ATHABASCA — A local high school graduate hopes to carry on the legacy left by much-loved community member, former town councillor, and physician Dr. Josephine Brown after being awarded the legacy scholarship in Brown’s name.
Molly Martin crossed the Edwin Parr Composite graduation stage on May 25, shook hands with principal Stacey Mabey, and posed for photos with a diploma in hand.
Nearly one month later on June 18, Martin crossed town council chambers, shook hands with Coun. Darlene Reimer, and posed for photos with a $2,000 cheque to go towards her goal of medical school.
“It’s an honour,” said Martin said. “It’s always been a dream to get scholarships from a young age to pursue things I love and eventually become a physician one day.”
Martin has plans to attend the University of Alberta in the fall, entering the Bachelor of Science program with a major in biochemistry and a minor in cell biology.
“Hopefully, I take the undergrad through the full term, and from there, I plan on applying to med school,” said Martin.
The young woman said her interest in the medical field began as a young girl watching her mother pursue a career in nursing.
“I knew from like five years old, you could say. I would say, ‘Oh, I want to be a pediatrician,’ and it kind of stuck with me,” said Martin. Her favourite subjects in high school included biology and chemistry, and she also knew she wasn’t inspired by the desk-bound work of her accountant father.
“I’m a very social person and I always wanted to help people,” she added. “I’ve always thought, as a doctor, if I made it to that point, that would be the most fulfilling job I could have.”
Martin hopes to carry on another aspect of Dr. Brown’s legacy by being a proud woman pursuing a medical career.
“I’ve always wanted more female representation in the field, and especially in Athabasca,” said Martin. “In Athabasca we’ve had that for sure, but we definitely could use more of it.”
The aspiring doctor can be found spending her summer soaking up the sunshine as an employee at the Athabasca Golf and Country Club, but after her first year of university, she hopes to secure a position working in a healthcare setting.
“I want to get a job in the hospital as either a healthcare aide or in a volunteer position just to get my foot in the door,” said Martin, an experience she hopes to get back home at the Athabasca Healthcare Centre.
Although she hopes to begin her experience in her hometown, Martin said she doesn’t have a clear vision for where she would like to practice after medical school.
“My future plans, I’m not sure where they’ll lead me to, whether it's small town or not. If it is, that’s definitely something I think people, and women especially would want to see,” she said.
“That part has always made me want to pursue being a doctor, being that one person, a female, that can make other people comfortable and be there for the people that need it.”
