Scholarship Essay Entry – Anna W.

Research is the backbone to healthcare. After working for the Heritage Youth Researcher Summer (HYRS) Program for four years, I have come to the conclusion that research is the fuel behind the existence of healthcare. The HYRS program is designed to promote research in the young minds of grade 11 students. Every summer, 20 grade eleven students are placed in labs at the University of Alberta to gain hands on experience with cutting-edge research. When I was in grade 11, I had the privilege to participate in the program. It was honestly an eye-opening experience. I had the opportunity to see how much time, work and patience goes into a small experiment, which would only become a small piece to the bigger picture of finding a cure or making a discovery.

For the following two summers, instead of returning to a lab, I applied to be the Assistant Program Coordinator for HYRS. This summer, I was promoted to the full Program Coordinator. As much as I love and enjoy research, I believe that promoting research in the minds of young adolescents is just as important to me as working in the lab itself. In the last three years, I worked with 60 students who were truly passionate about making a difference in the world. They wanted to cure cancer, create vaccines for the prevention of incurable diseases and much more. Without programs like the HYRS program, it would be difficult to expose research lab opportunities and foster the importance of research among youth.

In this coming fall, I will be entering my third year of post-secondary at the University of Alberta. Currently, I am in the process of completing a Bachelor of Commerce degree. My goal is to complete my degree with a Marketing major so I can work for organizations like Alberta Innovates-Health Solutions (the organization that funds the HYRS program), to help promote programs that expose students to opportunities that stress the importance of research and innovation. Ultimately, I want everyone to become an ambassador for these programs as they are the stepping-stone to advancements in healthcare.