She addressed the club to share her gratitude. At a young age she knew she wanted to be a nurse.
She shared that, while she was very young, she became a home health provider for her grandmother who was suffering with Alzheimer's. She experienced the the impact of mental health issues when her father committed suicide. She was around many other various health issues of relatives.
She knew that she was her for a reason - to help others - she had the calling.
Amber had her own health challenges and had to drop out of college during her first year due to financial concerns. She didn't the she would ever return to school.
She worked at multiple jobs - one of those was at Bryan. While there someone took her to the college and showed her around and encouraged her to enroll. She wasn't sure how she could do that but finally decided to enroll.
She shared emotionally - if it was not for scholarships and grants - especially our scholarship - she would not be in a position to fulfill her dream of serving.
In her written note:
I am replying to express my deepest gratitude for the award of the Lincoln South Rotary Club Scholarship in the amount of $5000. This is a very generous scholarship and truly means a lot to me. The money will ease my financial burden and will allow me to pursue my dream of obtaining my nursing degree.
My passion for healthcare and my commitment to becoming a registered nurse come from my childhood experience of caring for my grandmother while she suffered from heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease. My experience of seeing what mental illness did to my father when he took his own life has made me more determined to save lives. This scholarship will not only help me to focus more on my studies but will allow me to have more time to volunteer in more areas of serving others.
In all honesty, a financial burden has been lifted off of me and this scholarship is not only a gift, it is a true blessing to me. I will not have to continue working at multiple jobs and will have more time to study because you selected me for this scholarship.
I look forward to accepting this award on May 30, 2025 and being able to show my appreciation to everyone in person.
Thank you again for your support and getting me closer to becoming a registered nurse. I am forever grateful for your generosity, as this scholarship will have a lasting impact on my future.
The Lincoln South Rotary Club Scholarship Committee was chaired by Matt Horak. He thanked the committee members Nikki Isemann, Scott Delisi,
Heather Loughman and Suni Kasibhatla. He pointed out that it was a difficult decisions as all of the applicants are deserving of assistance.