By Nate Fisher

“I chose to start small,” says Meridian High School Senior Macey Crain when asked about her goal of becoming a pediatric surgeon. She’s talking about the patient’s size, but she is in no way making small moves. In her quest to do what she can to help the vulnerable, she is already turning small town dreams into a larger-than-life impact on her community.

A year away from graduation, Macey has already completed her Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) training and will receive her Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN) certificate this year through the Fast Start program. Her plan is to attend Shawnee Community College for two years to get her Registered Nurse (RN) certification and then move on to a four-year college with a pediatric surgery program.

The reason behind Macey’s passion is obvious to her: “From a very young age, I’ve had a love for babies… combined with my need always to save others or put others’ lives first.” Her motivation is rooted in something small towns know too well, the phenomenon of wanting to get out and move on to more opportunities while keeping close ties with the people back home. While most are encouraging their young community members to brave the world outside and take it by storm, Macey has also witnessed her fair share of naysayers that only want to bring others down.

“Not everybody is going to wish success on you,” she admits with noticeable sadness. “You have people who will always talk down on you and wish bad things on you.” The truth is, Macey is experiencing another phenomenon familiar to most small towns; those that grow bitter when they see the success of others. This can be disheartening to anyone trying to work hard to become successful, even if that work takes them away from home to meet opportunity headfirst. Students who are still creating ideas about the world can feel guilty at the suggestion they somehow have a “better than you” attitude by checking into possibilities outside their town’s borders.

 

Fortunately, Macey has learned to combat these voices and has hit the ground running with an actionable plan for her goals. “I’m a big person with big dreams,” she says, “I need to do what everyone doesn’t expect from me.” By focusing on her service to others and steering away from negative influences, she’ll continue to stand out as a prominent voice in our community and break any barriers that would keep her from exercising her influence in the world at large. And that’s a lesson she would share with her younger self, “Just be yourself and keep your eye on your future while being your best self in the present.” We agree, and look for big things from this girl who has chosen to start small.