Hello to All,

My name is Sarah and I am currently studying at a University for nursing to obtain my Bachelors of Science in Nursing. Also, I am working toward receiving a certificate in Volunteerism and Autism Spectrum Disorders as I've been working with an 11yr old autistic girl for the past few months. I have been fortunate enough to have to opportunity to study abroad in Sweden to expand my global perspective, but it does not come without a cost. College tuition is expensive enough, but moving out of the country for a year is going to take some funding. You might ask yourself why should I help this young student out? and I'll give you some reasons why. First off, about 80% of nurses work in hospitals near their hometown for their entire lives, which is fine but I am going to make a difference globally not just locally. Once graduated, I plan on immediately working for an organization such as Doctor's Without Boarders, the Peace Corps, Smile Train or something similar along those lines. I volunteer just as much as I work, mostly with the mentally ill and with the impovrished and look for any opportunity to make a difference within my community. I plan on using my experience with Autism to raise awareness worldwide and help others to better understand the condition and help treat it. So little is known about it in the USA, that internationally the situation is even worse. If you go to a doctor most will tell you the condition is incurable and should grieve for their child as they will be severely mentally ill their whole lives and will never be able to be self-sufficient. This is not true. I have help rehabilitate a young girl with no speech or sense of independence to being a loving, happy, playful girl whose is exciting to be around; this has been achieved with thousands of other children using the Son-Rise Program. The autism awareness is one part of my goal, but in order for someone to pursue their dreams they must be physically healthy and able to, so that is why helping someone out in the smallest way by administering parasitic preventative shots or fixing a cleft lip means the absolute world to me and is all I want to spend my life doing in any way shape or form. Though I have traveled around the United States quite a bit, I have never left the country before and this will be the encouragement I need to reach my dream to help others on the path to theirs. Thank you so much for your time and consideration, you really are helping the world by helping me, I promise!