the Nashville General Hospital and the Center for AIDS Health Disparities Research helped show the true value of serving a community that has not been afforded the same medical privileges as many Americans. While on a guided tour, I learned how Meharry would travel to the local schools for blood donations. Eventually, the blood donations could no longer occur because of the large population of young people that had contracted HIV/AIDS. Observing firsthand how AIDS plagues the Black community motivated me to plan and execute an annual program for World AIDS Day to help educate the student body. The World AIDS Day program was used as a forum to educate students about the harsh realities of having unprotected sex. Individuals that contracted AIDS were invited to share their story with students and to show that AIDS does not have a face. Additionally, students were showed how to properly apply both, female and male condoms. I created and led the planning, hosting, and execution of the event. The program became a yearly tradition and further drove my interest to educate the student body on healthy lifestyles. I became encouraged to promote cancer awareness by executing a breast cancer event that included researchers, patients, and breast cancer advocates. Females were taught how to complete self-examinations and the importance of knowing one’s medical history. While educating a large group, I was also being educated as well. This experience demonstrated that education is a continuous entity.
Most recently, I had an experience that solidified my decision to educate on a community level through education and outreach programs. This past summer, I worked with the Dauphin Island Sea Lab in Dauphin Island, Alabama where I facilitated educational outreach programs, teaching students in the local community who were unable to travel to the island about the marine environment, essentially bringing the beach to the local park weekly. As an intern, I worked with K-12 students and taught various educational classes that involved shark dissections and marine environment conservation. While at The Dauphin Island Sea Lab, I witnessed the many facets of education. I was involved in education that occurred both traditionally and non-traditionally.
My undergraduate experience at Hampton has presented me with invaluable experiences that occurred in the outside community. I served as a social media volunteer for The Gloucester Institute, a program dedicated to training the next generation of leaders. As social media coordinator, I dispersed relevant content to the internet community via social media platforms. I initiated dialogue with members of the community on topics that allowed for practical solutions to be discussed for current issues. Serving as a social media volunteer for this leadership program has allowed for me to engage in dialogue with a diversity of individuals. Discussing different issues with diverse individuals has allowed for me to demonstrate an ability to reach a variety of audiences. A skill such as this is needed in the field when talking to people that reside in different communities.
Each of the previously mentioned educational opportunities and experiences has served as a milestone that have unintentionally been used as a pathway to mold my career aspirations.

I aspire to become a health education specialist, interacting with the local community members in areas that involve sexually transmitted infections as well as child and maternal health. Eventually, I would like to travel internationally and work with populations suffering from the HIV/AIDS epidemic. I aspire to utilize my talent for forming connections with individuals that have diverse backgrounds. Once achieving an adequate amount of experience, I would like to further my education and strive for a Ph.D. degree in Public Health, specifically community health and prevention. Thus, I would be able to fulfill a goal of returning to academia as a professor or as an individual that oversees a community center dedicated to serving and educating the local population on healthcare

awareness.
Ultimately, I hope to become a well-prepared public health practitioner, committed to public health, nationally and internationally. Given the chance, I will prove that I am a hard-working and dedicated student with a strong passion to serve and impact communities. Using the strength of fostering connections to promote healthy lifestyles. Thus far, I have experienced a variety of opportunities surrounding both education and community health that has allowed for me to strive to gain admission to a strong Master’s of Public Health program such as Drexel’s. Acceptance into the Master’s program will be the next step in achieving such an immense dream.