Maria Ennamorati

I grew up in Waldoboro, Maine, a small town on the coast. In 2013, I graduated as Salutatorian of my class at Medomak Valley High School, a public school, and I am now a senior at Colby College in Waterville, Maine. For the past seven years, I have wanted to pursue a career in Optometry. Having had eye surgery has an infant and making numerous trips to eye doctors throughout my life, I've learned a lot about the eyes and different approaches towards treating eye deficiencies. After my first semester at Colby College, I knew that if I was going to continue taking rigorous science courses, I should be absolutely sure of my interest in Optometry and the medical field. So, I spent a summer in Ghana volunteering with an Optometrist and an optician at La General Hospital, Ghana's largest, government-run hospital located in the capital, Accra. There, I performed a lot of hands-on work; I conducted eye examinations using alphabetical charts and "E" charts to determine patients' visual acuity. Along with many other life-lessons I learned while in Ghana, I discovered that the medical field is definitely where I belong, and I would still love to be an Optometrist, though my mind is open to new possibilities--possibly cancer/neuro research. In my spare time, I volunteer for various organizations through Colby, such as Best Buddies, the Mid-Maine Homeless Shelter, and I work as a Web Assistant for the library on campus. I have also been fundraising to help out the children I met in Ghana this summer; to date, I have collected nearly $2200 in donations and numerous school supplies, clothes, hospital supplies, and soccer gear which I have sent over.