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A portion of Eileen's winning essay:
It was my senior year of high school, and up until that point in my life everything was normal. I was a swimmer and a runner. I took many upper level classes and spent a lot of my free time volunteering. After having run my best time ever in a 5k the night before, I woke up the morning of September 23, 1999 to discover this day would be life changing. While at school that morning I suffered a ruptured appendix. Presenting without classic symptoms, I was an abnormal case and unable to be diagnosed until three weeks later. Once found, my appendix was completely disintegrated and my intestines were wrapped around the part where my appendix had previously been, leaking infection throughout my body. While the wrapping of my intestines was what saved my life, at the same time it created many new problems. After several hospitalizations, surgeries and a lot of determination, I am once again healthy and active. It was not an easy recovery but one that taught me a lot. Through every surgery and medical procedure I became more and more interested in the sciences behind them. I have always had a love for the life sciences and often find myself reading about medicines and diseases for pleasure. Having been through a major medical ordeal myself I have an amazing sense of empathy and understanding for other patients and their families. I was lucky; I survived. Without proper care and adequate health insurance I may not have survived my burst appendix. September 23rd opened my eyes to allied health careers. I plan to make sure other patients have proper care.
I went to college not knowing exactly what I wanted to be when I finished but knew I was interested in science. The first two years of college were very tough. The appendicitis left permanent damage, and I had a lot of rebuilding to do. I was constantly sick and had to balance going to doctor's appointments with classes. In addition, I was determined not to let my dream of college swimming die. I persevered, overcame these medical hardships and in the end was successful.
In May 2004 I graduated from Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland with a major in Biology and a minor in Psychology. I was involved in many extracurricular activities and held many leadership roles. I swam at the collegiate level four years and was captain of the team my senior year. I was very active in my sorority, Zeta Tau Alpha. Serving on the Executive Counsel as VP3, Chair of Membership, I was in charge of planning and executing recruitment of new members for three consecutive years. I also enjoyed acting and had roles in two different productions while in college. I was very active in the Student Government Association, serving on the Executive Board and working as the Office Manager. In addition, I held chairs on the Review Board for Human Subjects as well as the Academic Technology Advisory Board.
One of my greatest passions in life has always been social justice. I have always had compassion and an innate desire to help others. My best quality is that I am willing to do anything to help another individual. While in college I spent two spring breaks volunteering with Habitat for Humanity to build homes for those less fortunate. I also volunteered with Special Olympics, Character Counts and Best Buddies on a regular basis. I was actively involved in fundraising for Breast Cancer Awareness through the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and enjoyed participating in events such as Race for the Cure, Relay for Life and Making Strides. I continue to be involved with Relay for Life as this is my second year serving as the Luminary chair for the Kingsville relay. In addition, I am team captain for this event.
After graduating college, I returned to Johns Hopkins University. I had previously worked as a summer intern in a Psychiatry laboratory doing research in behavioral neuroscience. That August I began working a full-time job in Neurobiology research working primarily with the Borna Disease Virus, a neurodegenerative virus that mimics similar pathways of many mental illnesses. In September 2005, I was promoted to Laboratory Coordinator for the Division of Neurobiology, managing two floors of research in the CMSC building.
In my two years of JHU work experience I have learned more about myself, the type of employee I am and the type of employee I hope to be. When I first began working at Hopkins I was initially interested in research; however, my interests have now moved toward finance, budgeting and grant writing. My current position allows me the opportunity to further explore these fields from a research perspective. My primary duties include monitoring all of the purchasing, equipment maintenance, service contracts and safety inspections for the whole division, as well as running Principal Investigator meetings and coordinating technicians and projects. With funding for research being so scarce and competitive, I search for ways to accomplish the science on a very limited budget. I work closely with our budget analyst on projections and have begun to blend more of my scientific knowledge with my administrative duties by working on grants.
While working at Hopkins, I have fallen in love with the field of Public Health. I always knew that I wanted to pursue an advanced degree in something health related. I wish to pursue this degree because I am interested in health finance and management. I have always had a strong love for the sciences and feel that I am a natural leader, which will one day allow me to excel in a management position. I am extremely organized, and I delegate responsibilities well. While I am able to work independently, I am a great team player. I am detail-oriented, yet able to keep the big picture in mind. I step back and look at problems as a whole before recommending solutions.
While coordinating seven different principal investigators and having taken several classes, I have learned a lot about the type of manager that I plan to be and the pitfalls I plan to avoid when I am in a management position. I plan to hire for attitude, train for skill and place importance on communication, planning and anticipation across organizational lines. Ultimately, I intend to encourage my employees, make them feel valuable and keep them motivated.
Upon completion of the Master of Health Science program I would like to find a job working in health care finance and management. Since I am very passionate about organ and tissue donations, I would love to become more involved in the management and allocation of funds for these procedures. The part-time Masters of Health Science in Health Finance and Management appealed to me as a unique program that perfectly matches my interests; combining what I am good at with what I love.
Over the past year, while working full time, I have been taking classes at the School of Public Health. I can honestly say that I have enjoyed every one of my classes and have been able to take a lot of what I have already learned back to my current job. I have currently taken Microeconomics, Statistical Methods in Public Health I and II, Fundamentals of Budgeting and Financial Management and Human Resources in Health Care Organizations, as well as Fundamentals of Health Education and Health Promotion. I am currently enrolled in Fundamentals of Epidemiology and Fundamentals of Financial Accounting. My background and my ambition to learn will make me a valuable addition to the health care community.
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