J.Terry Tindall Memorial Scholarship

My name is Aerian Swenson and I have had my share of difficulties in life. I was adopted when I was an infant after my parents were arrested. My grandparents, who raised me, were amazing role models. My grandmother was a CNA and because of that I spent my entire childhood tagging along, spending time in the nursing home and trying to help any way that I could. I believe that my grandmother and her work are what inspired me to go into the medical field. Being raised by my grandparents has made me a stronger person and I would never change the way my life unfolded. Despite my grandparents trying their best and giving me everything I could have ever asked for, they will never be able to help me get through college. After raising two children to adulthood, they are not in a financial position to even be surviving. A few years ago, my grandfather had a stroke and my grandmother broke her hip which resulted in them both having to retire. I have been picking up odd jobs and finding ways to make money for the last two years so that I could support my family in between their social security checks. Recently, I was working for my school, cleaning during and after school. I am a current senior at Haxtun High School and also am currently enrolled in a phlebotomy certification program through MedCerts. This program allows me to be a certified phlebotomist by the end of this school year. I plan to further my education in the medical field by attending The University of Arizona where I will gain my Bachelors in medicine. After that, I plan to attend medical school for four years and then further my education by getting an M.D.. I will then continue to further my experience by obtaining a surgical internship followed by a residency, where I will choose my specialty, which will lead to me becoming a full time surgeon. I believe that I will be a good match for this scholarship because it will give me the opportunity to pursue my passion of helping others, to further my education in the medical field, and to gain new experiences that will help me further develop my skills. If given this scholarship and the opportunity to further my education, I will become a more successful and useful citizen because I will be able to work in the hospital giving our community members the best care possible and hopefully furthering the development of medicine as we know it. Also, if I am given this opportunity, I will be able to provide for my grandparents in the ways they no longer can. They have raised me and given up everything for me, if I am given the opportunity to create a future for myself where I can provide for them in the same way I will be unstoppable. Thank you so much for your time and consideration.

"I have Multiple Myeloma bone marrow cancer". Those are the words that came out of my mother's mouth when I was just 14 years old. And from then on, resiliency is the aspect of these three Mr. Tindall displayed that I resonate with most. And through many struggles like these, I fought to overcome these struggles and prove to myself I am stronger. As of right now, we are lucky enough to have my mother in remission, yet the thing about any cancer is the medication given starts to cause a multitude of other health issues over time. Since beating cancer, she has developed various other health problems causing me to have to step in not only as the role of her caretaker, but my younger brother's parental figure some of the time as well. It's definitely one of those things that you think will never happen to you and you think, "I don't think I would ever be able to handle something that hard." But now that it's happened, I've learned sometimes it's just a matter of getting through it no matter how hard it is because there is another side to get to. The definition of resilience is beautifully described as "The capacity to withstand or to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness" (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). It's not something where you try to change the outcomes of situations but rather you do the best with what you're given. While having a sick mother who needs help, I've been able to adapt to helping my family, while also maintaining a determined, and hard-working mindset. I've stayed pretty busy and active in high school by balancing jobs, volunteering opportunities, extra-curricular activities, playing tennis, and caretaking. I've babysat, dishwasher, been a personal assistant/media manager, and even worked in the tech department of Target. Some extra things I've participated in are the Student Council, Link Crew, Tennis, Advanced Choir, Environmental Club, and ASL and Interpersonal Communications at Pikes Peak State College. My hard work is also reflected through my Scholastic Silver Key Poetry Award and my AP Scholar, AP Seminar and Research Certificate, and Outstanding Senior awards given through Doherty. While I work hard in school, I also work hard and show my care most in my volunteering work. Some ways I’ve taken action to care for my community are volunteering at Unified Bowling and Special Olympics, helping students with disabilities enjoy competitiveness, and awarding experiences involved in sports. Another important aspect of caring for my community I’ve helped with is to help with lower income families and individuals since I’ve grown up under that category. I have been lucky enough to engage in raising money for Care & Share, a local food bank, and volunteering at Christmas Unlimited, an organization dedicated to helping lower-income families obtain gifts for their children. Overall, I’ve been lucky to experience these amazing ways to help improve the lives of others struggling in my local community and I look forward to finding opportunities to do the same at whatever college I decide to attend. So many people have helped me in my life in so many different ways when I needed it, so if I could go to college and ultimately live helping people, I would be so excited. If you, who is reading this, decide to invest in me and my future, I would be so lucky and eternally grateful. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and consider me for this great opportunity.