Alana Chmiel: A 2018 JAHMA Scholar

Alana Chmiel is a 2018 JAHMA Scholar. A recent graduate of Rutgers University, Alana is currently studying for her boards in nursing. She is a resident of Princeton Community Village and spoke at the 2019 JAHMA Foundation Golf Outing. Below is what she said.

I’ve always committed myself to my academic career and my extra-curriuclar involvement. It’s a trend I’ve followed since elementary school. I’ve always been studious. I’ve made Dean’s List for the past six out of seven semesters. I’ve worked as a Resident Assistant. I have participated in the school of Nursing student government. And I’ve worked for our new student orientation department.

I’ve made the most of my Rutgers experience. And I haven’t taken a moment for granted. Now as I approach graudation I’m really excited for future opportunities and my future career in nursing.

Standing here today I think it’s also to acknowledge all the help and support I got along the way. As a student from a family living in subsidized housing it was really financial aid and scholarships that made my college career possible. One of those scholarships has been the JAHMA scholarship. It has really impacted my experience.

With all of the donors here today it wouldn’t be appropriate for me to speak without expressing my sincere gratitude for your support and commitment to helping students like myself achieve their educational goals.

I’m sure I can speak for all of the scholarship recipients when I say my gratitude is really immeasurable. I want to encourage you to continue supporting the program because I can atest its impact is felt on many levels. Not only are you improving the lives of students and their families, but you are also enabling students to make a greater impact within their campus communities and their communuities at large.

I really do believe every scholarship makes a difference and it creates ripple effects that will be felt for years to come.

As one very grateful student, thank you. Thank you for being here today and thank you for having me here. Most importantly, thank you for investing in my education.