Dream Award Scholar Elicia Chatman Goals to Open Her Personal Medical Observe
By Pam Carlson
All of her life Elicia Chatman has beloved biology.
“Discussing biology has all the time felt so pure to me; it makes me really feel complete,” Elicia mentioned. “This love for biology, accompanied with my love for analysis, girls’s empowerment and well being and the historical past of ladies within the medical business, led to my want to grow to be a gynecologist. The feminine reproductive system has all the time fascinated me, and led me to considering that rather more needs to be finished to guard us throughout occasions of childbirth, surgical procedures and analysis, particularly for girls of shade.”
The sophomore on the University of Michigan is on her method towards doing simply that, carrying a 4.0 GPA in her pre-med biology main. However during the last three years, the journey has been particularly tough.
“Since 2020, I’ve felt like dying has adopted me, taking away important family members and impacting my life,” Elicia mentioned. “In March, 2020, my younger uncle handed resulting from gun violence. A number of weeks later, my 29-year-old brother died the very same method. The next yr, my closest cousin, on the younger age of 17, handed resulting from a motorbike accident. These traumatic occasions induced me to be in a constant state of mourning. I simply fell right into a deep melancholy.
“After spending extra time with household and mates, counting on those that care and help me essentially the most, I used to be capable of revive myself out of this depressed state, and started collaborating in additional actions throughout my senior yr (of highschool).”
These actions included membership within the Nationwide Honor Society at her highschool, the Lindblom Math & Science Academy in Chicago. She additionally bought closely concerned with JROTC, changing into Sergeant Main, Battalion S-2 and incomes recognition for management excellence.
Elicia additionally gave again to her neighborhood, serving to with blood drives, main open home excursions and helping with pupil orientation at Lindblom, in addition to volunteering with Feed My Ravenous Kids and the Huge Homies Membership Feed the Homeless.
Receiving the Scholarship America Dream Award means so much to Elicia.
“I used to be apprehensive that I wouldn’t have the ability to come again to highschool (the College of Michigan) for my sophomore yr due to monetary hardships. Due to the Dream Award, I’m able to proceed my training at top-of-the-line universities within the nation and transfer nearer to my objective of changing into a physician. After commencement, I plan to go to medical college and push by way of my medical journey and after that, residency,” Elicia mentioned.
In the end, Elicia’s objective is to open her personal medical follow that may concentrate on aiding low-income girls and ladies of shade.
“I’m positive that Elicia will succeed,” mentioned her faculty Spanish instructor, Caitlin Rowe, noting Elicia’s educational, social and teamwork strengths, confirmed talents and already established educational achievements. “Her dedication and grades are exemplary.”
“One piece of recommendation I might give my youthful self is to by no means really feel unhealthy for being your self,” Elicia mentioned. “You must by no means really feel a necessity to slot in or be like anybody else.”
