The Winner of the Road to Recovery Scholarship

Michelle Svec

Not only is Michelle a second-year nursing student with stellar grades, but she is also a proud veteran of the United States Marine Corps. Michelle suffered a devastating injury on her motorcycle, which resulted in considerable pain and suffering. Since then, Michelle has persevered, recovering fully from her injury and excelling in the classroom. We are proud of Michelle and cannot wait to see where her future takes her!

Read Michelle's Essay:

On January 20, 2019, I was on a southern California interstate returning from visiting a fellow Marine. I had served my country as a Marine for 11 years at that time. A car swerved into my lane at 70 mph and hit my motorcycle, knocking me off into midair. I broke eight major bones in my body and was in pain for months. It took me over two years to fully recover and I was medically discharged, at 13 years of service, from my career as a result of my disabilities. I realized, in that very moment, that I had to start all over. In the hospitals, I watched as health professionals worked as a team to aide in my recovery. I knew three things right away. The empathy, dedication, and loyalty of these staff members correlated with the feelings I had being a woman who defended the citizens of this country. The love, care, and support they showed me made me realize that God had saved me for a reason. For the rest of my life, I was going to continue to serve others. Soon after I fully recovered I became a certified motorcycle and traffic safety instructor. I taught service members how to be safe on the roads and hoped to prevent them from ever experiencing the situation that I went through. I truly enjoyed being a positive mentor for so many young Marines and continue to do so. During that time my Dad also went into renal failure and was on the transplant list. I immediately tested to see if I was a match so that I could donate a kidney. I was indeed a perfect match, donated to him, and saved his life. I knew that I was destined to help others and decided to pursue a career in nursing. Life presents many adversities we must all face. Some of us choose to give up while others, like me, learn and move forward. I have been blessed with a second chance and an opportunity to give back to others and the community.