Meet Kylie Tierney! Kylie is a recipient of the First Responders Foundation Awards of Excellence 2019! Kylie is a freshman at Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa and she is currently pursuing a Pre-Veterinarian path.
The Awards of Excellence are given to high school seniors who demonstrate good character, balanced achievement, and outstanding commitment to the community. These students are also children of local first responders. That is what made Kylie eligible for the award. Kylie’s mom, Lt. Darci Tierney, recently retired from the Omaha Police Department after 25 years of outstanding service to the community.
Awards of Excellence Recipient, Kylie Tierney
Awards of Excellence winners receive a $500 scholarship that they can use to further their future endeavors. We decided to check in with Kylie and see how her year is going.
Kylie reports that she is thrilled with her decision to attend Simpson College. She loves the atmosphere, has met wonderful people and has some great friends. The faculty sincerely cares about the students and how they are doing, both personally and academically. Biology is her favorite class this semester and she really appreciates her professor, Ryan Reymeier. Dr. Reymeier is passionate about his subject matter, is entertaining and makes the class fun and easy to understand. Kylie is learning a lot about ecology from him as well, as he is called the Ecologist of Simpson.
Kylie is part of the Shooting Sports Team where she participates in American Trap, Skeet & Sporting Clays. This is a continuation from high school where she was part of the Loess Hills Trap Team in Missouri Valley, IA. Even though they practice 9 hours a week she thoroughly enjoys the sport and the camaraderie of her teammates. The team is looking forward to the ACUI Super Shoot in Nashville, TN.
Kylie lives on campus and has become close friends with her roommate. She has also joined a sorority, and she is enjoying all the events that come with being part of that community.
When we asked her what she liked the most about being in college she said, “Even though adjusting can be hard, I am enjoying the challenges and the freedom that comes along with being on my own”. When asked what she likes the least, she replied, “I miss my mom’s home cooking!”
In five years Kylie sees herself applying to veterinarian school for an additional 4 years of schooling, but she is keeping an open mind. She has been inspired by the Nat Geo Wild’s hit television show, The Incredible Dr. Pol. This is based on Veterinarian Dr. Jan Pol from the Netherlands. She enjoys working with animals and if she does not become a vet she would like to work at a zoo or possibly as a conservation officer. She envisions herself working somewhere that does not feel like a job!
Kylie is very appreciative of the Awards of Excellence. As we know, college is an expensive endeavor and has Shooting Sports fees as well. With the Awards of Excellence, other scholarships and working at a Nursing Home over breaks and during the summer, Kylie will not have to take out any student loans. She sincerely thanks the First Responders Foundation for helping her begin her future pursuits. The Foundations are honored to have helped Kylie and wish her all the best.
Applications for Awards of Excellence 2020 will be posted at the end of January. Check back for more details.
