Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Profile of Sam L., by Karleigh



“We do not heal the past by dwelling there; we heal the past by living fully in the present.” Marianne Williamson.  Sam L.  has learned to live in the present and turn negative issues into a successful future for herself.  Unlike other adolescents, Sam lived with her grandparents her whole life.  Throughout the years her grandma and grandpa have suffered many health issues.  As she got older, she accompanied her grandparents to numerous doctor appointments and helped take care of them on a daily basis.
 Although watching her grandparents suffer with health issues was a negative aspect of her life, it gave her an idea as to what she wanted to pursue as a career.  After years of taking care of her grandparents, she decided that she would like to attempt a career in the medical field.  As I asked her what specific avenue she would like to take within the medical field, she laughed and said that she wasn’t positive, but she thinks she would like to be a radiologist.  Due to the fact that Sam had a front row seat that allowed her to see what the medical field can be like, she chose radiology because she will always be able to find a job and she has a phobia of needles, so she wanted a job that’s kind of behind the scene. 
In order for her to reach her dream of becoming a radiologist, she is aware that she must acquire a degree in the medical field.  Therefore, she has spent the past few months mulling over hundreds of colleges, until she found one that suited her well.  University of Oregon is Sam’s top pick.  Along with her dreams of becoming a radiologist, she would like to attend the University of Oregon because she wants to experience living somewhere other than Montana.  While she will miss the family she will leave behind in Montana, she has some family members that reside in Oregon. 
Sam Leonard is an extremely driven individual.  She has set high goals for herself and has worked continuously throughout her high school career to prepare herself for college life.  While maintaining Honor Roll grades, Sam also maintains a part time job.  Juggling school, a job and taking care of her grandparents has given her a lot of experience that will be useful in her future endeavors.  She has acquired people skills, learned how to properly budget money, and became a more responsible young adult. 
                As a woman with many talents and skills, Sam feels that she has the skills which are needed to be successful in the medical field.  Mahalia H., a good friend to Sam, vouched that she is highly organized and has great people skills. Along with an education, those skills will be very useful to Sam in her future.  Mahalia said that Sam is very goal oriented.  Her top priority, other than taking care of her family, has been school.  When I asked Mahalia what she thinks Sam has done in her personal life that will help her in her future, she said that Sam learned how to be a leader through working and school. 
                Although radiology is a very rewarding career, Sam is well aware that it will be a long process to obtain a degree.  In five years, she would like to be in the process of earning her degree and participating in work study programs.  Eventually when she has kids, she is comfortable knowing that the training she will receive in college could be useful in her personal life as well as at her workplace. 
                As adolescents reach a certain age, thoughts about their future begin to surface in their mind.  Should I go to college? Where? What should I study? Unlike many young adults, Sam Leonard was lucky enough to know what she wants to spend the rest of her life doing.  Although negative aspects of her life brought her to this conclusion, she turned the negative into positive by forming her future off of her past experiences. 

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