Jaclyn Skinner Research Paper

The story of Sam Ferris, an eleven year old boy who was diagnosed with neuroblastoma. Neuroblastoma is “a life threatening cancer that affects the nervous system (Make-A-Wish 2012).” Sam always has this passion for baseball and his wish was for a baseball field to be built in his backyard, which would allow him to play with his friends whenever he wanted. Make-A-Wish knew that this was his one true wish, so they asked help from volunteers and donors to make his wish come true. The University of Mississippi and Itawamba Community College’s ground crew decided that they would contribute to building the baseball field. Those in the community generously donated the materials needed to build the baseball field such as “fencing, backstop, sod, clay,

Apart from her academic accomplishments, Dr. Ochoa has dedicated her life to the service of others through medicine and mentorship. “I’ve known since I could remember that I wanted a career with the purpose of helping others. I have this burning passion for service work and I’m extremely lucky to be able to combine it with my love for medicine and education.” When away from the hospital, Dr. Ochoa spends her time mentoring minority and low-income students along with her husband and fellow HSF alum, Mauricio Segovia. Also, wanting to give back to her Latino community, Dr. Ochoa donates to scholarship organizations such as HSF and the New Orleans Hispanic Heritage Foundation Scholarship.

In my time volunteering at Adams Camp, I have received the opportunity to be able to know Jordan Ficke. Jordan Ficke is a brunette, young woman who has devoted most of her life to helping other people. While she has spent over a decade of her life helping people with developmental disabilities, she has also worked at schools and a rehabilitation center. She stated that “if you love what you do, you will never have to work a day in your life!” She truly has lived by this motto, as her life has been lived for the benefit of others. Prior to moving to Colorado, she lived in Baltimore, working at a day habilitation program. She “served clients with dual diagnosis in mental health as well has an intellectual disability that

Each year, students orchestrate THON, a Penn State student-led philanthropic organization that raises money for Four Diamonds and Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital. Throughout the year, students coordinate fundraisers and a 46-hour dance marathon to cover costs that insurance companies will not cover and attain funding for pediatric cancer research. At Penn State, I intend to be a part of this phenomenal organization. Within THON, I plan to continue my leadership through becoming a committee member. Fundraising is an essential component in any kind philanthropic organization; therefore, participating in canning weekends, becoming a committee member, and raising money. All of the money raised through THON benefits Four Diamonds at Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital for groundbreaking research in pediatric oncology and medical support for families battling this devastating disease. Over the past 40 years, THON has raised over $127 million dollars to find a cure for pediatric cancer, the leading cause of fatal disease in children, which will impact the lives of those dealing with the effects of cancer and improve the overall quality of life for the

Due to the use of similes and metaphors, readers understand the importance of optimism, compassion, and family. Because Morrie is suffering through ALS, he lives every moment to the fullest, and through this publication, Albom emphasizes his values about compassion and the importance of family. Additionally, Albom includes throughout the book a discussion of dedication as it relates to Morrie’s condition, which is ultimately how Morrie passes away. In the first few pages of Tuesdays with Morrie, Albom includes that “the idea of quitting did not occur to Morrie” (Albom 4d). This idea connects all of the life lessons addressed throughout the publication, because they all focus on the core value of determination. Personally, I realized that Morrie’s life lessons related to my life on a more meaningful level than what was presented on the surface. Through 4-H, we are determined to make the best better. Regardless of the situation, 4-H’ers chase after their dreams, due to all of the love and support through the largest youth development organization in the United States. Morrie supposed that “’if you really want it, then you’ll make your dream happen’” (Albom 14d). Determination is the underlying principle of the key to success when remaining optimistic and compassionate throughout life. Due to my experience with 4-H, I connect with Morrie’s comment about “’accept the past as past, without denying it or discarding it’” (Albom 7d). Following every failure, I have noticed the new opportunity that has opened up as a result of my involvement in 4-H, so this life lesson displays the significance of acknowledging the past but more importantly learning from the previous mistakes. To end, Morrie provides an emphasis on values through his conversations with Albom, which connects all of thematic life lessons throughout the publication. Generally

Developing a desire to give back to our nation’s heroes led me to become involved with a Disabled American Veterans program that aids local veterans by offering them an opportunity to seek assistance for everyday tasks. Creating connections with a few of the veterans prompted an invitation to participate in their monthly chapter meetings where I discovered that our conversations left a lasting impact on me; hearing their life stories of successes and struggles is eye opening. Although a majority of group members has a disability from their service to our country, they remain the most humble individuals one will ever meet. Additionally, my time with these heroes wills me to become more intrinsically motivated in finding ways to continue to

I couldn’t imagine what it would be like growing up with a life threating condition that has no cure. Amanda Estep is a 21-year-old, college student and also a close friend of mine who has been battling Cystic Fibrosis since she was three years old. Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic condition that causes mucus to build up in the lungs and digestive system, making it hard to breath. “Basically everything in my body is thicker, so the mucus in my lungs is harder to break up and get out which causes frequent lung infections.” Amanda explained to me. Cystic Fibrosis also impacts her ability to digest food, resulting in her being underweight most of her life. While I have known Amanda since kindergarten, we have never talked in depth about how much she has to do to remain as healthy as possible. Hearing her explain her story made me realize how lucky I am to be healthy, and that’s something’s no one should take for granted. There is currently no cure for Cystic Fibrosis, but Amanda shared some of the many things she has to do in order to remain as healthy as possible. Some of those things includes being hospitalized for two weeks four or five times a year, taking many medications, and knowing how hard she can push herself.

We may not be able to help everyone who has medical problems, but we can try to help as many as we can. We can at least help a few people, and it can make a huge difference in those people’s lives. I liked the story that our guest speaker, Drew Worsham

Take Steps, Be Heard for Crohn's and Colitis, which is a walk, has been an important activity outside of class during my high school years that has been be an important experience for me. I became involved with the walk after I was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease at the age of ten. Three years later, I was fortunate enough to have read about Take Steps, Be Heard for Crohn's and Colitis in the newspaper. When I researched information about the walk, I decided that I wanted to become involved. In preparation for the walk, I raised monetary donations that goes to the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America in order to fund research to help find cures for Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis. I started to gain leadership roles in 2014 when

Soha volunteered with the Heart and Stroke Foundation as a Volunteer Coordinator. During her time there she generously donated her time and talent to help screen, recruit, train and recognize volunteers. Her professionalism and dedication to the role exceeded expectations. Soha was eager to learn and was a valued member of the

Over the past four years I have seen more doctors than an average person would see in their lifetime. From endocrinologists to neurosurgeons, I have tirelessly sought medical help to overcome multiple traumatic brain injuries I incurred as an early teen. Prior to these head injuries I wasn't exactly sure what I wanted to do with my life or what my future would encompass. The outlook I had on life prior to my head injuries has drastically changed through the course of my recovery. Although my road to recovery has been filled with hardships, disappointments, and pain, I have found a new direction filled with opportunity to advocate on behalf of others.

Moser is now taking initiative spread awareness of this disease by organizing events, celebrations, and fundraisers to raise money for research about this disease. She is also education the public telling them about what the disease is and how it is affecting people from her community. From all of this Ms. Moser is being part of the growing group of people who are trying to help find a cure for this disease, potentially creating happiness for the people who will be cure in the future from the actions she is doing. Although some may say that stuff like is better to be unknown, as Ms. Moser’s mother said, “You want to enjoy life.”, in this case if Ms. Moser had not performed the test, her enjoyment of life is only temporary as she will inevitably develop Huntington’s disease.

As a member of DECA, I have had the opportunity to network with the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). While learning about the work the association does, I realized that I want to do similar work. In my effort, I worked on a promotional campaign for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Neuromuscular diseases, like Muscular Dystrophy, take away physical strength and eventually life. The Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) fights to find a way to give back strength, independence, and life. The work they do truly changes lives; however, they need support from others.

Since Huntington’s Disease is autosomal dominant, there is a 50/50 chance of passing the faulty gene onto a child (Learning About…). If a woman knows that risk beforehand, she could decide to adopt a child instead of risking bringing life to a child with a fatal illness. Huntington’s Disease has no cure, which makes it all the more important that adolescents be tested (What Is…). That way, people can decide if they would be willing to participate in studies or trials to help scientists gather research for a cure. The more people with currently healthy brains that participate in studies, the better the quality of research that will be

Huntington’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that slowly breaks down somatic tissues. This degeneration causes a mass amount of chorea, change in mental functioning, change in behavior, decreased memory, along with other serious psychological problems. Since the mechanism of the disease is still not fully understood, there is no cure for the disease, but there are several therapies and medications available. All of the medication and treatment available only help to manage symptoms; they are just stalling the progression of the symptoms but not the overall disease.