We are proud to announce Leonardo Wilson-Ramirez as our 2022 Scholarship recipient! Leonardo is a CCCU member and a recent graduate of Columbia High School in White Salmon, Washington.
Throughout his high school years, Leonardo has maintained a high GPA while taking college courses at Columbia Gorge Community College, playing active leadership roles at school, achieving numerous awards in academics and athletics, consistently working a job to help with bills, and helping others through community service at local organizations including The Next Door, Inc. Our scholarship committee was impressed with Leonardo’s commitment to excelling in academics as well as his passion for making healthcare affordable for all.
Read Leonardo's application essay below!
"The end goal for me is to become a Medical Doctor in Family Medicine. I’ve always had an interest in the medical field, and working to keep families safe and in good health would be a dream job for me. Another goal of mine is to someday open up my own practice, making it affordable for anyone in my community that struggles to afford healthcare. Healthcare is a very important part of our lives which is why I believe that healthcare should be affordable for everyone.
Before then, I plan to graduate with my Bachelor of Science in Biology (BSB) with a potential minor in Business Administration, while also being in the Top 15% of my class. After graduating with my BSB from Washington State University, I plan to apply to the University of Washington School of Medicine where I will earn my medical degree in Family Medicine. If given the opportunity, I will also begin job shadowing at a local hospital or medical clinic in order to gain more experience and build a strong application for medical school.
Of course, however, everything costs money, especially secondary education. If I won this award, it would help me attain these goals because the money would go directly to paying for my tuition this year. I’m someone who cares a lot about the money aspect of things, and worry about how much debt I’m going to end with at the end of my education. Receiving this scholarship award would also help me attain my goals because I can spend less time working to pay off debt and more time studying and doing well in my classes. Thank you for taking the time to read through my scholarship application, I hope that I am a worthy candidate!"