Ella Peck
2024 Scholarship Winner
Seton Hill University – Accelerated Assistant Physician Program

Community
No one is ever prepared for a cancer diagnosis. I definitely was not. My mother was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer when I was only 12 years old. I felt like the whole world was falling apart, and I had no hope to fix it. In the midst of this sorrow and hopelessness, my mom told me and my family that she was applying for a retreat. She explained what Little Pink Houses of Hope was, and I was thrilled. I found much joy in the possibility of being able to enjoy a trip with my family. It also brought me comfort to know that something like this existed. There were people who knew how hard this was for my family, and they cared. My family was chosen to attend. When we arrived, I met a girl who was also my age, Karsyn. Karsyn and I clicked right away. Her bubbly and outgoing personality complemented my shyness. I did not feel nervous talking to her. I just wanted to keep talking to her because of the deep connection we had right off the bat. 

We had something in common, creating a major connection between us. Karsyn and I are still friends, and we talk to each other occasionally. I value her friendship because we shared in our disappointments, and that brought us together. This is why I appreciate Little Pink Houses of Hope. In a time marred by hopelessness and loneliness, I found a community who cared about me and what my family was going through. I will forever be grateful for the hope that this organization brought to me.

In the fall, I will be attending Seton Hill University’s Accelerated Physician Assistant Program. I chose a service profession because I see value in walking with others through their times of need. In the future, I hope to work in a children’s hospital and specialize in either emergency medicine or gastroenterology. I have always wanted to serve others through my profession, but there are many occupations that allow that. Through my life, I have considered becoming a missionary, a teacher, a children’s ministry leader, and a medical professional. After ninth grade, however, I decided that I wanted to work in medicine, and I felt that I would work best as a physician assistant. 

I chose medicine because ever since I was a young girl, I have been fascinated by how the body works and how certain things can affect it. I would smile any time my mom told me that I had an appointment. I loved learning about what was going on inside my body. As I got older, I had more opportunities to learn about diseases and medication. I learned how to research diseases and their treatments, and it became something that I enjoyed. Throughout my journey with sickness and different diagnoses I continued to research not only my own sickness but also other diseases such as Progeria and Evans syndrome. I believe that my passion for medicine will allow me to treat patients better. 

As someone who has been a patient many times, I know how much of a difference the attitudes of medical professionals can make. I saw how my mother’s nurses’ optimism uplifted her. I hope to be encouraging and uplifting to my patients when everything is going well and when everything seems to be going wrong. I want to build relationships with my patients to become someone they trust and are comfortable with. In my future, I plan to serve with love and passion, and I hope to make a difference through my attitude and actions.