The fall semester has begun for students across the country! We’re excited to introduce you to a college student who is also the very first recipient of our new 180 Medical Ron Howell Caregiver College Scholarship. We’ll also tell you more details about this great scholarship for caregivers.
Introducing the First Recipient of the 180 Medical Caregiver Scholarship
Earlier in 2020, we announced the inauguration of our new scholarship program for caregivers. The 180 Medical Ron Howell Caregiver College Scholarship is an exciting addition to our annual 180 Medical College Scholarship, which has been helping students for 9 years. 180 Medical created this new caregiver scholarship program to assist students who are also unpaid caregivers for a loved one with a chronic illness or disability.
Applications came to 180 Medical from across the country. Our Scholarship Judging Committee read each essay carefully, sometimes with tears in their eyes, as they deliberated on who would be the very first recipient of our new 180 Medical Ron Howell Caregiver Scholarship.
There were plenty of deserving candidates; however, one young student stood out. We know you’ll find her inspiring, too. Meet Yousra, our 180 Medical Caregiver Scholarship recipient of 2020!
Meet Yousra, 2020 180 Medical Caregiver Scholarship Recipient
Yousra is an impressive student with a strong academic record who graduated from her high school with honors in May of 2020. In addition to being a 4-year Superintendent’s Scholar with a GPA of 5.26, she is also active in her community and in her school’s extracurricular activities. She participated in robotics competitions, learned new skills at STEAM camp, and became a leader at her school by taking the role of Vice President of the National Honor Society. Plus, she made time to volunteer at local food banks, animal shelters, and even the emergency room at her local hospital.
Given how much Yousra does, you might not realize that she also goes home every day to be a caregiver to one of her parents. You see, tragedy struck Yousra’s family when she was only 10 years old. Her mother suffered two heart attacks, which led to an anoxic brain injury.
“At that moment,” Yousra says, “I knew my childhood had come to an abrupt end. I had to be a helping hand, not a child who had to be helped.”
Yousra’s Experience with Caregiving Led to Her Career Goals
Rather than getting to be a child, she became a caregiver and a helping hand to her mother. However, Yousra does not look at this experience with resentment. Instead, she has chosen to view her own journey with eyes of empathy and understanding.
In fact, she has even discovered what she wants to do with her life because of her experience in caregiving.
While her mother spent time in hospitals and doctor’s offices, Yousra used those opportunities to read in waiting rooms. She found interest in medical mysteries and wanted to know more about how the human body works. Yousra lit up with the idea of being able to use her gifts in a future career. She decided, “I want to become a doctor to help families going through similar situations. I feel a moral obligation to help others because of my mother. I want to be able to pursue a career in medicine to learn about similar situations as my mom and help prevent children from going through what I went through.”
Today, Yousra is attending college at the University of Southern California, majoring in neuroscience. We wish her all our best as she works toward her degree in college. We’re sure she will become an excellent doctor offering compassion and care to her future patients.
About the 180 Medical Caregiver Scholarship
As a top supplier of catheters, ostomy products, and incontinence supplies, we often speak with caregivers who handle their loved ones’ supply needs. We recognize that taking on the role of a caregiver, while rewarding, is also a great responsibility. Caregiving can come with its own challenges, including financial and emotional strain. Because of this, 180 Medical now offers our new scholarship to help a student caregiver afford college. We want everyone, no matter their situation, to be able to achieve their career goals. That’s why we started the 180 Medical Ron Howell Caregiver Scholarship.
We’d like to thank each one of our applicants this year and congratulate Yousra as our 2020 recipient. Please consider applying again for your chance to win a $1,000 scholarship award as our program continues in future years.
