Undergraduate / 'getting an education is very important' - Essay to attend a Summer program [5]

Instructions:
Write a page essay the responds to the following topics:
-your plans to continue your education after high school and where you plan to attend
-any employment, volunteer, and/or community activities you participated in and how has it made a difference for you and others
-how and why you became interested in a health career
-any barriers or obstacles you may have to reach you career goals

No one in my family, like in many other families, has ever went to college. My mom finished high school but didn't have the option of going to college because she had to help out at home and my dad, well he was a high school drop out who regrets not continuing his education. My parents have always wanted the best for me and my siblings, so they started teaching us at a young age and I hated it. Now that I'm older, I realize that they did me a big favor and I will do my best to get a good education. All through high school, I have been volunteering at sunday school, planning my future, including career and education, and working hard to reach my goals.

An unknown author once said, "When helping others, do not look for a reward; if you are looking for rewards, don't help others." I grew up in a family with a dad, who was rarely home and and a mom who raised my brother, sister and me mostly all by herself.Life for her wasn't easy, but that didn't stop her from helping others. She always offered to help anyone who was in need. Never have I seen her say no to someone who needed a place to stay or food to eat. Her kindness and generosity to everyone inspired me and at a young age, I promised myself that I would try and be just like her. The desire that I had and have to help care for and impact people's lives is what interests me in a health career.

I have always loved little kids. Yes, sometimes they are irritating and wild, but I love working with them. After I graduated Bible Study at church, I started volunteering in a Sunday School class. The class consists of 20 three year old boys and girls, two teachers and two helpers, me included. Every Sunday morning I wake up excited to be with the little kids. Ever since I started helping out with the Sunday School, I feel like I've become a better person. I now understand that teaching isn't easy and have crossed out the option of becoming a teacher of off my list.

Up until high school, there were so many things that I wanted to become. I wished to be a stylist, a firefighter, a doctor, and many other different jobs, but during my freshman year, I narrowed it down to a nurse. After graduating high school, I plan on going to Chemeketa Community College and taking the pre-Nursing courses for a year. During those courses, I plan on taking Chemistry, Anatomy and Physiology, Algebra and any other courses that are required before applying for the Nursing Program. Afterwards, I plan on applying to the Nursing Program there and taking all the classes that I would need to become a LPN. Afterwards, depending on where I will be in life, I will either transfer to OHSU and continue my education, or I will get a job as a LPN.

Life is full of barriers and obstacles. They come and go whenever they want to. I understand that there will always be problems like money shortages or family issues that will keep me from reaching my career goal of becoming a nurse, but like Vince Lombardi said, "The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary." No matter what, I will always try my hardest to complete my goal of becoming a nurse. I believe that I can achieve anything as long as I put my heart into it and that is what I will do.

Throughout my life, I've been told over and over by my parents, grandparents and relatives, that getting an education is very important and should be my top goal. Listening to them, I made it my main goal and will work hard to achieve it. All that volunteering, planning, and working will pay of in the end and I know that I won't regret it a single big! If I get accepted to the Oregon MedScholars Academy, I will try my hardest and take in as much knowledge as possibly can