Joseph Abeyta(2010-2011)
The first day I arrived at Clare Gardens, I was met by many smiling children, glowing with innocence. One little girl by the name of Emily, scratched her chin while playing, and I accompanied her to the first aid station in which I put anti-biotical cream on her wound, and covered it with a band-aid as to avoid infection. This specific incident made me think of how I can impact others within the field of medicine. My name is Joseph Leonard Abeyta and I’m currently a second year student at Metropolitan State College of Denver. My major is Pre-Med, which took little convincing for me to select medicine as a career option. I was born in Denver, Colorado and grew up on the cusp of Lakewood and Denver around Sloans Lake. I attended Colfax Elementary and went on to Lake Middle School. I was enrolled in the “gifted and talented” program. While all my fellow peers were going off to North High School, I would commute an hour and a half every day to attend George Washington High School to attend their International Baccalaureate (IB) program. It was at this moment where I developed my love for the field of science, biology specifically. My instructor, Dr. Feirbern, was at one time a physician turned biology teacher and my mentor. He once told me if you love what you do you’ll never work a day in your life. I have used this model and applied it to my education and future career plans and throughout my life.
I work with Clare Gardens, a Non-Profit located at 28th and Osceola. This organization provides low-income housing for the people in the community. They also have a recreation center that provides a safe haven for the children within the community. They provide food services, recreational activities and have a computer lab. I work within the computer lab and allow the children to have access to the facility to play games, fill out job applications and use that time to help them with any tech needs as necessary. I enjoy all aspects of this position in that I grew up not too far from there and have a strong sense of connection with the community as well with these kids. More than anything else, I enjoy expressing to these children that they can do anything they want if they put forth a strong effort and work hard.
