With summer upon us and recent grads looking forward to their first year of college, ER Katy is proud to award scholarships to six local high school graduates, ranging from $250 to $1,000.
Each winner wrote an essay explaining why they wanted to enter the medical field, held at least a 3.25 GPA, and volunteered extensively in their community.
The $1,000 first-place scholarship was awarded to Kristen Lee Chadwick of Katy High School. Chadwick will be attending Texas State University, pursuing a degree in psychology and minoring in anthropology and planning to become a behavioral therapist.
Chadwick’s story resonated with the ER Katy judges. “I wrote about my passion for kids with autism,” said Chadwick. In her sophomore year she was invited by a friend to volunteer at Camp Journey, a summer day camp primarily for children with autism.
“As soon as I went I just found myself helping there. I fell in love with all the campers.” She continued to work there all last summer, and this year she is back as a paid worker.
Her passion for helping disadvantaged children developed from her own childhood experience. Her father was in prison throughout her childhood, and her mother didn’t have many resources for the family to live on.
“If someone reached out and helped me, they didn’t realize how much that meant to me.”
The $500 second place winner was Casey Sutton, a Cinco Ranch High School graduate attending Tarleton State University. She is pursuing a major in biomedical science with a focus on premed, and hoping to be a pediatrician or neonatologist.
Joshua Zane Gammons, Micha Simone Johnson, and Emily Zhang tied for 3rd, each receiving $250.
ER Katy is a passionate Katy community supporter, and wishes all the winners the best of luck in their first year of college.
