Divers Women Scholarship

When I decided to start a family, I envisioned a loving partnership where my husband and I would raise our children together. I married a Kenyan man from a village called Kisumu, and we welcomed our beautiful daughter, Zoraya, into the world. I expected to raise her together, instilling in her both of our cultural values and experiences. However, reality took a different turn, and now I find myself navigating the complexities of single motherhood alone. Raising Zoraya as a single mother has been both a privilege and a challenge. I have her 100% of the time and work full-time to support us, balancing the demands of motherhood, employment, and my dream of becoming a nurse. Every morning, I wake up and push forward because I have no other choice—my daughter depends on me for everything. One of the greatest challenges I face raising Zo is ensuring that she develops a strong sense of identity. She is both Black American and Kenyan. As a white woman, I question how to teach her about her father’s culture without knowing his family, or how to prepare her for the realities of being a Black girl in America when I haven’t lived that experience. One of the first lessons I learned was how to care for her hair—a simple yet significant aspect of her identity. Styling and maintaining her curls was new to me. So, I researched and listened, committed to making sure she would never feel neglected in this part of her identity. We also experience financial struggles. I live in the frustrating gap between making too much to qualify for assistance and not enough to afford tuition. Every dollar spent is calculated. The cost of childcare is overwhelming, but without it, I cannot work or attend school. I know that securing a stable career in healthcare is a reliable way to provide for Zoraya, but nursing is not just a profession—it is a calling that embodies compassion, resilience, and stability. It is a career that will allow me to build a life where my daughter can thrive, and where she will have a soft place to land no matter what challenges she faces. After the separation, Zoraya watched me struggle with my mental health, and I had to go to the hospital for a time. My own mental health struggles have shaped my decision to go into this field. I know what it’s like to need support but not always receive compassionate care. This experience has driven me to pursue a career where I can provide the same empathy and understanding that I needed. I want to help those facing mental health challenges feel heard, seen, and supported. Pursuing a career in nursing will help me show Zoraya that perseverance, education, and hard work can change one's trajectory. I want her to see that despite the obstacles, I never gave up. I want her to grow up knowing that when life presents difficulties, we adapt, we learn, and we keep moving forward. I want her to know that mom has got her, and she can do it too. My journey as a single mother has been anything but easy, but it has shaped me into a stronger, more determined person. Working full-time while being Zoraya’s sole provider is exhausting, but I refuse to let our challenges define us. With the support of this scholarship, I will be one step closer to achieving my goal of becoming a nurse—a career that will not only transform my life but also provide Zoraya with the security and inspiration she deserves.

Becoming a mother at 18 in my first year of college was a very challenging experience. This journey was not easy for me, but I would not trade it for the world. Raising a child while trying to balance my education and personal growth presented many challenges, but it also shaped me into the resilient and determined person I am today. At the age of 23, I got married, and in 2012, I welcomed my second child into the world. I have learned patience, perseverance, and the true meaning of selflessness through the ups and downs of raising a family. These qualities have helped me as a mother and fueled my passion for pursuing a career in healthcare. My love for healthcare started at a very young age. As a child, I always wanted to help and make people feel better. At just six years old, I dreamed of becoming a pediatrician because I loved the idea of working with children and making a difference in their lives. As I grew older, my passion for healthcare never faded, and by the time I reached my senior year of high school, I had set my sights on becoming a nurse. I knew that the medical field was where I needed and wanted to be, and my life experiences only made the passion for it stronger. I felt it in my spirit. One of the most profound experiences that deepened my dedication to healthcare was watching my father battle cancer. Seeing my dad's health decline was so heartbreaking to me, but it also motivated me to pursue a career where I could help others going through the same struggles that I have been through. I wanted to be there for patients and their families, providing medical care, comfort, and compassion during their most vulnerable moments. My father’s sickness and death taught me the importance of skilled and empathetic healthcare professionals, and I knew I wanted to be that person to make a difference. Additionally, my children’s frequent illnesses when they were younger strengthened my commitment to the medical field. As a mother, nothing is more important than ensuring the health and well-being of your children. Every fever, cough, and sleepless night made me more determined to gain the knowledge and skills needed to provide the best care—not just for my own family but for others as well. I saw firsthand the impact that dedicated healthcare professionals had on my children’s health, inspiring me to follow in their footsteps. Despite the numerous challenges I have encountered along the way, they have only strengthened my will to be successful in the healthcare industry. I learned perseverance, flexibility, and the value of hard work from being a young mother—skills that will be useful in the medical industry. My desire to serve people and my life experiences have strengthened me to pursue a profession in healthcare. I am ready to take on this journey and make a difference in the lives of others, just as so many healthcare professionals have done for me and my family.

Coming from a low-income minority family has given me many obstacles on my journey for an education. While I have faced those obstacles it has kept me motivated to continue fighting for myself and my future. As an adult learner, I am currently a single mother of two with a dream and a passion. My ultimate goal is to not only award my children with a great life, but to become a Pediatric Hematology/Oncology nurse. My passion is to not only provide care for these patients but to be the voice and advocate for children coming from low-income homes. I consistently work on these goal as the months and years go by. Fortunately, I have not given up no matter how many times I have fallen. Providing for my children is always my priority, however there are often times where I am left with deciding between paying for a necessity or paying for my tuition. It is a path I have chosen to pursue, but it is my passion and I have always remained driven. I am no stranger to sacrifice and am so much prouder of where I am today because of it. Wholeheartedly, I want my children to see that if there is anything they want out of life, if they set their mind to they can do it! At the same time I hope to show them that even if we weather our own storms, caring for others, especially those that need it the most is not only fulfilling but needed in our world. My passion for making patients smile even in the hardest journeys they face, like cancer, is just the beginning of how I intend to do so. Ultimately once I graduate with my Bachelors, I would love to go back for my Doctorates and become a nurse practitioner. This would give me the ability to provide care more independently in the communities with children that are under-served and may be facing the same trials and tribulations I once faced by no fault of their own. They have a voice and I intend to make it be heard. I love to imagine a world where healthcare is equal. A world where everyone regardless of where they live, come from, or look like receive great unbiased quality care. Having more healthcare providers of color that come from difficult backgrounds helps in making this happen. It provides children of similar backgrounds to feel seen and understood. It helps inspire those who may think they could never make it, know that anything is possible. Remembering the daily struggles my mother faced always replays in my mind when I face some of those same struggles today. I hold these memories near and dear to me as I am now a mother. I value the sacrifices my mother made to give me the best life she could. I value the hours of volunteer work I did way back when, in a hospital during high school. These experiences helped me find my purpose. I remember those hours of studying for exams and working a part time job to help my mother with bills, and I remember that these experiences made me who I am today. Without her perseverance I wouldn't be so resilient. I look at my children and think of the life I want them to have and I will never stop trying until I get there. I owe it not only to them, but to my mother. I especially owe this to all the patients whose lives I have yet to touch! Thank you for your consideration.

My name is Nicket Hamilton, I am 37 years old and originally from Jamaica. I have a 3-and-a-half-year-old son that is my motivation in everything I do. Also, I am the second person in my entire family to attend college. Ever since I came to the United States, I have been constantly trying to better myself. I have an inborn desire to care for people in times of their need. Ever since I was mentally capable of making my own decisions in life, I have wanted to become a nurse. My experience raising a family is the most challenging yet most rewarding experience. It is a huge responsibility to be able to care for my son and husband, I love to cook for them and I love to make our home nice and comfortable. I love to watch my son grow and go through each stage of growth. Also, I am always worried about his well-being when he is away from me. I used to work full time but had to stop to go to nursing school full time, lots of sacrifices on this journey but I am doing it for my family and in the end, it will be worth it. I will make them proud. Every person who has ever gone into the nursing field has an inspiration behind the decision. What inspired me to get into the nursing field was when my dearest uncle got diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. I was here in the United States, and he was back home in Jamaica. It was very hard being so far away throughout his illness. I would work hard here and send money back home to help with his medical bills. Whenever I would visit, I would notice all the great work the nurses did. One nurse was so kind and caring toward my uncle. The nurse had many patients and treated each of them with the same compassion and professionalism. All her patients felt special, and well cared for. Another reason that inspired me even further toward nursing, was my experience giving birth to my son. I had complications during birth and had to get an emergency C-section. The labor and delivery nurses were so amazing. I was extremely scared, but they made the process so much easier by providing great care, patience, knowledge, and understanding. After that, I decided that when I become a nurse, I want to one day work in labor and delivery to pay it forward to other pregnant women in labor. Those experiences taught me how much I belong in the field, I am eager to do more to bring about change and touch as many lives as possible.