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Alyssa Bryant

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Bio

My name is Alyssa. I was diagnosed with NF1 when I was 3 months old, which put me at a disadvantage academically in K-8. Since I have been in high school I have transitioned from taking generals classes, to honors, to dual enrollment. I have 3.8 GPA and I am ranked 38 out of 259. I have goals of attending college to either major in Vet Science or Culinary Arts. I am determined to show not only myself but others that I am more than NF1.

Education

Cherokee High School

High School
2019 - 2023

Miscellaneous

  • Desired degree level:

    Bachelor's degree program

  • Majors of interest:

    • Agriculture/Veterinary Preparatory Programs
    • Veterinary Administrative Services
    • Veterinary Biomedical and Clinical Sciences
    • Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians
    • Agricultural/Animal/Plant/Veterinary Science and Related Fields, Other
    • Cooking and Related Culinary Arts, General
    • Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other
    • Business/Commerce, General
    • Business/Managerial Economics
  • Not planning to go to medical school
  • Career

    • Dream career field:

      Veterinary

    • Dream career goals:

      I would love to be able to help animals receive care and be placed in loving environments.

    • Crew Member

      McDonald's
      2022 – Present2 years

    Arts

    • Concert Band

      Music
      2016 – Present

    Public services

    • Volunteering

      Douglas Cherokee Economic Authority Upward Bound — Volunteer
      2020 – Present

    Future Interests

    Advocacy

    Volunteering

    Entrepreneurship

    Dylan's Journey Memorial Scholarship
    I was diagnosed with NF1 when I was 3 months old. This put me in an academically disadvantaged position. This disease has affected me mentally the most. I have many learning disabilities such as ADHD and dyslexia. These diagnoses often make me feel like I should not be as academically progressive as I have been. Receiving a scholarship like this will show that I am more than NF. From Kindergarten through the eighth grade I was put in Special Education classes. For the longest time, I thought I would be in those classes for the rest of my education. To my surprise, at the end of my eighth-grade year, I was told I was "too smart for Special Education". So, beginning my freshman year of high school, I began taking general classes. To my shock once again, a teacher suggested I could do honors classes. This gave me the right amount of confidence to give it a try. I took these classes and succeeded. I decided to push myself even further and in my Junior year, I took a dual enrollment class. I knew the curriculum and pace of the class would be a challenge but I pushed through. At the end of the semester, I came out of the class with an A. Passing this class was a big obstacle for me and it gave me confidence. Confidence that I could pass difficult academic classes, confidence that I could take college classes, confidence that I could do anything that I put my mind to. This scholarship would mean the world to me. I come from a low-income family that currently has three high school seniors. Due to this and our financial situation, I know that my family cannot afford to help me with college. I have dreams of attending college to earn a degree in veterinary science. Animals have been my comfort touchstone when things in my life have been very difficult. I connect with animals so much because they are very tender creatures and at times cannot help or speak up for themselves. Living with NF1, I too at times feel that I am unable to speak for myself. I have very strong opinions and I know exactly what I want to say. However, it seems to, at times, get stuck and I feel like I cannot express myself properly. I have found people in my life who understand this and who are very patient and kind to me. I would love to do the same with animals. I would love to be their voice for them. At the end of the day, I want to show that NF will not define what I can or cannot do. I stand confident in my abilities. Coincidently, you can't spell confidence without NF.