Ayana Grace Belton Memorial Nursing Scholarship

People are everywhere, they come from different places, backgrounds, jobs, and educations. Although, many of them have struggles in their life they don't talk about. I am passionate about helping people and helping them learn how to help themselves. I have a lot of love and empathy in my heart for others. I see many who are suffering in their mind and body and want to somehow have an impact on them. This is one of the main reasons I have chosen to go into nursing as my future profession and major. Nursing has such a spectrum of jobs to help heal others whether that be mentally or physically. As I go into the medical world I hope to experience all of it and be the best I can be. As I go throughout my life I know in this job I will learn something new every day. I will be able to meet new people and be an impact on them in different ways. No only that, but they will impact me. I want to show kindness and care in my job. I know it will not come without challenges, but I've seen so many amazing people overcome challenges and that inspires me. Obstacles can be challenging things that come in all different forms. Some can be more difficult than others and as humans, we can tend to give up and not ever overcome them. Although, that is not how I saw people I care for approach obstacles, so I don't want to either. I believe obstacles are things that in the end teach us a lesson. They make us better humans and more hardworking. I have what it takes to overcome obstacles because I want to know the end result. I want to know the lesson I'll learn from that obstacle so I can improve who I am. I then feel like I can use this in my career field to have a open minded to learning and also teach others. I grew up in a family of 7, and we went through many family and financial challenges. We had to leave the home we knew for eight years and start somewhere else. Although, I wouldn't be who I am now if that event hadn't happened. I struggled to make friends, but along the way learned about myself and how I wanted to help others in the future. Giving back is something I feel every able person should do. Being blessed the way I am I want to be able to bless others and maybe even make their life less strenuous on them. I say all of this to futher explain my passion for learning through struggle, and reason behind nursing. Unlike many careers this is one where you could be seeing someone's worst or best day. There are an array of helping people in tragedy or bringing life into this world. I have some life experience to be an encourager, but also know I will learn even more. Obstacles challenge me to grow and people inspire me to learn. This is why I chose to pursue nursing.

I have seen how many people are affected by the worst parts of this world, but I want to be the catalyst to build up the better parts of my community and my world. I have made it my duty to work in my community in whatever ways are needed. I live in, worship in, and attend school in a lower-income community. As I grew, I didn't understand how different my circumstances could have been. I live two blocks over from a mass shooting that rocked my community. I know I have been covered from the dangers of this world. Growing up in a single-parent household, it was my single mother who worked exceptionally hard to make sure I had what I needed so that I could prioritize my spiritual growth and my education. I don't remember a moment when she did not make herself available. I am shaped by her guidance. She taught me to plan, to work hard, and to have faith be my guide. This encouraged me to become a leader in every way. I learned that I WILL get the job done and I won’t let my team (or myself) down. I am so grateful to have learned this from my mother. I love leading and inspiring others, and as President of the National Honors Society Chapter, President of the NSCOC Youth Council, Captain of the Riverside Lacrosse Girls Team, Section Leader in the Riverside Marching Band, and former Vice President of the Sigma Gamma Rho Rhoer Chapter I have proven my abilities. I spent the past two summers interning at Baptist Health, one of the most reputable hospitals in my city. This experience has truly cemented for me that I am entering the right career field. My career goal is to become a Travel Pediatric Nurse. Medicine and advocating for the proper medical services for the underprivileged is my passion. I seek to not only work in the field but to make a difference in the field. I will pursue becoming a Pediatric Clinical Nurse Specialist (PCNS). My time spent volunteering with various community service opportunities has also had a significant impact on my career path. College is an investment for myself, and my family. Being financially independent is my goal. As part of an ethnic minority, I know that this path to financial freedom doesn’t come without its own set of challenges. I would welcome this scholarship as a step in a better direction. Nursing shortages are occurring everywhere, but third-world countries are especially affected. This scholarship will allow me to move closer to accomplishing my goal.