Skyler Richmond has an innate ability to help people and loves to volunteer her time making others’ lives better. As a student and recent graduate of Summers County High School, Skyler volunteered with her school’s chapter of the National Honor Society and Beta club as well as an organization called the Yummy Bags Ministry, where she packed bags of food for children in need.
In addition to volunteering her time to help her community, Skyler graduated as valedictorian of her senior class. She maintained a 4.0 GPA from her first year of high school through graduation.
Her passion for helping people translates into her interest in the medical field. She plans to attend West Virginia University’s Institute of Technology in the fall to pursue a major in Biology. As an ARH Scholar, Skyler will receive a financial reward of $5,000 toward tuition and living expenses.
“I’ve always been interested in biology and sciences,” Skyler says. “I just really like to help people and that’s one of the most hands-on ways you can help people is through the medical field.”
After completing her undergraduate degree at WVU, Skyler plans to enter the Green Coat Program at the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine in Lewisburg, West Virginia. Her goal is to ultimately become an osteopathic doctor and eventually a fetal surgeon helping women with reproductive health, delivering babies and achieving full-term delivery.
“I would just like to change the whole world of reproductive health and the birthing process because there are so many issues with it already…to make it seamless if that’s in any way possible,” Skyler says.
Skyler is one of 11 Spring 2018 ARH Scholars selected among 72 applicants from the 12 ARH communities throughout West Virginia and Kentucky.
“The scholarships are selected by the ARH Scholars Judging Committee,” says Danya Anderson, ARH Scholars Coordinator. “Once I receive the applications, I prepare them to be sent to the committee by making them a ‘blind’ application, which makes it fair for each applicant. The scholars award is paid in two installments of $2,500 directly to the school. One payable after verification and the other is paid the following year. For this round, we had 72 applicants with 11 finalists awarded.”
Skyler is ecstatic to be named a 2018 ARH Scholar and is eager to begin her college career in the fall.
Story published in The Hinton News
