Clarice Kanouse Memorial Scholarship

I would like to say that I have come very far to be where I am today. TO be a single mother and homeless to being only a year away from graduating with my BSN has been one of the hardest, yet most rewarding journey. I have been at Chamberlain University since 2022 and the financial obligation has been difficult. I was determined to make it work though. My son was just 3 years old when I started and It has just been him and I. I have worked two jobs to try and pay for childcare and tuition. Shortly after, we lost our home, but I did not want to give up on school or my baby boy. I have continued to do whatever needed to be done in order to remain in my studies and make sure I was taking care of my child. There has been many sleepless nights, nights where I went hungry to make sure he was fed. My dreams and ambitions kept me pushing forward. I would take him wherever I needed to if there was studying that needed to be done. My professors were kind enough to help me if I needed to take a test earlier in a day because I did not have available child care. in 2023, I ended up losing one of my jobs because they decided to not work around my school schedule anymore. Eventually, we found a place for us to call home and I just worked even harder at the remaining job that I had so that I could continue being able to afford life. My son would always ask questions about school, or pull out a book and pretend that he was doing homework when I was doing mine. That was just even more motivation to keep working towards my goals despite the hardships that we faced daily. By the grace of God we made it work. Now I am exactly one year away from graduating with my BSN. This scholarship would mean so much to me because It has been quite the struggle to try and afford the tuition. After being denied for private loans and running out of financial aid. I don't want this to stop me from being able to finish my dream. To give the best help and care to anyone I can is such a fulfilling feeling. Also to be able to just give my baby boy a better life.

I am a 25 year old stay at home single mother of three with only a high school level education. This is a sentence I never thought I would say. Another sentence I never thought I would say is that I want to be a nurse. When I was 18, I enrolled in college for a social work degree, as I wanted to be a therapist. At this time I was going through a lot of trauma, and met a man who swore he loved me. He loved me so much that he couldn't bear me being away from him during the day to attend classes, so I dropped out. This man turned abusive, and in the end, the only things he gave me was my oldest child and more trauma. I always thought that this was the end of my educational journey. I never thought I would meet another man who would encourage me to consider what career I wanted to pursue, and help me make my dreams a reality. At first I could not figure out what degree I wanted to pursue, or which career could bring me joy. I knew I no longer wanted to pursue social work,so that was a start. I thought maybe I would pursue physical therapy, as it plays a major role in mine and my children’s lives. However, it just did not feel right. One day, I’m still not sure why, I started looking into nursing. It just clicked that this was what I wanted. I have had both amazing and terrible experiences with the healthcare system, and I knew that what I wanted to do with my life was to make sure I was able to be a reason someone had a good experience in the vulnerable position that seeking medical care puts you in. I want more than anything to get a nursing degree and to get a job working in a pediatric capacity. I am not particular on the exact setting, as long as I get to be the reasons young people and parents get to be comfortable when in a medical setting. However, if I was able to choose the exact job, I think being a nurse in a childrens in patient mental health treatment center would be my dream. With working on a labor and delivery or NICU floor being a close second. I want to help children other than just my own, and I want to help parents who are already nervous for their kids. It may have taken me longer than traditional to pursue my dreams, but this scholarship would help me do that.

I grew up on a small isolated island in the Pacific. When I was six years old, my family moved to an island that anyone hardly knew at that time. Traveling to a mysterious yet beautiful place, just like any movie would do, I was a kid full of excitement and dreams. Immediately welcomed by the blue ocean waves and the sun blazing over my head—glistening under the horizon, everything about the island seemed perfect and mesmerizing in my little child's eyes. The excitement did not last long as my family struggled financially. Back then, even if my sister and I wanted a cheeseburger that was only a dollar, my parents could not afford it. Moving on to middle and high school, the reality of living on an island became more evident as my father got diagnosed with a cyst in his jaw that had to be surgically removed in Korea since the only hospital on the island could not perform complex surgeries. The check-up fee at the hospital, round-trip plane ticket fee, including surgical bills in Korea, were a significant burden to our family; however, since there was no option to get surgery on the island, we had to get financial assistance from our church organization. With the lack of professionals in all study areas, especially in health care, I gradually developed a goal of acquiring further education abroad and pursuing my study in the medical field. As a junior high student, I believed all the plans I made in my life would go on wheels, but soon enough, reality crashed upon me. I did have a big dream, but the environment to support my goal was not large enough. I knew attending a college would financially burden my parents, especially since I did not qualify for any scholarship as an immigrant back then. Despite the drawbacks, I managed to apply to several colleges, but I had to turn them down regardless of acceptance. My older sister and I had to stay back after high school because my family could not afford our college expenses. This year, we both reapplied to colleges again in better terms for Fall 2023. However, being aware that it is a double burden for my parents, who also wish us to explore the world outside this small island in the Pacific, financial distress has been inevitable for my family. When I got accepted with scholarships to the University of Michigan School of Nursing, I was thrilled; however, the excessive tuition fee was a factor I could not avoid. I aspire to join the healthcare industry as I have always felt the need for a strengthened healthcare system on the island. With only one hospital and several clinics in operation, professional medical staff and equipment severely lack. Due to this factor, many residents, including my family, tend to be hesitant to visit the hospital despite any illness considering the amount of bill for a proper and efficient treatment they could receive. Since the healthcare industry in Saipan lacks professional doctors or nurses who can perform complex surgery or treatments, many patients get referred to hospitals in the mainland, Hawaii, or Guam. Although many people on the island live in scarcity, I believe there should at least be a reliable healthcare system where people can get appropriate medical treatments on time. My future goal is to earn a Nursing degree and return to contribute to the island community by providing reliable and enhanced medical treatments; therefore, this scholarship opportunity means a lot to me as it would support my passion for becoming a nurse.

I decided to pursue becoming a Registered Nurse because I will get to combine my two passions of medicine and holistic care of the patient. Nursing will allow me to serve my community and educate people in my community to ensure they are living a healthy and sustainable lifestyle. Furthermore, I chose to pursue nursing because I value the vulnerability and caring relationship that I will be able to develop with my future patients. This is particularly important because I had a life-saving experience with a nurse that encouraged me to open up about the physical abuse that I was experiencing during my middle school stint. I come from a very low income commnuity that was hevaily influnced by substance abuse . I am 1 0f 7 children that lived at home with my single mother that had a subtance abuse problem. Often I was faced with food scarcity and physical abuse. There was an incident at home that reslted me having burn marks and I had to be rushed to the hospital. My anxiety was at an all time high with the weight of seperating my family on my shouldre. Howevr, this nurse was able to provide me with resources and a shoulder to cry on. I then realized nursing is more than running Ivs or shelling out medication. It is an important role that connects medicine and emotions. This nurse created a safe space to not only express myself but also provided overall wholesome care. She opened my world to what nurses did and how their role is important to patients. My respect grew for the position and has lit a fire in me to be the best nurse. I want to be someone where patients can find education, care, and comfort. I am excited to explore the knowledge and interpersonal skills needed to be successful. My biggest passion in education and life is to become a registered nurse. I believe this path will be the most effective way to have a positive impact on my community. I am determined to be the best nurse I can be, to be a person of assurance for my patient, to be confident in my skills and abilities to help the patient, and most importantly, to be the patient’s advocate for low-income marginalized communities. I want to be that resource that prioritizes and provides health and well-being during a time when they cannot do it for themselves. As I begin to plan the journey of becoming a registered nurse, I have reflected on how I will impact my community. My passion is bridging the gap within low-income marginalized communities. As an African American woman that has grown up with limited access to healthcare, I know the detrimental consequences that can affect the body and mind when care is prolonged or neglected. Historically, there have been many barriers that have prevented adequate care in low-income communities due to poverty, time, transportation, and even lack of education. These attributes and the overwhelming aura of generational anxiety about seeking clinical help have negatively impacted these communities. I believe that becoming a Registered Nurse will be a great career choice for me. I will combine two passions of medicine and holistic care of the patient. Becoming a registered nurse will provide me with a stable financial path.I believe that this scholprship will help alevate the strain of fincial stress and will give me the best shot to succeed in my dream caree.I hope to go above and beyond the traditional scope of a complete registered nurse and have a long and successful career.