Elena Blain

2016 Bridge Scholarship Recipient

Albert Schweitzer once said “The purpose of human life is to serve, and to show compassion and the will to help others.” I agree with this quote wholeheartedly and have been able to incorporate it into my life thus far and I plan to keep doing so. My greatest passion is to help others and I have been able to achieve that goal by being very active in my community, church, and school. In my community I have had the pleasure of volunteering at the women’s shelter, the Food Bank of Metrolina, a Hispanic clinic, and a monastery serving food to the poor of that community. Every time I look into the faces of the people I am serving food to in the women’s shelter or the monastery I am amazed at the sense of gratitude on their faces. Doing something as simple as giving a few hours of my day to serve others and make such a big impact in people’s lives is an indescribable feeling. I have discovered that even a smile is enough to brighten someone’s day and I love doing just that and making a difference no matter how small.

I have been very involved in HOSA, Health Occupations Students of America, the Multicultural Society, and the Spanish Honors Society during my high school years as well. During the last year, the 2015-2016 chapter, I was President of the Multicultural Society. We planned a huge event at the end of the year where around 600 people attended and we were able to display and spread the diversity of my school. I was also Vice President of Blood Drives for HOSA where I was able to help plan and run several blood drives during the school year. Every leadership position I have encountered along the way has molded me into the person I am today and given me a newfound sense of confidence in myself that I plan to keep utilizing in my day to day life.

I am a recent graduate from Mallard Creek High School and I will be attending the Honors College at East Carolina University in the fall. I will be majoring in biology with the possibility of a double major in chemistry. Biology and the study of the human anatomy fascinate me. My intention is to keep learning and educating myself in those fields and finally becoming a fully licensed General Practitioner. I plan to work with an entity such as Doctors without Borders and give medical aid to those less fortunate in third world countries.

I am so grateful to the Bridge Foundation for giving me this outstanding honor and awarding me this scholarship to aid in the completion of my life goal. I will do my best to make them proud and make many differences in the most amounts of people possible in my future.