Rachel Hollinger and Bailey Garman want to make a difference in the lives of others. Both seniors at Manheim Central High School will have the opportunity to do that when they pursue further education in the medical field after graduation. And they'll be getting financial assistance as well. Both were selected as winners of the Robert C. Stirling Scholarship, presented by Northwest EMS.

Rachel, who plans to attend the Lancaster campus of HACC, Central Pennsylvania's Community College and become a nurse, said her chosen career path is a recent goal. The daughter of Rick and Trina Hollinger of Manheim, she grew up heavily involved in agriculture programs, including working on a dairy farm and showing dairy beef and market lambs. At Manheim Central, she's an active member of the FFA. "Agriculture has always been a big part of my life," she said. However, a car accident about 18 months ago set Rachel on a new path. "I really appreciated the way I was treated by everyone, from the paramedics and EMTs to the nursing staff," she recalled. Her experience inspired her to pursue a career in nursing. Attending HACC will also allow her to stay close to home and continue to participate in local agriculture events.

Bailey plans to attend the University of Pittsburgh in the fall, where he will major in chemistry on a pre-med track, with the goal of becoming a surgeon. At Manheim Central, he's active in music and theater programs, including being a member of Baron Stage, playing bass and bass trombone, and participating in the jazz band. He's also president of both the National Honor Society and the Spanish National Honor Society. Like Rachel, he didn't always plan on a career in medicine, but events over the past two years changed his mind. "During the height of COVID, I kept seeing news reports of how hard everyone was working and how understaffed hospitals were and how unappreciated people in the medical community felt," he stated. "I wanted to help. I want to make a difference." Bailey is the son of Brett and Jen Garman of Manheim.

Northwest EMS community outreach manager Lori Shenk said the decision to selecte Rachel and Bailey for the scholarship was an easy one. "This was pretty much a unanimous decision. There was little debate, because everyone liked these two," she remarked, noting that the scholarship committee reviews the applications blind, with no identifying information on the applicants. "They look at who best represented themselves in the application, who followed directions, who submitted a well-written application, and who made a good case for themselves."

The scholarship is named for Bob Stirling, a lifetime member of the Manheim Veterans Memorial Ambulance Association. Manheim Ambulance merged with Northwest in 2013. The scholarship is open to anyone in the Manheim Central School District who is pursuing further education in the medical field, including adults going back to college.