Congratulations To The Avive Scholarship Winner Of Fall 2019!

Class President, Head Drum Major of her school’s marching band, and a member of an all-girls acapella choir, Madelin Ching plans to study biology on the pre-medical track in hopes of pursuing a career in pediatric medicine.

Selecting our winner was no easy task. We were overwhelmed with the quality of responses we received from our applicants, but nonetheless, we had to make the difficult decision.

Our spring scholarship application asked students: “how would you drive awareness about the importance of CPR and using an AED? Why do you think more people don’t know about this public health epidemic and what creative ways would you introduce more AEDs to the public?”

To raise CPR and AED awareness, Madelin proposed that “training be required during the first year of middle school and high school alongside the already required health class. The implementation of this training is not only a low-cost solution; it has the potential to save lives.” In the same way that the law requires airbags and wearing seatbelts in cars, Madelin explained that there should be laws that “require AED units in all schools, government buildings, and offices with 20 or more people. Making this federal policy change will increase the number of AED units available for use and therefore, give more people the opportunity to save lives.”

Despite the efforts that SCA advocates have made to raise awareness, SCA remains a trivial topic to many. Madelin hypothesized that Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is as unacknowledged by the public as it is because it is sudden. “SCA is not a slow killing disease, therefore, many can write it off as an act of nature that could not have otherwise been helped. While many see the debilitating effects of Alzheimer’s and cancer, many do not see the dangers associated with SCA.”

What doubtlessly set Madelin apart from other applicants was her creativity. Ideally, AEDs are to be thoroughly widespread so that no witnessed cardiac arrest goes untreated. In many cases, this means AEDs must be in a home. However, the cost of an AED can cause some serious sticker shock. Madelin’s idea was that AEDs should be customizable and personalized like home decor. She explained how common it is to spend upwards of $1,300 (a number similar to the price of an AED) on home accessories but that many families cannot justify spending such an amount on an AED. “If AEDs looked more attractive like decor, families may be more inclined to buy them. An AED that is concealed by an ornate wood carving or is hidden in a picture frame may be more attractive to the average family. Consumers are more likely to buy something they want rather than need because the products are heavily marketed towards them. This allows them to justify the purchase of a product…the consumer is connected to what they want emotionally thus making them feel great about purchasing a product.”

Congrats, Madelin, and thank you to all our applicants. Keep up the great work!

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Avive offers a $750 scholarship bi-annually. Students can apply by November 30th, 2019 for the Winter Scholarship. Just upload your best essay (fewer than 1,000 words) or video (shorter than 5 minutes) on how you would drive awareness about the importance of CPR and using an AED. Click here for full details.