PHP’s mission includes improving the communities we serve through health education and resources. For more than 30 years, PHP has awarded academic scholarships to high school seniors pursuing careers in health-related fields. These scholarships, totaling more than $150,000, have positively impacted the lives of nearly a hundred students entering colleges, universities, and technical schools.
The PHP scholarship program includes an application and also an essay in response to a specific, relevant, health-related question. We’re happy to announce our 2021 scholarship recipients and share their future plans and essay highlights.
2021 Essay Topic
The 2021 essay question was: Public health actions, such as social distancing and the closing of businesses and schools, continues to affect the lives of every American in many ways. Please discuss and analyze how the COVID-19 pandemic has specifically impacted the mental and behavioral health of individuals and their families, and if the risks of lifting these closures outweigh the threat to our collective well-being.
2021 Scholarship Winners
Joel R. Knox, Angola High School
$3,000 – First Place Winner
Attending: Indiana University, Bloomington
Major: Nursing and/or Biochemistry
Joel’s interest in a health-related career stems from his desire to work directly with patients. During his high school career, Joel volunteered in his community through the mobile meals program, community clean-up, and participating in an event to benefit a community member with a life-threatening illness. Joel was also a member of the National Honor Society, President of the Angola High School Student Council, and an athlete.
Joel’s response to the 2021 PHP Scholarship Essay Question included his perspective on the use of data to implement best practices for the well-being of all ages.
He states, “We must continue to educate and protect the most vulnerable people, while making provisions for people to work, attend school, and balance social interactions. History has shown that the mental health impact following a disaster outlasts the physical impact. Today's mental health need will continue well beyond the COVID-19 outbreak itself as the hits and aftershocks of this communicable disaster continue to shake the world.”
Esther Li, Canterbury School
$2,000 – Second Place Winner
Attending: Indiana University, Bloomington
Major: Biology
Esther was fascinated by her own knee-jerk reflex, also called patellar reflex, in response to a sharp tap on her patellar tendon when she was at a routine doctor visit. That fascination led to an interest in a health-related course of college study. She is interested in the human body, which she says is like a “complex puzzle.” Esther wants to become a physician and find ways to make healthcare more accessible to everyone.
Esther volunteered with the American Red Cross in high school, contributing more than 300 hours as a Donor Ambassador. She also volunteered with Habitat for Humanity and the Canterbury Service Committee. She is the leader and founder of a ukulele band, a Chinese Christian Church Sunday School leader, and has been involved in ballet.
Esther’s essay states that, “…the negative effects of the [Covid-19 Pandemic] lockdown are obvious, but the benefits are not.” And that, “Ample data is proving that the benefits of lockdowns are not worth risking the mental and behavioral health of thousands of Americans. Mask wearing has also shown to be extremely effective, as a study of 198 countries found that the ones with more mask-wearing had lower death rates than the ones without. A lift of the lockdown can be done without increasing the spread of the virus in the community, and the collective wellbeing of Americans will definitively improve.”
Sonia Chaudhari, DeKalb High School
$1,000 – Third Place Winner
Attending: Indiana University, Bloomington
Major: Biology
Sonia gained an interest in health-related professional careers through biology classes she took in high school. She is seeking science and biology higher educational research opportunities.
At DeKalb High School, Sonia was a tutor, helped with school fundraisers and the Catholic Charities food pantry, and is a member of the Akhil Anjana Association of North America. She also received several distinguished awards as a musician (Jazz, Marching, and Pep Bands), and is a member of the Spanish Club, and National Honor Society.
Sonia’s essay research illustrated the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health and an increase in depression in adults and teenagers. Sonia cited the increased number of pediatric mental health related emergency department visits during the pandemic that were attributed to social isolation. The factors she considered included: Loss of exercise, more time spent on social media, drastically changed school and work schedules, changes in sleeping patterns, and economic issues from job loss in families. Her essay stated, “Many psychologists believe this pandemic will have long term psychological impacts on children who did not get to have proper social development during pivotal years in their childhood.”
PHP congratulates our 2021 scholarship winners and wish them the best in their college careers.
2022 PHP Scholarship Program
Applications and eligibility information for the PHP health-related educational scholarship is posted on PHP’s website each October. The 2022 application due date is Friday, February 18, 2022.
