Eight years ago I was raising a family and managing a trucking company. A college education was something I wanted to provide for my children. However, after a life altering job injury and two strokes I would have never thought that I’d be starting my career over again. The thought of applying for a Mensa Scholarship following completion of my first semester at Ivy Tech Community College would have never crossed my mind. I’ve learned that life’s full of surprises and that I’m a survivor, a survivor with a 4.0 G.P.A. With much thought I have decided to pursue an education to become a diagnostic medical sonographer.

When I fell on the job my back fractured in two places, and I was left with severe chronic pain. The fractures went undiagnosed for the first six weeks following the fall. Consequently, the fractures have healed incorrectly. I was left disabled, and have been through many diagnostic tests and procedures for pain control. I have learned a great deal about the medical field through this experience. I became interested in becoming a diagnostic sonographer for a number of reasons. I’ve had ultrasound performed on me for different diagnostic purposes. This is a career that I’ll be capable of performing once I’m trained. I know I’ll be a good fit for this job because of my own experience as a patient undergoing these tests. Having experienced the best and worst types of personalities in the medical field my compassionate and empathetic attitude towards patients will be invaluable to my employer and vital to the patients’ emotional well-being. I will take proper care while performing the required tasks, to obtain the films needed for the radiologist to make an accurate evaluation of the patients’ condition. I hope to make a positive impact for the patients as well as those I will be working with.

I’m a non-traditional adult freshman working to obtain my prerequisite credits at Ivy Tech while applying to Indiana University Northwest’s Radiology program. It’s my desire to achieve a bachelor’s degree in diagnostic medical sonography. Once I’m accepted into this program, I will begin classes at IUN in the summer of 2013. My financial aid for the 2012-2013 school year will be completely used paying for my classes and books for the spring semester.

I am a 50 year old single mother, and in my freshman year of college. My three children are full-time college students, who live with me, and are inspirations to me as well. My oldest son is about to begin his last semester in graduate school, my daughter is beginning nursing classes, and the youngest is midway through his junior year in college. It’s taken eight years of healing and recovery from my accident in order to be able to begin college. We are a close-knit family, working together to overcome the repercussions of my work accident, as well as this bad economy. Due to chronic pain and post-traumatic stress disorder following my injuries, I had no choice other than to go onto Social Security Disability. I’m trying very hard to overcome these obstacles. I will succeed in attaining my goal because I have demonstrated my academic abilities and am determined to have a successful future.