KONA–CALIFORNIA SCHOLARSHIP
ESSAY
Chelsee Furukawa
Living in Hawaii means lots of fun in the sun. In the four years that
I’ve attended Konawaena High School, sports have been a large
part of my life. Playing in the twelve o’clock games in scorching
heat running up and down the soccer field or across the tennis courts,
are a disastrous combination for any teenage girl trying to get that
flawless skin flaunted in commercials. I remember a few years back,
the night before prom, I’m busy redoing my nails for the 3rd
time and I notice a pink bump on the tip of my nose. After using half
the bottle of the latest guaranteed pimple-free face wash, I realize
it wasn’t going away, AND, it’s getting bigger. The morning
of prom comes and I should be getting my hair done, but instead I’m
busy staring in the mirror at the huge pimple taking over my entire
nose. Well, to make a long story short, this is just one of the various
occasions in my life that led me to pursue a career as a dermatologist.
I want to help save the day for all future proms, first dates, picture
days, and any other teenage disasters just waiting to happen.
Kona’s high cost of living is no secret, you read about it in
the daily newspaper, which lists the median price for a home at $629,000.
Medical specialists are in such great demand in Kona because most aren’t
able to afford the cost of living in paradise. Time and time again,
practitioners have left the Big Island to return to the mainland where
there are many available resources and a lower cost of living. Being
born and raised in Kona makes me different in the fact that my roots
run deeper. After attending college in California, I want to return
to Kona to open up my own practice as a dermatologist. This is what
I consider to be my personal contribution to the community I called
home for 18 years. Currently, there are only two practicing dermatologists
on the Big Island; one in Kona and the other in Hilo. Needless to say,
it takes six weeks to schedule an appointment with a dermatologist
on the Big Island. For a teenager, having to wait a month and a half
for an appointment in order to treat a pimple may seem like waiting
for the rest of lives. But for a patient
that unknowingly has malignant
melanoma, a month and a half may very well be fatal. These types of
diseases don’t wait for the availability of an appointment. They
need to be diagnosed as soon as possible, in order for us to have the
best chance to save the patient. I want to dedicate my life to saving
the lives of family, friends, and all those who call Hawaii home.
Recently, I’ve been accepted into the college of my dreams, Chapman
University. The cherry on top of it all came when I got word that I
received the Dean’s Scholarship, which includes $12,000 each
year, renewable for four years as long as I maintain a 2.6 GPA. While
at Chapman, I plan to pursue
a major in pre-med. I also plan to stay
active in the community through H.E.L.P. club, which is quite similar
to Hawaii’s 4H system, in that it builds leadership skills and
provides community service.
After graduation, I am looking to move
to Los Angeles where intern opportunities will be much more abundant.
Although I plan to stay in California for a while to build up experience,
I know that I will ultimately return home to Kona to open up a practice
in Kealakekua. I’ve chosen Kealakekua specifically because I
know that in ten years, Kailua will be a mess and I will ultimately
become like Dr. Macalroy, the current dermatologist in Kona. I want
an open practice that is easy to access and basically located where
I’ve grown up because my roots run deeper…
