Growing up in a financially struggling community, I have always wanted to help others. At a young age, I knew I had always wanted a career in the medical field because of wanting to help others. A fairly recent experience has truly shown me what it means to care for children. I have viewed first-hand the impact family uncertainty can have on a child. In the near future, I plan to help children overcome their fears and comfort them during difficult times by being a caring, kind, and thoughtful radiologist technician in a children’s hospital.
When my younger sister was thirteen years old, she had fallen off her bed and had a seizure in the middle of the night without any family members, including myself, knowing. The next morning, My father realized that her lip was swollen, and she had expressed that she did not feel like herself. My father realized that something was not right, so he rushed her to the emergency room. There I witnessed the care and compassion that every employee gave my sister. She was scared and concerned, but the doctors and nurses tried their best to make her feel comfortable. My sister ended up being transferred to Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital in Palo Alto, California because the doctors realized that she had a cavernous malformation on the surface of her brain. When we arrived, every employee that came into contact with my sister showed how much they truly cared about her, as well as every other child in the hospital. Despite the fact that she was going to need brain surgery, my sister appeared calm. The kind, caring, and calm nature of the doctors and nurses all throughout her journey had helped my sister through one of the most fearful times of her life. A few months later, my sister had her surgery and recovered quickly.
I was greatly inspired by this experience to help children and impact their lives in a positive way. That is why I am choosing to follow a career in the medical field. I plan to become a radiologist technician, in order to work in the hospital and care for children the way people had cared for my sister. Not only will I give proper medical care to children, but I will also lift their spirits to make them feel less afraid. It is safe to say that everyone feels a little uneasy in a hospital, so making a child feel comfortable by talking to them, making them laugh, and showing that you care helps the patient and their family feel a bit better when times are hard. I know that seeing my sister smile during her hospital visits made me feel better, as if everything was going to be alright. I believe that that is the most important part of working in a children’s hospital. Not so much the technical work, but the interactions you have with children. Showing that you care for them and that you truly want the best for them, is the most important part. Healthcare employees that show a great deal of care is what can leave a positive impact on a child and their experience in a hospital.
Witnessing the care that my little sister had received by others while in the hospital left a long lasting, positive impact on her, my family, and myself. I hope that in the near future I can help children in the same way and leave the same life changing positive influence on other children.
Scholarship Essay submission by Joleen Enriquez
UCA’s most recent Scholarship Essay Contest for High School Juniors and Seniors officially ended on May 15, 2020. While the theme has always been to explore ways to make a more caring world, our most recent Essay Contest specifically asked how they would make a more caring world in one of four categories – Children – Animals – Reforestation – Elderly. The winning essays have been posted and awards distributed.
Because there were so many impressive essays submitted from across the U.S., we decided to share many of these students’ inspiring caring actions with you in this publication. Through their essays, the students provide a refreshing insight into their minds and hearts, offering an in depth view of our world that we often overlook. They take us on a journey rich in knowledge, personal experience and creative solutions. It is our hope you will feel as informed and inspired as we do. We are proud to present to you the writings, thoughts and dreams for a more caring future through these articles.