RHS student receives Country Cottage scholarship
Every year now for several years Country Cottage in Russellville has given a cash scholarship to a local graduating senior. This year the recipient is Russellville High School senior Michael Howell.
“We were so impressed with everything he has been involved in and his dedication to the healthcare field,” Cottage manager Regina Lawler said.
During high school, Howell participated in many volunteer efforts like helping at Relay for Life, serving at nursing homes and the Russellville ER and selling cleft lip arm bands.
Those extracurricular activities, his grade point average, a letter of recommendation from instructor Stephanie Oliver and an essay about why he wants to pursue a career in healthcare were all taken into consideration by the committee that chooses the winner of the scholarship, Lawler said.
“It was obvious that he is passionate about the field,” resident service director Denette Nichols said.
After graduation, Howell said he plans to attend the University of Alabama in Birmingham and pursue a degree in neuroscience, followed by medical school at UAB or Johns Hopkins University.
He said he finds the field of neuroscience interesting. “The brain controls everything. You have somebody’s life in your hands. You can better their life,” Howell said.
Howell attributed the spark of his passion to Oliver, RHS’ health science teacher. Howell said he took one of her classes in the 10th grade when he was unsure what career he wanted to pursue, and Oliver guided him and made him fall in love with medicine.
Howell said he is considering pursuing a minor in sign language if UAB provides that option. He said the ability to communicate with a person using only hand signals fascinates him.
“Not many people can do it. It gives you a way to help people and can make them feel special, like they’re actually cared for,” he said.
