October Power Poll results

Marcus Barksdale and Alanis Burton Each Awarded $10,000 Power of We Scholarship

UTC Senior Marcus Barksdale and Lee University Senior Alanis Burton have each received a $10,000 scholarship from the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Foundation.

The BlueCross Power of We Scholarship was introduced in 2012. Each year, the BlueCross Foundation awards $10,000 each to three outstanding minority students pursuing careers in health care. This year, as part of our larger commitment to address systemic racism and injustice within our communities, the BlueCross Foundation doubled the number of scholarships – awarding 6 total.

Here’s what led the area’s recipients to pursue a career in health care and their plans for the future:

Marcus Barksdale was going to be a doctor. It had been his dream as long as he could remember, so he entered UTC on the pre-med track. He pursued a degree in biology, and he completed an internship at Erlanger Hospital where he shadowed caregivers. That’s when things changed.

“When I saw how much time nurses were able to spend with patients, I knew that’s what I wanted to do,” Marcus says. “They play such a pivotal role with patients, as well as with doctors and family members. Plus, nurses are often the first people who get to witness changes in their patients. That’s an incredible thing.”

 

“This final year is going to be super challenging, so the BlueCross Power of We Scholarship is a huge help,” he says. “I’ll be able to work less, prepare for my boards and concentrate on being the best nurse I can be.”

 

After graduation, Marcus plans to be a nurse in the ICU. However, that’s just the first stop. Long-term, he plans to go to grad school, become a certified registered nurse anesthetist and serve the community in a rural hospital.

 

“While I grew up in Memphis, my father’s side of the family lives in Milan and Atwood, which are both small West Tennessee towns,” he says. “I’ve seen firsthand the challenges those communities have with access to care. I want to help solve that problem by giving back and delivering quality care to underserved communities.”

 

As a child in Athens, Tennessee, Alanis Burton saw the toll obesity can take — on a community and on a family.

 

“It was right in front of me growing up — obesity, diabetes, lack of access to healthy foods,” says Alanis. “A few years ago, I took a class on nutrition, and I fell in love. I knew I wanted it to be my life’s work.”

 

The first step: getting her degree in health science. In her years at Lee University, Alanis has become passionate about preventive care, learning about nutrition in the classroom, but also participating in research about how to promote healthy lifestyles in the community. Seeing the big picture was invaluable.

 

“Through my studies, I’ve learned about nutritional literacy and social determinants of health,” she says.  “Most importantly, I learned the ‘whys’ behind what I saw growing up, and I learned the ‘hows’ we can use to change those outcomes.”

 

Eventually, Alanis plans to seek a doctorate in public health, but that goal sometimes seems far off. She’s had to work a variety of jobs to pay for school — church secretary, housekeeper, cashier, nurse assistant — and balancing it all has been a struggle.

 

“School is really expensive, so I’ve been working a lot and living at home, which means a 1.5-hour commute each day,” she says. “But with the BlueCross Power of We Scholarship, I hope to live closer to school so I can spend more time studying and less time driving. I can’t wait to focus more on achieving my goals and less on working enough hours to pay for tuition and books.”

 

Alanis’ long-term plan is as ambitious as she is. She plans to put her education to use, pinpointing groups that are susceptible to diseases like obesity and diabetes, and using preventive programs to educate people about healthy eating and physical activity.

 

“I love nutritional epidemiology, community nutrition and public policy,” she says, “and I want to use the education I’m getting now to make sure all people have access to a healthy life through nutrition.”

 

Other recipients of the $10,000 Power of We scholarships from across the state were:

Alanis Burton, Senior, Health Science Major, Lee University
Brianna James, Junior, Exercise Science Major, University of Memphis
Deja Walls, Senior, Biology Major, Rhodes College
Akia Thompson, Senior, Public Health Major, Belmont University

“The BlueCross Power of We Scholarship is one way we’ve been working toward health equity,” says Ron Harris, vice president of diversity and inclusion at BlueCross. “We believe it is our responsibility to promote equality in all aspects of life.”

For the past three years, BlueCross has hosted the Power of We Diversity conference, an event where individuals and businesses come together to learn best practices for promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace. This year’s two-day virtual event was held earlier this month.

 

Related stories from BlueCross:

Meet the 2020 Power of We Scholars (Video)

Why we Must Recognize Racism as a Public Health Threat

Racism Must End, by BlueCross President and CEO JD Hickey, M.D.

Why We’re Ranked as a Forbes top 100 Employer for Diversity