Aviance EMBRACE Scholarship

At the age of 18, I was a mother to two children, and while my family reminded me of the disgrace I caused, I will never forget the respect and care that I received from the nursing staff. The nurses treated me respectfully without guilting me for my choice to have a baby and supported me to be a successful and caring mother for my children without judgment. As a mother at a young age, I was determined to work hard and be worthy of someone whom my children would be proud to call mom. Similar to the nurses who cared for me, I will treat my future patients with respect and dignity during their medical emergencies. After my children began school, I knew I wanted to work in a way that provides help to those in need. I began volunteering, first at Head Start, then as a Chaplain with my church. At Head Start, I learned to advocate for the needs of children and their future growth by spending time with every level of the organization to learn from them what was needed to improve the quality of attention the children and families received. As a chaplain, I was trained to attend to people during and after a traumatic event in their lives and provide resources for future assistance. I learned from first responders and went through a trauma course to know how to address and meet the needs of those experiencing the worst day of their lives. Training in these skills has provided me with the foundation and tools to care for patients and their family’s emotional and physical conditions. When my volunteering time ended, I began working at a pain management clinic. Over the nine years I spent there, I was fortunate to have many encounters with patients and opportunities to learn from physicians about injection therapy treatments and medication management. The passion and care demonstrated by the physicians in their approach to spinal procedures and the medical field left me intrigued with the industry. My life experiences and education have given me a foundation to provide patients with high-quality care and guidance. The knowledge of the inner workings of a medical practice and medical system will allow me to assist patients at a greater capacity, utilizing the resources to the fullest. My goal is to share my knowledge with patients to help them use the medical system to their benefit. As a teen mom, I never expected to soon be graduating college, let alone the chance to earn a Master's in nursing. My recent acceptance into the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing is my dream. The representation of diverse healthcare providers is important in providing accurate and efficient care to a range of patients. The Women’s health community is an especially important area I wish to work and advocate for. Thousands of women are suffering from reproductive issues and often feel as though their healthcare provider is not listening, or are shamed as I was for being a teen mother and I want to listen and help. I started by becoming a Volunteer Doula at my local hospital. I have the honor of assisting families through the laboring process and providing them with tools and resources to advocate for themselves and their newborns. I will be able to help at a higher capacity once I earn my MSN, RN degree. This scholarship will provide me with the support to continue to provide excellent patient care and relief from the financial burden accompanying post-graduate education. Thank you for considering me for this scholarship.