To esteemed gentlemen and ladies; Hello. My name is Megan M. Pahl and I am the mother of five beautiful children and the wife of a wonderful Christian man. I am the first person in my family to not only receive their diploma but also attend college with a goal. Growing up in a very troubled home, I was rarely allowed to attend school due to the amount of moving we did. Often times, I had to call a small car my home. Needless to say, there was no home address to give a school in order to attend there. As I grew, I discovered that I had a knack for caring for other people and also found out that it was my one true calling in life. Later on, after five children, my husband encouraged me to return to school in order to further that talent. I have always put myself into whatever field of nursing I could and for the entirety of my adult life, it has lead me to CNA/Med Tech and management in every facility I have ever been employed. Now in the second year of my college career, I am finding that there are many opportunities to become more involved. I am presently attempting to save the Health Professions Club at North Idaho College. A club that has been around nearly as long as the school itself, it offers the students with the opportunity to lift each other up and help one another succeed. Also, helping in the community through a variety of volunteer opportunities. As I see it, a person is not purely in this experience on their own. We are all in this together and the world needs more people ready and able to stand up, make those horrible decisions when necessary, and make a difference in involved in every life that crosses that person's path. Being a member of the Honors Society is more of a blessing to my life than many people. I say this because since I began school, I have suffered three strokes and still fought. I refuse to let anything keep me from learning and learning more everyday. I especially refuse to let any trial stand between my children's future. I can only hope that through my example, that my children will see that they too can beat the odds and rise up against adversity. Strokes are a terrible thing to be faced with. I had to practice writing my alphabet all over again in attempts to make it legible and still have a terrible time remembering the material that is dumped on every semester. Needless to say, the only true virtue that matters in regards to a person, is the virtue of strength. It takes a strong person to reach out and fight for what is important to them and not back down and quit. Had it not been for my husband pulling me along and the great staff at NIC, any other person might have just rolled over and gave up. As I bring this summary to a close, I would like to point out, that being a member of the honors society is truly one of the greatest blessing I have had the joy of being involved with and promise to do whatever I can to see the members that join me succeed and also promise to represent the society with a humble heart as well as a distinguished pride. However, being just a member is not all I wish to enjoy. I am in the process of seeing the options of beginning a chapter in my area to bring in more students who strive for success. Thank all who are reading this and please never forget that we must never give up on our dreams. Nothing worth it does not require hard work, but ALL of it shows worth and IS worth doing!