Age
19
Hobbies and interests
History
Advocacy And Activism
Music
Psychiatry
Psychology
Reading
Historical
Fantasy
Dystopian
Apocalypse
Post-Apocalypse
I read books multiple times per month
Melissa Hernandez
1,675
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FinalistMelissa Hernandez
1,675
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FinalistBio
Hello, my name is Melissa Hernandez! I'm currently a high school Senior, class of 2023.
I've always known I wanted a career centered around helping people, making sure people live their lives to the fullest potential regardless of where they come from. Additionally, I've always been fascinated by how the human mind works. So combining my passion for both of those together I aspire to become a psychiatrist!
Following my graduation in May 2023, I will be majoring in Psychology while also taking other pre-med courses to prepare myself for medical school. I will be minoring in Spanish to be able to communicate and aid a wider community.
Throughout high school, I've taken multiple AP, honors, and college classes that will help me fulfill my dreams. I've also been volunteering at a Hospital so I can begin getting experience within the healthcare field. During my senior year, I did a semester entirely at my local community college.
As a Latina, first-generation student I know going through all this schooling will be tough but I am prepared to make this world a better place!
Education
Denver Center For International Studies
High SchoolMiscellaneous
Desired degree level:
Doctoral degree program (PhD, MD, JD, etc.)
Graduate schools of interest:
Transfer schools of interest:
Majors of interest:
- Psychology, General
- Medicine
- Research and Experimental Psychology
Career
Dream career field:
Psychiatrist
Dream career goals:
Be happy, help people, make a difference.
Intern
Presbyterian St. Lukes2022 – 2022
Sports
Volleyball
Varsity2019 – 20223 years
Awards
- Most improved
Public services
Volunteering
National Honor Society — Treasurer2022 – PresentVolunteering
Presbyterian/St.Luke’s Medical Center — Intern then continued as a volunteer2022 – PresentVolunteering
Denver Center for International Studies — Assistant Coach-Volleyball2021 – 2021
Future Interests
Advocacy
Politics
Volunteering
Philanthropy
Allison Thomas Swanberg Memorial Scholarship
Community service is when you do something for others with no intention of receiving anything in return. Service is about aiding someone in rough times, brightening their day just a little, and showing there are people that care for them. Committing acts of kindness can help a person more than you realize, it can change their entire mood. Community service is an invaluable experience. It has taught me to be more caring, patient, compassionate, and understanding. It has also brought me to meet people I would have never connected with otherwise. Through service, I've also gained a new perspective and appreciation for life-meeting all these people and assisting them taught me that life can change rapidly both for the best and worst. Community service means acting with love and kindness and caring for others.
I volunteer weekly at Presbyterian St.Luke's Medical center in West Denver. Since I began volunteering there I have fallen in love with the medical field. I´ve also realized the impact little acts of kindness have on people. The nurses are always expressing how thankful they are even if I´m just helping with minuscule tasks. Patients are thankful I can do simple tasks for them while they rest, and families are glad I´m there to support them. This inspires me to keep giving back.
I spend a lot of time volunteering on the Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children side of PSL, specifically in the Ronald McDonald Room. I serve as the host welcoming families and ensuring the room remains open as a safe, comforting space for families of patients to rest and relax as well as assisting families with the laundry facilities in the building. I also assist families with contacting the Ronald McDonald house if they need to get a room for a long-term stay. It isn't a very intense, wow, doctor saving lives role in the hospital but I get to support dozens of people. My commitment to community service has inspired me to pursue a career in medicine.
I have been inspired to become a doctor, specifically a psychiatrist. I have seen the struggles in my community and I realized through this career I can work through them. Becoming a psychiatrist will allow me to practice medicine and treat individuals with mental illnesses. My whole aim is to improve individuals' quality of life-I know how draining mental illness can be and I don't want anyone to struggle with that. We lose thousands of people to suicide every year, it is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. This statistic needs to be lowered-we need more access to mental health resources. Additionally, there are many medically underserved communities I am a part of-I want to help work on these disparities and get them the treatment they deserve. I want to become a psychiatrist because I know my community deserves better, my community deserves access to quality treatment.