This student’s unstoppable determination drives her to use her experiences to help other people. Addison has turned a number of health-related hurdles into fuel that drives her lifelong pursuit of improving the well-being of others. We’re proud to award Addison Young the 2020 Flora Marie Jenkins Memorial Disability Scholarship.
Addison Young
Addison Young was born three months premature at a tiny 2 pounds and 2.8 ounces. Her early entrance into this world meant her leg muscles couldn’t fully form, and as a result, Addison was diagnosed with a mild form of cerebral palsy. At first, the botox injections and braces she had to wear to school embarrassed Addison, but as she grew, she decided to turn that pain into determination. It became a time when I just had to learn how to work hard,” Addison says. That grit led to a high school career in volleyball and golf, the latter of which she continues to do to this day when she can.
Addison is a sophomore at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia, where she studies biomedical engineering on the pre-medical track. She’s also a member of the prosthetics club at Mercer, where she helped create prosthetic devices for those who sustained specific injuries while serving in Vietnam.
“It was really cool knowing that something you can make physically with your hands is used to help someone in need, and they can have a new life with this device you just made,” Addison says. Her desire to help others continues to blossom, as she plans to attend medical school after earning her undergraduate degree to become a neurologist.
When she was younger, Addison’s father passed away from a brain tumor. She hopes to pair her biomedical engineering background with her neurology studies to develop a minimally invasive way to remove brain tumors.
“I think one thing that came out of my dad passing away is that he definitely motivated me throughout high school and college to do everything in his memory. I thought about him while applying for this scholarship; I think about him while taking my classes,” Addison says. “I just want to be a neurologist and help kids and families in the way my dad’s neurologist helped us.”
You can learn more about our scholarships and other resources online at College Scholarship.
Terms and Conditions:
Entry materials will not be returned to you. By submitting an entry for the Flora Marie Jenkins Memorial Disability Scholarship, you acknowledge that if you become a scholarship recipient, Marc Whitehead & Associates will own all rights to publish and promote the submission.
Publicity:
All applicants agree that they consent to the use of their name and city/state of residence, as well to the use of their likeness (as in a photograph) and award information.
Marc Whitehead & Associates’ RIGHT TO MODIFY, SUSPEND OR TERMINATE. In the event Marc Whitehead & Associates is prevented from continuing with the Scholarship Program by any event beyond its reasonable control, then Marc Whitehead & Associates shall have the right in its sole discretion to modify or terminate the Scholarship Program.