Champlin Scholar Jennifer Quiroa ’09 is a Community Leader
“Although I wanted to come to Brown, I was afraid: I was sure that if I was admitted my parents and I would never be able to afford it. So, when the letter from the University arrived I cried. Not only had I been accepted at my first choice school, but, thanks to my financial aid package, I could say yes.
“During my time here, I have worked in a homeless shelter, investigated art as a source of healing for children with psychiatric disorders, spent three spring breaks performing post-Katina restoration work in New Orleans, instructed Providence-area immigrants in English as a Second Language, taught science and art at nearby elementary schools, and helped restore the lives of Northern Ugandans after a 20-year war. As a visual arts concentrator, I brought art therapy to children suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder in that African nation. Last summer I made a second trip, volunteering at a rural clinic. A mother brought her four-year-old child to us; he was given to me. She was too late. The child had already died from malaria.
“Because of these experiences and a few community health classes, I am inspired to use my Brown education to serve people in need. I want to make a lasting impact on the poor and forgotten in developing nations. I don't have a clear plan of how it's going to happen, but I know that if I keep pursuing it, and take advantage of the open doors along the way, I will accomplish things that are far beyond what I can even imagine today.
“The goals I have now for my future are far more ambitious and rewarding than the ones I came in with my freshman year. After volunteering at the clinic in Northern Uganda, I decided to become a doctor. To that end, I'm still finishing my art concentration, but I’ve also taken on all the pre-med courses full throttle. When I apply to med schools in the fall, Brown’s Warren Alpert Medical School will be my very first choice.
“I feel that Brown has really prepared me to excel in all that I plan on doing. Med school will be hard, but I'm used to being super busy, and putting my all into every aspect of my life. Since no one in my family has ever gone to college, I'm the pioneer. My siblings tell me I've raised the bar for them, and I'm proud of that. But I'm even more proud that they have begun thinking about the many possibilities open to them—including going to college themselves. They are now excited about that time in their lives.
“It still brings tears to my eyes to think that there are people in this world who are so willing to give. If it weren't for their generous donations, I would not be where I am today. They are an inspiration to me, and I hope that I can somehow repay them by continuing to give of myself and of my own resources to those who need it most.”
