The Amputee Coalition announced that Christa Berry, 18, of Livermore, California, is the recipient of the Christina Skoski, MD, Scholarship for 2016. Berry will be attending Mount Holyoke College, majoring in biology. She also plans to attend graduate school after college, with the goal of becoming a prosthetist.
The Christina Skoski, MD, Scholarship provides a $1,000 scholarship to a full-time undergraduate student who has congenital limb difference or an amputation. Berry was born without her right foot and has worn a prosthetic leg her entire life. “I was honored and thrilled when I heard that I was the recipient of the Christina Skoski, MD, Scholarship. It will help pay for my education at Mount Holyoke. I look forward to a career as a prosthetist, where I can work with people who have limb loss. I particularly enjoy helping others to find ways to fulfill their potential,” she said.
Berry graduated from Granada High School in June. She is an accomplished singer, having sung in her local children’s choir since second grade. In addition to her musical accomplishments, Berry was a member of her high school’s Robotics Club during her junior and senior years, and she competed in VEX robotics competitions and made it to one semifinal. She has ridden horses for many years, and plans to try out for the varsity hunter/jumper equestrian team. She also attended Camp No Limits, a camp for children with limb loss/limb difference, as a child.
“We are so pleased to announce Christa as our Skoski Scholarship recipient,” said Susan Stout, president and CEO of the Amputee Coalition. “Her dedication to people with limb loss and her vision and aspirations for her future as a prosthetist embody what the scholarship is all about. Her academic, musical, and technical accomplishments are an inspiration to all with limb loss. While we received many excellent applications, Christa’s stood out with her outstanding academic and extracurricular achievements, and with her clearly defined career goals.”
