Major: Biology
Hometown: Brownsburg, IN
HighSchool: Brownsburg High School
Bernice chose to attend IU Indianapolis because it was close to the hospitals that she wanted to continue her volunteering at, and she wants to find an internship there. Being a Bepko Scholar means a lot to Bernice as she has always loved to volunteer because she gets to meet new people while helping the community. The Bepko Scholarship also allowed her to do the activity she loves the most while also focusing on her studies. In college, she wants to connect everything she does through music. She believes that music is a universal language, and “to better serve people you have to understand what they are going through.” Music is also important to Bernice because it is a big part of her culture. She says, “we have music at parties, hangouts, funerals, etc.” and it’s used to portray what they are feeling at a given time. The most meaningful moment in Bernice’s time volunteering was when she was new to the volunteer position, and she was trying to show a patient around the IU Methodist Hospital. The patient noticed how nervous Bernice was and told her, “Sweetie why are you nervous, you are doing an amazing job.” That moment meant so much to Bernice because not only did she find where she needed to be, but it also encouraged her to continue volunteering at the hospital. Her volunteer work made her realize she chose the right career field for her—healthcare. Bernice’s career goal is to open a pediatric clinic here in America and one in her home country, Togo. She has seen people in her country suffer and wants to offer kids the medical help they need. Outside of school and volunteering, Bernice enjoys playing tennis.