Mariah Ernsberger Selected as Third-Prize Scholarship Winner by College Admissions Assistance

College Admissions Assistance (CAA) announced Mariah Ernsberger as the $500 Third Prize Winner of its Class of 2013 Scholarship. For the past six years, CAA has asked the outgoing senior class to participate in a senior survey for the chance to win scholarship money for college. Mariah, second in her family to attend college, decided in the fall of her junior year in high school that she wanted to attend St. Mary’s College (IN) after visiting the campus. “When I stepped foot onto St. Mary’s campus, I fell in love with the antique style,” she said. “Not only did the campus make me like the college, but the girls and staff made me feel very welcome.” She said CAA helped her meet her goal of enrolling this fall. “With CAA’s organizational tools, I knew everything that I had to do,” she says, and “By the time it was my junior year, I knew what needed to be done to get into a good school.” In addition to living on St. Mary’s campus, Mariah is excited about making the transition from high school to college. She is looking forward to experiencing a new study environment and meeting new people. Some of her plans while attending St. Mary’s include joining intramural sports and getting a job on campus. “I think the change from high school to college is very exciting,” she says. “If I could have changed one thing about my high school experience it would have been to know more people. I am excited about meeting new people interested in the same things as I am at St. Mary’s.” When Mariah’s mother was pregnant, Mariah discovered that she wanted to become an Obstetrician and Gynecologist. “I became fascinated with my mother’s pregnancy and was excited when I got to go to her doctor visits,” she said. She explains that CAA, her high school counselor, science teacher, family and friends, helped her confirm the career choice she has been focused on for so long. “I found CAA’s online tools very helpful in researching my career choices,” she said. “They helped me understand not only myself through the personality assessments but also confirmed what I might be good at in the future.” The busy and studious young woman is proud of her accomplishments, the most impressive one being the completion of over 200 hours of community service in two years. This took a lot of effort on her part.  Mariah said that she would advise underclassmen to stay organized, stay in contact with their high school counselor, and to try making studying fun. Mariah credits CAA in helping her realize everything she had to do throughout the college planning process. CAA is honored that Mariah found its services helpful and knows she will be successful in college, medical school, and throughout her career as an OBGYN.