A Career in Medicine is Goal of Fahrueldin “Dean” Ebed,
Gregory Gile Scholarship Winner for 2006-2007

“Although I’m well aware of the general difficulty and intensity of entry into medical school I was never one to shy away from a challenge.” This introduction to his application for the Gregory Gile scholarship and the confirmation of this attitude from Dean’s neurologist, Dr. Robert Wechsler, and Timberline High School teacher, Stan Wiens, convinced Gile scholarship committee members that they had a winner. Dr. Wechsler reported, “Dean is a truly outstanding young man. More than any other patient I have
ever cared for, Dean refuses to allow his epilepsy to limit his life. He is an outgoing and social man, a good and driven student, and a true inspiration to those who get to know him.”

And add these accolades from teacher, Mr. Stan Wiens. “Dean is the type of student teachers love to have in class because he absolutely desires to better himself. Whether it is his overall grade, his writing skills or his knowledge of a subject, Dean is tenacious
in improving his abilities. He enjoys the process of becoming educated.” As a member of Key Club and National Honor Society, Dean completed six AP classes. With all of this, his interests went beyond the classroom. Dean was on the Timberline High School tennis and cross country teams. He was involved in theater productions and president of the drama club. He was in Spanish Club and Tree Club, yet he continued to face incredible hallenges
posed by his seizure disorder.

Dean was diagnosed with epilepsy when he was 12 years old. Since that time he has tried a variety of medications and therapies, none of which has controlled the seizure activity. Because of his seizure type, Dean is not a candidate for epilepsy surgery. He realizes that the disorder will be a part of life in the foreseeable future, but he refuses to let this hold him back. “…there is a side of me that believes this ‘disorder’ gives me the push I need, the desire to do all within my power to succeed.”

For Dean, epilepsy provides a “drive and a determination” that propel him beyond the expectations that he has set for himself. He will not let it deprive him of what he wants to achieve. It is this “can-win” spirit that sets Dean apart. It is what makes this first
year BSU student the logical recipient for the Gregory Gile Scholarship. The Epilepsy Foundation of Idaho congratulates Dean Ebed for this award which he so richly deserves.