Hobbies and interests
Violin
Piano
Art
Baking
Biomedical Sciences
Calligraphy
Teaching
Medicine
Psychology
Reading
Adventure
Romance
Science Fiction
Thriller
Science
History
Fantasy
Academic
Folk Tales
Literature
Classics
I read books daily
YeEun Jun
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FinalistYeEun Jun
275
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FinalistEducation
La Sierra University
Bachelor's degree programMajors:
- Biology, General
Miscellaneous
Desired degree level:
Doctoral degree program (PhD, MD, JD, etc.)
Graduate schools of interest:
Transfer schools of interest:
Majors of interest:
Career
Dream career field:
Medicine
Dream career goals:
Future Interests
Advocacy
Volunteering
Philanthropy
Entrepreneurship
Jerome D. Carr Memorial Scholarship for Overcoming Adversity
Just like Jerome D. Carr, I have had trauma and still struggling to deal with this trauma, still fighting for my degree as a pre-med student. Our family's financial difficulties and endless debt were not the only reasons that were pressure on my shoulders. My parents were both diagnosed with cancer. My parents and I knew that with that workload, it is not hard to guess they would most likely get sick in a few years. However, out of all other sicknesses, it had to be cancer. At that moment, I felt my life shake, my goals, and my relationships fall apart. I kept myself away from others and from society, I did not understand why out of all people it had to be me. I felt so sensitive that all those encouragements were a humiliation. However, even in that state, I could not give up my path.
I have always asked myself, "Should I continue pursuing my studies even if I know my parents' sickness and their struggle to pay for my tuition?" I have been in depression and struggled to smile in front of my parents so that they would be cheered up after all the hard work and pain from cancer. Sometimes, I would see myself just getting angry with my parents, friends, God, and even myself.
However, I was never left alone. My parents kept working early morning and late until night to save up money to have me finish my degree. Even when they were in pain with all their sickness they still smiled back when we would have a facetime chat. I encountered my friends who came back to me even with my harsh words to encourage me, hug me, and give me a cup of warm tea. I had some professors approach me to give me a break. In one moment, when I reviewed my prayer journal, I saw that my God had listened and replied to all my prayers whenever I cried out. I learned to get back to the beginning of when I set my life dream, to remind myself of the reasons why I even started this path, and to erase my doubts one by one.
My mental health was not what impacted my beliefs, relationships, and career goals. Rather, it was my surrounding's belief and trust in me, and my relationship with them that supported my mental health to get back to my starting point and be strong enough to continue this path in pursuing my degree.