2014 CETA Scholarship Winners

by Adia
Walker
16 • October 2014 • Cleaner Times | IWA
DOMINIC
DELLA SERA
BRIANNA
LEENDERS
W
hen she was 16, Brianna Leenders was in a car
accident that changed her outlook on life. “I
realized how quickly a person’s life can end;
that it is important to live life every day as if it is your last
and to live how you want to be remembered,” she says.
“I want to live a fulfilling life of love, compassion, and
kindness; nursing is the perfect job for that!”
A senior at Seattle Pacific University, Leenders is a
dedicated nursing student as well as a member of the
Falcons volleyball team. According to Leenders, being
both a full-time student and an athlete is very fulfilling,
but it also has its challenges. “This last winter quarter
was the toughest school experience I have ever had. It
seemed like there was never a free moment, and I was
always behind in one thing or the other. That, added with
hardly any sleep, made it the toughest ten weeks of my
life. I am so thankful for my coach and faculty though.
They stood by me, and they helped me accommodate my
schedule in order to promote success.”
Growing up in Gresham/Boring, OR, there were
many positive influences in Leenders life. “My high
school volleyball team taught me discipline, how to be
a leader and a competitor, and how to be silly,” recalls
Leenders. “My church taught me integrity, morals,
values, and how to love God and others. My parents
taught me how to listen, speak, and be respectful
and kind. I am so thankful for the environment I was
surrounded by.”
Leenders is very passionate about her future profession
and is looking forward to helping others with the skills
and knowledge she has acquired. One of her goals is to
live in a developing country where she can offer her
nursing skills to the malnourished.
In response to being chosen to receive a CETA scholarship, Leenders extends a heartfelt thank you to CETA;
“You are helping me reach my life’s goals, and I am
beyond grateful,” she says.
T
his fall, Dominic Della Sera will be graduating from
Florida State University with two degrees: one in
Exercise Science and the other in Psychology. He then
hopes to enter the field of medicine and is particularly drawn
to psychiatry and research.
“Psychiatric patients are often forgotten by the rest of
society, and I’m optimistic the field will progress with more
research into the brain,” Della Sera says. “I’m passionate
about helping those who suffer from complex diseases often
perpetuated by not just biological factors, but also psychological and social components. Being a problem solver by
nature, I hope to play a small role in helping to solve these
problems.”
Della Sera was always interested in the medical field, and
after volunteering at the National Alliance on Mental Illness,
he knew that psychiatry was his niche. The experience showed
him how devastating a psychiatric diagnosis could be to
families. “Psychiatry has many critics who sometimes have
valid points,” he says. “Despite this, more people die by
suicide than from motor vehicle accidents in the United States.
Many others struggle with mental disorders silently.”
Fascinated by the information unearthed by research, Della
Sera hopes to one day contribute to the wealth of knowledge
that experimentation yields as part of a research program at
a University Hospital. To illustrate his love of information
gleaned through research, he describes what he considers the
most interesting about his majors: “Aerobic exercise increases
brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF), a chemical that
stimulates the creation of new brain cells in an area of the brain
where memories are formed,” he says. “We didn’t even know
the brain could generate new neurons 20 years ago.”
Della Sera believes that many students are often deterred
from entering into medical fields by the high costs associated with such degrees. The scholarship awarded by CETA
not only helps him with this aspect, but also provides a
morale boost. “To know someone else values my hard work
feels really good,” he says.
Cleaner Times | IWA • October 2014 • 17
TIMOTHY
HARDAWAY
A
junior at the University of Oklahoma, Timothy
Hardaway strives not only to succeed in his
studies and lay the groundwork for a successful career, but also to maintain the values that were
instilled in him growing up in the small town of Chandler,
OK. “I believe that growing up in a town where if I messed
up, my parents heard about it before I even walked
in the door kept me humble and honest,” he says. “I
18 • October 2014 • Cleaner Times | IWA
think these two traits are very valuable and yet increasingly rare at the University level and beyond
into the workplace.”
Currently studying Criminology—Pre-Law, with a
minor in Aviation, Hardaway is also interested in adding
a second minor in Business Management. Though he is
not 100 percent certain about which specialty he will be
choosing for his career in law, Corporate Law is among
his top choices. In ten years, he sees himself practicing at
a large law firm in Texas, and eventually would like to be
a judge in a juvenile court.
“A common joke is that all attorneys are bad people,
but I would just like people to know that this will not be
true... as soon as I’m one, at least,” he says. Despite the
not-so-positive lawyer humor that exists, Hardaway has
always been interested in law, and enjoys learning about
the judicial aspects of the United States criminal justice
system. He acknowledges that his studies are made possible through opportunities such as the scholarship he
has been awarded.
“I would like to thank the CETA Education Foundation
along with every contributing company; your successful
enterprises help fund educational opportunities and
scholarships just like this one,” Hardaway says. “These,
in turn, help to provide a better future, one scholarship
at a time.”
AARON
BELLOMO
G
rowing up in Hudson, NH, as the oldest of four
siblings, Aaron Bellomo developed leadership
characteristics and a strong competitiveness
early on in life. By middle school, he knew he wanted
to be a journalist and over the years, he has developed
an interest in many areas of this field, including sports,
hard news, feature writing, and politics. Bellomo is currently majoring in Communication with a concentration
in Digital Media at Roberts Wesleyan College in
Rochester, NY.
Bellomo strongly believes that his profession is vital to society. “I am most passionate about the importance of critical
thinking in our society” he says. “A man without the ability to
truly think for himself and make strategic decisions based on
reason is bound to be exploited. I feel the public should know
and/or value the importance of being informed and having
objective journalism for a free country to exist. Democracy cannot thrive without the masses being educated and informed.”
Public speaking, writing, and mathematics/statistics have
always been academic strengths for Bellomo, which he nurtures
through hard work and study. “One of the most interesting and
challenging aspects of being a powerful speaker is the notion
that what you say is not nearly as important as how you say it,”
he explains. “Developing into a charismatic and influential
speaker is a process but certainly an enjoyable journey.”
In ten years, Bellomo would love to be a columnist and
political analyst for CNN, with a book published on effective campaign strategies employed in the 2020 Presidential
election. He is thankful for the support he has received from
CETA to pursue this dream. “I would like to whole-heartedly thank CETA and this scholarship committee,” he says.
“It seems both the importance and cost of higher education
are rising drastically, which presents a tricky dilemma.
Programs such as this one help enable students’ dreams.”
Cleaner Times | IWA • October 2014 • 19
MOLLY
LEMBEZEDER
A
s a freshman at the University of Northern Iowa,
Molly Lembezeder will be studying Pre-Medicine
with a possible minor in Psychology. As a little girl,
Lembezeder dreamed of being a doctor; as a college student, she has honed in on the specialty of Pediatrics. In
addition, she has developed a passion for the international, humanitarian-aid organization, Doctors Without
Borders. “I love working with kids in all settings, and
20 • October 2014 • Cleaner Times | IWA
Doctors Without Borders has been a passion of mine for
a few years now, ever since I read a book about the
founder,” she says. “I would love to one day be a part of
the program or one similar to it.”
Simply being around children makes Lembezeder happy,
and knowing that she can improve their health is even
more rewarding. “Pediatricians treat much more than the
basic ear infections and flu; they can see anyone from
newborn babies, sick toddlers, all the way to high school
students with emotional trouble,” she says. Optimistic
about the future of medicine, Lembezeder believes that
research will help doctors to empower their patients to
effectively manage their health. “There are new discoveries made every day to constantly better our health and
lifestyles, each more advanced than the next and the possibilities seem to be endless.”
As a scholarship recipient, Lembezeder is looking forward
to achieving her goals and ambitions so that one day she,
too, will be in a position to help others. To CETA, she extends
her heartfelt appreciation. “Thank you all for encouraging
the dreams of so many young adults,” she begins. “Through
your aid and support, many of us are able to pursue a career
that would have otherwise been more difficult. After we
achieve our own success, many of us will no doubt give
back to students in the same positions we find ourselves in
now, and it is all thanks to you.”
MEGAN
PURSWELL
A
fter months of extensive physical therapy following
knee surgery during her junior year in high school,
Megan Purswell knew she wanted to be a physical
therapist. “I find the human body’s healing processes very
intriguing,” she says. “I love to think that I will eventually
be able to help speed up those processes through the gift
of physical therapy.”
As a senior at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor,
Purswell is pursuing a degree in Pre-Physical Therapy,
with plans to move on to a graduate program in Physical
Therapy. She is passionate about her field of study and
looks forward to joining the ranks of the professionals
currently practicing. “Physical therapists are highly educated, licensed health care professionals who can help
patients reduce pain and improve or restore mobility,”
Purswell explains. “In many cases, PTs can help prevent
22 • October 2014 • Cleaner Times | IWA
expensive surgery and reduce the need for long-term use
of prescription medications.”
Purswell is very grateful for the scholarship awarded by
CETA and the opportunity to pursue her life goal of becoming a licensed doctor of physical therapy. “Without your
help, this goal would be much harder to accomplish, and I
am forever grateful for the opportunity that you have presented me with,” she says.
Though she is happy to be on track for reaching her goals,
Purswell struggles with a recent tragedy in her life, and
shares her story with us. “My father, John Purswell Jr.,
passed away during the summer between my sophomore
and junior years of college,” she says. “Mourning and learning to deal with such a significant loss while keeping my
grades high enough to be accepted into a doctor of physical
therapy program has been the hardest thing I’ve ever had
to do. He was the person I would always go to with questions about my education and future, and losing him has
forced me to be more independent even when I don’t want
to be. In fact, I remember him helping me answer these
questions when I won this scholarship in 2012! I know that
applying to PT school would be so much easier with him
here with me, helping and guiding me through the long,
drawn-out processes. He was my hero, my best friend, my
motivator, my supporter, and so much more. My life changed
dramatically when my father died, and the past year and
two months has been the hardest of my life.” CT