Emmanuel Garcia, a respiratory therapy student at Lakeland Community College, was recently awarded the Mary Edith Miller-Orlett Scholarship given by the Ohio Society for Respiratory Care (OSRC).
The scholarship was established in 2013 by Miller-Orlett's son, Ed Orlett who was the OSRC executive director for over 25 years, according to a news release from Lakeland.
Garcia traveled to Columbus with Catherine Kenny, professor of respiratory therapy, to accept the $500 scholarship.
“Manny is a great young man. Smart, ambitious and absolutely one of the nicest personalities anyone could ask for," Kenny said in the release. “He is bilingual and I have no doubt will have multiple employment opportunities upon graduation. I am so proud of him.”
To be selected for the award, Garcia's application was reviewed by a committee, where they evaluated his GPA, school and community activities, an essay on why he chose to pursue a respiratory profession and a letter of recommendation.
"The first thing we do as humans is take a breath," Garcia said in the release. "Breathing is an essential part of life, and respiratory therapists work to help people breathe easier."
Garcia will finish his degree in allied health at Youngstown State University in 2016.