Last weekend was unreal. The amount of love and support I experienced was so overwhelming and I am forever grateful. I was awarded the Dr. LaToya Smith Medical Memorial Scholarship. Dr. Smith was a podiatrist who passed away at the age of 29 due to melanoma. That was information I knew before applying for the scholarship. What I did not know is that her parents are the actual donors for the award. Can you imagine? Each year providing an opportunity for someone to go on and engage the field your daughter was once apart of? I could not stop thanking them for their kindness and generosity. I am still in awe of their strength every time I think about it. This scholarship came at such an opportune time. It’s something that I needed. During my acceptance speech, I gave God all the glory for His provision and spoke about my non-traditional journey toward MD. So many attendees came up to me afterward quoting me, asking me to repeat what I said so they could write it down, telling me how I had encouraged them, speaking to me about personal experiences for them and their loved ones and just looking for a word of encouragement. I guess those comments were something I needed too. I left the reception feeling renewed, revived, and ready to conquer my dreams!
I’m a huge proponent of finding scholarship monies and grants to fund my education as much as possible and, thereby, reduce my student debt. I love to share so that others can take advantage of these opportunities and do the same! This particular scholarship is awarded annually to one African American female medical student through the Educational and Charitable Foundation. For more information, visit http://www.ec-foundation.org.
xoxo,
Anya
