On August 1st, 2014, we announced our 2014 180 Medical College Scholarship Recipients. We continue to shine the spotlight on our nine individual winners on our blog, including 2014 scholarship recipient Garrett.
Meet Garret, 2014 180 Medical Scholarship Recipient
When Garrett was only a 15-year-old teenage boy playing on a trampoline in the backyard, the unthinkable happened. He took a fall and broke his neck, leaving him an incomplete quadriplegic. While the experience tested Garrett’s faith at first, he found a brand new way to look at life.
Being an incomplete quadriplegic meant he might not ever be able to walk again. The odds may have been against him, but through hours of physical therapy and sheer determination, Garrett was able to walk with the aid of a walker across the stage at his high school graduation. His classmates weren’t the only ones who were amazed — his story even appeared on the local news and the Today Show. While he is not walking on his own just yet, he has a goal to keep breaking the limits.
Garrett’s Scholastic Achievements and Future Career
Throughout high school, Garrett maintained a high GPA (graduated high school with a 3.98 GPA). In addition, he was a Distinguished Academic Leader and member of the National Honor Society. His Senior Class voted him “Most Likely to Make an Impact.”
He stays active by volunteering at the Special Olympics and at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Center. He also regularly mentors peers going through rehabilitation after a spinal cord injury. He maintains an active lifestyle by participating in adaptive downhill snow skiing, adaptive water skiing, Intramural Dodge Ball, indoor rock wall climbing, and kayaking.
Garrett is majoring in Pre-Medicine at Calvin College. He hopes to become a rehabilitation physician. We’re sure Garrett will touch many lives through his future career. “I will be in a unique position to really make an impact in the world of rehab and advocate for others with a disability since I have firsthand experience on what it is like to live with paralysis,” he says.
About 180 Medical’s Scholarship Program
To learn more about 180 Medical’s College Scholarship program, visit https://www.180medical.com/Scholarships.
