STUDENT SUCCESS STORY
Making a Difference in Her Community
Genevieve Thomas – Illinois School of Health Careers
Recipient of the Imagine America scholarship
After graduating from Westinghouse High School in June 2006, Genevieve Thomas began attending the Illinois School of Health Careers in Chicago, Illinois, to pursue a Medical Assistant diploma. Genevieve's commitment to continuing her education and to helping others is inspiring. Genevieve attends school full-time and volunteers for an organization in Chicago, Illinois, called Family Focus.
Since 1976, parents, children and teens in the Chicago area have sought out support from the organization. Family Focus provides parenting education classes and information, child development activities, after-school programs, parent-to-parent support groups, mentoring, parent-child activities, and so much more.
Genevieve volunteers every week assisting parents and teens. On Tuesdays, she offers support and advice to teens with relationship problems or who have been sexually assaulted. Furthermore, she discusses various youth issues with teens on Wednesdays such as pregnancy or violence at home. As a young person herself she finds it easier to relate to these teens while giving them the assistance they need. Every community should be so lucky to have such a dedicated volunteer like Genevieve. If you would like to find out more about the Family Focus program, please visit www.family-focus.org.
Genevieve's career choice illustrates what a true humanitarian she is. Medical assistants play an important role in the healthcare field. As the first person to speak to, or see the patient, medical assistants can determine how the rest of the visit will be. With her experience at Family Focus and education from the Illinois School of Health Careers, Genevieve will be an excellent medical assistant. In the future, Genevieve would like to continue her education and become a pediatrician.
Christine Coleman, the Community Relation Specialist/Presenter at the Illinois School of Health Careers nominated Genevieve for this story. Genevieve's volunteer work and dedication to school made her the top candidate. According to Christine, Genevieve maintains a 3.5 GPA and is a great student.
The Foundation is proud to be able to offer financial help to students such as Genevieve. The Imagine America program is a $1,000 scholarship for graduating high school seniors who meet the program criteria. To find out more about the Imagine America Scholarship Program, please visit www.imagine-america.org.
If you would like to share the success story of an Imagine America scholarship recipient with us, send us an e-mail at: IANewsletter@career.org.