The Fall 2024 Fawell & Fawell Out-of-State Student Scholarship

Ashley Doyle

In her essay, Ashley describes how her medical condition played a key role in choosing her college. With aspirations of becoming a doctor, she selected Virginia Commonwealth University, as it met both her academic and health-related needs. Ashley is grateful to have found a university with strong support systems to help her succeed. Congratulations, Ashley, and we are excited to see what you will accomplish!

Read Ashley’s essay here:

I just began to attend Virginia Commonwealth University to study chemistry/biochemistry in hopes of becoming a Doctor. When I was 12 years old, I started to get sick. Tests showed that I had lost about 4 pints of blood and was bleeding internally. Doctors concluded that I had ulcerative colitis and I started medication to avoid the inflammation and blood loss. While recovering, I thought back to how my life changed so fast. I was a happy and healthy 12-year-old who enjoyed playing and hanging out with her friends; then I started to get sick and I couldn’t do the things I loved. One day was all it took for me to get sick, and one is all it takes for life to change. From this experience, I realized that I wanted to give back to others by helping them the same way my doctors helped me get back to my “new normal” which includes living life while managing my ulcerative colitis.

Life is precious and we only have one shot at it. I have learned to appreciate the gifts that come my way and have never let anything stop me from achieving my goals. I believe my disability has helped me grow into a stronger person and although I was not happy about my diagnosis - I have grown from the experience and learned that I can adapt to all experiences presented to me and overcome adversity. This is why I chose Virginia Commonwealth University. They have a strong pathway for those pursuing a future in the medical field. VCU has a medical school near campus where I can get clinical hours and apply to further my education in the future. Having that hospital near helped in choosing VCU. Many of the colleges I was looking at did not have a hospital near them and a pharmacy wasn't accessible without a car. VCU has pharmacies within walking distances, doctors down the road if needed and I would have the best care. It is already hard to choose a college/university that meets your needs; it's even harder when you have a medical condition. I am so excited about starting my classes and don't have to focus on the "what ifs" since I was able to find a school that can assist me with the "what ifs".