Ratna Medicherla
Myself Third Spirit of New York 2003 Scholarship Winner
Stuyvesant High School
The City College of New York
"Ratna Medicherla is a compassionate person and loves to be with people. She places great priority on education. Despite her hectic schedule, Ratna is a member of the Indian Cultural Society and has been a monitor for the library and various administrators. She has been a member of the Key Club, which reaches out to various charitable and civic organizations throughout the Metropolitan area to volunteer services. She has also helped the school science magazine. Her outside work includes volunteer work teaching youngster from kindergarten through ninth grade in various disciplines on Saturdays from nine to five."
—Dr. Patrick J. Niglio, Secondary School Writer for the Principal
Work, Volunteer, and Extra-Curricular Activities
- Volunteer Teacher, Hindu Temple Society of North America
- Volunteer, Heart and Hand for the Handicapped
- Volunteer, Emergency Department of North Shore Hospital
- Indian Cultural Club
- Summer Intern, Intel Project
Excerpts from Ratna's Essay
Community service is very important to the development of an individual. It instills in the individual a sense of responsibility, confidence, compassion, and satisfaction. People are influenced to place the needs of others above their own needs by an inner sense of altruism and motivation to make the world a better place for everyone. Especially in times of tragedies such as September 11, 2001, these virtues manifest themselves. Patriotism towards one's country, community, culture, etc. is also a major motivating force behind people who reach out to help others in need. I feel very strongly about the United States of America and about helping others through my service to the community.
I have been a volunteer teacher at the Ganesha Patasala of the Hindu Temple Society of North America every Saturday since October 1998. Some of my friends are appalled to hear that I spend my Saturdays teaching, but I have grown so attached to it that it is frightening to think of life without it.
Every profession demands a good human being, but it is more so for the medical profession. My interest in becoming a physician extends back to my childhood when I was admitted to the hospital and was impressed with the way those doctors cared for their patients day and night with smiles on their faces.
During the summer of 2002, I volunteered in the Emergency Department of the North Shore University Hospital in Forest Hills every weekday. I learned about the amount of dedication and sacrifice the profession takes, but I feel that the rewards, the happiness and satisfaction on patients' faces, tremendously outweigh all the difficulties.
These experiences have and will continue to have profound, long-lasting effects upon my development as an individual. Given an opportunity, I want to contribute to society in every way possible. I love to know that I am helping to make a difference, no matter how small. We learn so much from helping others, and what could be better than helping others while helping ourselves?
