Sergeant Cameron Waites
Biography
Branch of Armed Services: Army
Age: 28
Hometown: Mt. Morris, Michigan
Institution of Higher Learning: University of Michigan-Flint (Flint, MI)
Degree Sought: Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences
Sergeant Cameron Waites’ story is one of transformation, perseverance, and hard work. During his first two years of college, he allowed social activities to overshadow his other obligations, tarnishing his academic record and bringing him to the realization that “my goal of becoming a physician was unfounded with my poor grades, large debt, and unrealistic attitude.” To reverse this, Cameron enlisted in the U.S. Army which provided him with the opportunity to learn the discipline, confidence, and organizational skills he needed to refocus his life and pursue his desire to become a physician. After serving over four years in the Army, Cameron is now pursuing a second Bachelor’s degree and eventually plans to attend medical school and attain an MD/PhD and become a physician-scientist focused on issues of health disparities among individuals of different backgrounds.
Quotes from Cameron:
“Experience pays dividends. As such, my decision to serve my country in the U.S. Army was an essential and life changing one. Wanting to put my ambitions to the test and turn my life around, I became a medic in order to recommit my focus to duty in something larger than myself. In doing so, I set out to serve my country, protect our citizens, succeed academically, escape financial discord, develop maturity, and ingrain an indomitable work ethic to discover whether I truly had a calling for the science of medicine.”
“I believe my military and life experiences are a testament to the positive transformation that military service can have on an individual. Truly my experiences serving my country have made this [transformation] possible. I now work to improve the lives of others and use the experience gained in the military as the foundation upon which to build my future of service.”
