2020 Recipients

My name is Madison Germain. I recently graduated from CSUF with my Bachelor’s degree in Health Science. While completing my senior year I realized that I wanted to pursue a career as a Speech Language Pathologist. I’ve always had a passion for wanting to help people, but struggled with which profession would fit me best. I was fortunate enough to be able to intern and volunteer at an amazing organization called The Shea Center. The Shea Center provided me with amazing opportunities to meet children and adults that I was able to form relationships with, while working alongside the SLPs. Seeing the joy and laughter on every client's face had me returning every week for more. Not only has the Shea Center made me feel like an important part of their team, the horses, staff and clients helped heal me after Route 91. I may have been helping impact someone else’s life, but this whole team impacted mine in such a positive way as well. 

This scholarship will help me continue my passion for becoming a Speech Language Pathologist in hopes to change lives and give back to the community. I have a handful of prerequisites to complete before applying to a Master’s program in this field, but I am even more motivated than ever before. I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for me as I continue on my path. 

In my spare time, I enjoy horseback riding, hiking and spending time with my family. 

I am a survivor of the Oct 1, 2017 shooting and it was as a direct result of that night that I decided to make a career change from retail jewelry business management to Nursing. Following the shooting, I spent about a year recovering from the trauma and realized I wasn’t able to make the kind of impact on my community that I wanted to. I decided to leave my career and pursue Nursing. I am now a student in the 2020-2021 Post-Baccalaureate Nursing Program at Edgewood College and am excited about the possibilities that lie ahead in the future! I believe the experiences of that night will help me connect with patients and families who are experiencing their own traumas and difficult times, and I am excited to have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of my patients and their families. 

 I graduated from Cal State University Bakersfield in May 2020, achieving a degree in Liberal Studies, and a minor in Sociology. This fall I will be furthering my education at CSU Bakersfield to attain my multiple subject credential. This opportunity will allow me to continue furthering my education so I can achieve my dream of becoming a teacher. I made the choice to pursue teaching after I began my first job in a school setting as an RSP aide/1:1 aide. The day I stepped on to campus and met the kids I would be working with that school year I knew this was what I wanted to be doing. It was a special experience to see the growth and progress my students made from the beginning of the school year to the end when I was an aide. I look forward to seeing this daily when I become a teacher myself. In my free time when I am not doing school work or attending class, I enjoy reading, watching movies, spending time with my family and friends, or babysitting.  

My name is Bailie Miller and I received my Bachelor’s degree from California State University Sacramento where I majored in Liberal Studies. I am currently enrolled in Alliant International University working towards my credential and Master’s degree in Education. My goal is to become an elementary teacher and teach students to value themselves and others, while helping them become independent thinkers. I am driven to inspire students while teaching them the necessary social and educational skills needed to be productive members of society. I want to uplift my students and help them feel empowered to be the best version of themselves every day. I want to give my students a voice and teach them that every person is valuable. I will strive to be present and available for all of my students to come to me when they need support. I want to be my students’ biggest cheerleader and I want them to know how much I believe in them. At the end of the day, I just want to make a positive difference for them in their lives and inspire them to be good people.

 I am very grateful for this scholarship because it will give me the opportunity to be more financially stable while I am fulfilling my student teaching requirements.