Student Profiles

Andrew Hughes
Meet Andrew Hughes
Scholarship Recipient

I was born in Anchorage, Alaska, but moved to Iowa when I was eight. I currently live in a small town called Garwin, in Tama County. I came to MCC for a few reasons: community college is much less expensive than a university; I can get an associate’s degree in two years; and I don’t believe I need a four year college degree for my career. I appreciate the small classes, and it’s close to home. I am close to finishing my first year at MCC and my experience has been 100% positive. The students are all great, and the instructors have all been kind, knowledgeable, patient, and understanding. [pullquote_left]Steve Muntz, broadcast technology program director, says, “Andrew was selected for a broadcast scholarship because he has shown a great deal of determination to be a successful student. He is a talented young man with a bright future and we are lucky to have him in our broadcasting program here at Marshalltown Community College.”[/pullquote_left]To me, the scholarships I have received represent time and opportunity. Without the scholarships, I would need more loan money. The world doesn’t wait for you to pay off loans; opportunities fly by. I want to go into entertainment, to make independent films and videos, and that requires a big investment in equipment, especially to get started in film before you’re thirty. I’d also like to try the acting and directing part of entertainment, but it takes time. It could take months to get a gig as an actor. This is why a debt-free start on my career is so important and why scholarships represent both time and opportunity. This is why donors are my super heroes. And this is why I will do my absolute best to succeed.

 


 

SMowrey
Meet Samantha Mowrey

Scholarship Recipient

Some people define a scholarship as money or a gift. However, I define it as belief. When I received the Loyal S. and Helen Fairall Memorial Scholarship I felt that someone believed in me and my dream. My dream is to become a family practice nurse practitioner, and this requires a Master’s degree. Though all degrees are difficult, most people don’t want to go into a career that could take upwards of 6 to 8 years to complete, especially in something as complex as health care. That being said, a lot of support is required for these aspiring professionals. The journey is like taking a long gravel road. It is incredibly difficult, and to get to the end of it you must endure hills, rocks, and a lot of dust clouding your view. I’m currently in the LPN program, the beginning of my gravel road. I already feel as if this profession is one of the most difficult things I will ever face, and I have faced a lot in my short time. I watched over my mother as she fought and beat a rare bone disease. I went through the process of being diagnosed and treated with surgery for a heart condition. All the while, I was grieving my father’s sudden death when I was fifteen. So if I can say this is one of the hardest things I’ve ever faced, then I would say the degree of difficulty is very high. [pullquote_right]Sometimes you need someone from the outside to show belief in your dream. Sometimes it takes someone you have never met hearing your story to realize you can complete the journey.[/pullquote_right]I need my family and friends to support me and push me through, but sometimes you need more. The gravel will turn to pavement, and it will be worth it when the dust clears. This scholarship not only helped me financially, it gave me strength to continue to dream and believe. After all, that is what education is about.

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