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Elliott Waller

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Bio

My name is Elliott Waller, and it is my goal to go to college to obtain a Bachelor’s degree. I graduated high school from Janesville CSD with high honors, & I am now a junior at the University of Northern Iowa where I am majoring in the field of Sociology with minors in Political Science and Anthropology. I am also a current member of my university’s honors program. In high school I was actively involved in band, student government, and honor society. Some of my hobbies include reading and playing board games. I am applying for scholarships in an effort to make attending college a less expensive endeavor and to make getting a Bachelor’s degree a more realistic and attainable goal. Thank you for considering me for your scholarship!

Education

University of Northern Iowa

Bachelor's degree program
2022 - 2026
  • Majors:
    • Sociology
  • Minors:
    • History and Political Science
    • Anthropology
  • GPA:
    4

Janesville Junior-Senior High School

High School
2018 - 2022
  • GPA:
    4

Janesville Junior-Senior High School

High School
2018 - 2022
  • GPA:
    4

Miscellaneous

  • Desired degree level:

    Bachelor's degree program

  • Graduate schools of interest:

  • Transfer schools of interest:

  • Majors of interest:

    • Sociology
    • Social Work
  • Not planning to go to medical school
  • Test scores:

    • 30
      ACT
    • 1210
      PSAT

    Career

    • Dream career field:

      Political Organization

    • Dream career goals:

      Creative Director

    • Research Assistant

      Center for Social and Behavioral Research at University of Northern Iowa
      2023 – Present1 year
    • Student Supervisor

      Piazza Dining Center
      2022 – Present2 years
    • Childcare Worker

      Discoveries Learning Center
      2022 – 2022
    • Childcare Worker for Preschool

      After School Childcare at Janesville CSD
      2021 – 20221 year

    Research

    • Social Sciences, General

      Center for Social and Behavior Research at University of Northern Iowa — Research Assistant
      2023 – Present

    Arts

    • Janesville CSD Yearbook

      Yearbook
      2018 – 2020

    Public services

    • Volunteering

      Red Cross Blood Drives — Check-in Person/Snack table Person
      2020 – Present

    Future Interests

    Advocacy

    Volunteering

    @normandiealise National Scholarship Month TikTok Scholarship
    Cat Zingano Overcoming Loss Scholarship
    It can be hard to explain to others how losing a close family member has changed you because losing a close family member changes you in more ways than you can count. Often, you don't even attribute the changes to your loss until years later when you can look back at what happened with a clearer perspective. When I was nine years old, my father died a sudden death from cirrhosis of the liver. His death and the reasons behind it have profoundly changed my life and what I want to fight to achieve. It was hard to lose my father at such a young age because it made me realize the harsh realities of life much sooner than my peers. For a few years, I really struggled to relate with people my age because they seemed so naive and immature to me. Losing my father so young made me realize the importance of family and the importance of living in moment because you never know when something could get taken away from you. My father's death made me realize that I should be thankful for every day I get to spend with my friends and family, and it made me remember to never take my loved ones for granted. My father died when he was only forty-three. He died because he was a severe alcoholic who refused to get or accept help. His addiction cost him his wife, his children, and ultimately his life. When I think about how my father died, I feel both very angry that he chose alcohol over his family and yet also empathetic when thinking about how all-consuming his addiction must have been for him to choose alcohol over his family and how isolated and lonely he must have felt towards the end of his life. His substance abuse issues and later death have led me to fight to not follow in his footsteps. I have long ago made the decision that I will not drink or do drugs because I do not want to risk becoming addicted. I never want to be in the position where I am so addicted to something that I would choose it over my own family. There is no denying that my father's death impacted me very negatively as a child. The memory of having to say goodbye to my dying father at nine years old will forever haunt me. However, if I could go back, I don't think I would change anything because my father's death has greatly shaped who I am as a person. His death has made me a stronger, more resilient person. His death taught me the importance of family, and it taught me about the dangers of substance abuse and how devastating the effects of someone's addiction can be on their family. In some ways, I am almost thankful for my father's death because even though it caused me immense grief, it also taught me several very important life lessons.
    "Wise Words" Scholarship
    One quote that means a lot to me is as follows, "Good luck, don't die." It sounds very simple and odd, doesn't it? However, it has become a family mantra for my mom, my sister, and I. My sister was the first one to say, "Good luck, don't die," and she said it to my father when she was around four or five. My father was just going out to drop off some recycling, but on his way he almost fell into a hole. Then a few years later, my father died suddenly, and the quote took on a new meaning. It started to represent the fleetingness of life and how there are no certainties or guarantees in life. For as long as I can remember, my family has been saying, "Good luck, don't die," to each other whenever someone leaves to go do something. If I'm leaving to go volunteer at my school, my mom will tell me, "Good luck, don't die," right before I walk out the door. For my family, saying, "Good luck, don't die," serves almost the same purpose as saying, "Bye, love you." Whenever we say it around other people, they are always confused because it sounds a little dramatic. However, the truth is that life can be dramatic and change on a dime. This quote is special to me because is symbolizes the bond my family shares and our mutual understanding of life's uncertainties.
    Pandemic's Box Scholarship
    The pandemic and quarantine were not great experiences for me, but they also taught me important lessons. There is one big way in which the pandemic has affected my life in a positive way. I have always struggled with anxiety to the point where it would impact my everyday life in negative ways. At the beginning of the pandemic, I had a doctor's appointment for a yearly check-up, and my doctor recommended that I meet with one of the hospital's clinical social workers to get counseling for my anxiety. I decided that I wanted to try counseling to see if it would help, so I started meeting with a clinical social worker every month through tele-health to work on my anxiety. I really believe that my appointments with my clinical social worker, Holly, helped me to get through the pandemic. Without the pandemic, I don't know if I would have been able to receive counseling in the same way because without the pandemic I would have needed to go in for appointments, and my mom would have had to take time off work to take me to and from each appointment.