Melissa Correa, a 2018 graduate of Maine South High School, is getting ready to begin her freshman year of college at the University of Iowa.
The Park Ridge resident was recently awarded a Park Ridge Chamber Scholarship.
Correa recently took some time to answer some questions for the Park Ridge Herald-Advocate.
Q. What does it mean to you knowing you've been awarded a Park Ridge Chamber Scholarship?
A. Receiving the Chamber of Commerce scholarship provided a similar feeling. I like knowing that the things I do have some sort of effect on the world. It makes me proud to know that the work that high schoolers do doesn’t go unnoticed. I’m honored to be selected for the scholarship out of what I’m sure was a very successful applicant pool. Being awarded scholarships really does show the direct result of tenacity and work ethic.
Q. What made your experience at Maine South most memorable?
A. My most memorable experience at Maine South would probably be running in the color run after getting a chance to help arrange the whole thing with National Honor Society. This memory is one of my favorites because it was a direct reward to the hard work my peers and I put in to make the fundraiser run happen. I loved running alongside my friends and seeing how my work fit in with the bigger picture.
Q. What are your post-graduation plans?
A. In the fall, I will be starting at Iowa in the College of Public Health, where I will complete my general education requirements, and also acquire some further knowledge about public health and how it works. After my second year, I plan on joining the College of Nursing. I will then go on with my education to become a nurse practitioner.
Q. Why are you choosing to pursue a nursing degree?
A. I became interested in Nursing because I love to help people, and like to have an impact. Nursing encompasses what I love to do, and helps me do whatever I can to better the world.
Q. Do you envision yourself having a specialty or working with certain populations?
A. I would like to be a traveling nurse to help people who may not have the kind of healthcare systems that we enjoy. A nursing degree will employ me to use my skills to help touch the lives of patients. Not only will I be helping people, but traveling will help me learn more about the world and the vast variety of people that live in it. I want to expand my horizons and learn about others’ backgrounds and values.