Changing Lives One Volunteer Hour At A Time by Abigail

Changing Lives One Volunteer Hour At A Time by Abigail - March 2026 Scholarship Essay

I want to thank you for the opportunity of being considered for your scholarship. This scholarship will open many opportunities for my academics and my future as I start my college career to become a nurse and continue to serve my community. This scholarship will assist me with my books needed for general education and nursing classes. I personally have dedicated over 1,300 volunteer hours among various community opportunities and plan to continue to serve during and beyond college. Going to college for nursing has been my dream for several years now. I appreciate the opportunity to share my journey and stories with you. I am in my senior year at West Nassau High School. This year I am attending classes to be a Certified Nursing Assistant before I graduate in May. I will also be completing my second year with the VyStar Student Internship Program which has been an amazing opportunity this past year.

Growing up in a military family has shown me diversity, dedication and great work ethic. I have been employed since I was 14 between childcare, animal care, food service boat and with VyStar Credit Union. Since being in high school and prior I have joined multiple clubs, all of which are dedicated to community service and leadership. My favorite volunteer work was with Great Shape 1,000 Smiles Dental Mission Trip.

There are three major life happenings that I feel have shaped who I am today and who I plan to become in life. Although many steps along the way create my path, obstacles become large stepping stones that teach and guide my path to who I will become. First, I am a military dependent, which may sound great. Great benefits, great travel, but what you don’t see is that it does not come easily. Secondly, I am part of a blended family. My parents separated and divorced prior to me turning 4. Although they have done a great job managing co-parenting on their end this still is very difficult as a child and student over the years. And last, but certainly not least, I am a first generation student. This weighs heavily on me. The most significant impact I received is from my family.

I have joined and been an active member of Key Club (Vice President), Future Business Leaders of America (1st Place districts 2024, 2025), Beta Club, National Honor Society, American Sign Language Honor Society, National Society of High School Scholars, Women of Influence, Tri-M Music Honor Society, Student Council, Chick Fil A Leadership Academy, Marching Band, Section Leader and Captain for Color and Winter Guard, VyStar Internship, Bowling Team, Dance Student and Teacher, Greenwise Environmental Club and University of US (Student Ambassador and Leadership Award). I am very involved in these clubs as they all intertwine with each other in our small community. I have been volunteering at the local dance studio as an assistant and student teacher with Callahan Dance Academy since 2018. I have been a dancer in Tap, Jazz, Clogging, Ballet and Hip Hop since 2011. I also was a forward, midfield and defensive player for local, club, school and travel soccer teams from 2011-2022.

One of my most memorable volunteer services included a dental mission trip with Great Shape 1,000 smiles. I met hundreds of people across the world that came to provide dental care for thousands of patients. Some patients were local to the area and others were refugees from Haiti. For many care is either unavailable or it is too expensive to receive any medical or dental care without paying a lot of out of pocket money. I personally assisted with glucose readings, blood pressure readings and triage to determine if it was safe to treat the patient and what type of care they needed. I also assisted with instructions for post operative and oral hygiene, OTC medications and also had the opportunity to be a chair-side dental assistant. Many of these patients did not speak any or much English, it was exciting to find a way to connect with these patients and learn their language to communicate and comfort them. Many patients had never had their blood pressure or glucose tested before and we were able to direct them to other mission services to assist with medical needs. I hope I am able to continue to participate in mission trips like this in the future.

I have worked extremely hard to excel at academics. I have been in advanced/honors classes over the last several years and have always carried a high GPA in these classes. I took my first AP class my freshman year, which definitely took time and attention to detail. I took a dual enrollment college readiness class early into high school and now excelling in another AP class. I completed several years of Spanish at a younger age and elected to take 2 years of ASL online as my language during high school.

When it comes to my leadership and character many teachers, peers, and mentors can tell you, my character and leadership stand out in everything I do. I love the impact I am creating by teaching and helping improve others’ lives and I want to continue this when attending college. Overall my top priority is my education. I am very driven to become a nurse, I want to financially be able to afford it.