written by | Daniela Maltais

Hello!

I a Daniela Maltais, a senior attending Bemidji State University in Minnesota. I’m currently studying Biology and Psychology, and hope to get into a PhD program for Neurobiology of Disease. I am fascinated to learn about neuroimaging techniques used to study mental illnesses, such as depression or schizophrenia. For the longest time I struggled to think about my future, and what I could do with my education. This all changed this past summer, when I was able to do an internship at the Mayo Clinic. There, I had the opportunity to shadow physicians and researchers, all while conducting my own research project. I left my internship feeling more confident in myself and what I envisioned for my future.

Since then, I’ve taken the steps necessary not only to graduate on time, but also to build my resume and to apply for programs in the research area I’m interested in. Even though I’m not going into a PhD program right away, I am applying for programs that would allow me to have more research experience, and that would ultimately serve to make my application more competitive (hopefully). Seeking programs, e-mailing potential mentors and going through the application process is extremely intense and time consuming! When you add schoolwork, extracurriculars, relationships and just (trying) to have a healthy lifestyle, you are simply exhausted….all the time.

However, when I start getting overwhelmed I think about what God has done in the past and what He is doing now. God gave me a new sense of purpose, along with a vision on how to fulfill that. He gave me the chance to leave my home country (Colombia), and get an education here (and I’m almost done!). To make things even better He provided what I needed financially for this school year, just so I wouldn’t have that extra burden to carry. This scholarship has given me a greater sense of peace. Not only this, but it has allowed me to concentrate on my goals. I can’t thank enough my donors, who transformed their pain into an opportunity students in need. I can’t thank enough the committee who saw something in me that was worthwhile.

Stressed, tired, nervous, hopeful and excited.

That’s who I am.

I am blessed.

Jared P. Stene Student Leadership Scholarship

To be eligible for the Jared P. Stene Student Leadership Scholarship, you must meet the following criteria:

You are a Minnesota State undergraduate student who has completed at least 24 credits by the end of the current academic year
You plan to register for a minimum of 12 credits per semester at a Minnesota State university for the upcoming academic year
You maintain a GPA of at least 2.5

Click here for more information.