Isabella Salomon, a bright seventeen-year-old destined to counterbalance the statistics and become an empowering Latina Travel Nurse. Being raised in a household where both parents were heavily involved in the healthcare field, as a nurse and firefighter, I quickly adapted to the fast-paced, unbalanced hours, and often chaotic household. Exposure in my teenage years allowed me to understand that living this lifestyle was my inescapable future, I wasn’t destined to live the quintessential American lifestyle generated by my nuclear family and frankly, I don’t know any different.
Beyond school involvement, I take pride in my involvement in the community. Although I participate in clubs like National Honors Society, Health Occupation Students of America, Fellowship of Christian Athletes and being President of the Student Council, I find my purpose in my childcare services and collaborating with Special Education Students. Over the years I have been lucky enough to develop special bonds with just about all the Students in the Exceptional Student Services program, every field trip or class activity I am personally requested to participate on behalf of the teachers and students. My most memorable friendships were with my friends Savana and Nathaniel. Savana has severe autism but that hasn’t stopped her from being immensely brilliant with numbers; not to mention she is certainly the happiest person I’ve ever encountered. Nathaniel has a severe hearing impairment and relies heavily on sign language in addition to his hearing aids. We instantly became friends in and out of the school environment. He taught me the value of patience as he's always teaching me how to communicate in sign language. More than that, I am a babysitter. I receive frequent requests and recommendations from families in Litchfield Park. I tackle the task of lovingly, cooking, cleaning, entertaining and transporting the children of five different families between the ages of two and ten, including a three-year-old who speaks Spanish. Notably, my compassion and responsibility are particularly distinguished when I’m recommended to other families.
Despite all that, I find intrinsic motivation in being a female minority. Many illnesses impact the Hispanic population especially sexually transmitted infections but more notably, tuberculosis. As of 2020 according to the CDC, 7,174 cases were reported to the CDC, making up thirty percent of people with tuberculosis nationally, this is nine times higher than white counterparts. Reasons for this can be multigenerational households, prominent in Hispanic culture, but particularly the language and cultural barrier that exists in healthcare services. Furthermore, according to Minority Nurse, roughly seven percent of registered nurses and licensed practical nurses are Hispanic whereas roughly seventy-five percent are white. Not to mention, in 2013 just four percent of Latinas earned their master's degree or higher by age twenty-nine and only a decade prior two percent of Latinas held a graduate degree, reported by The Hispanic Outlook. The statistics are astounding and important to consider when developing a team of healthcare workers. Diversity is key in healthcare as it improves patient comfort; allowing myself, as a Hispanic woman, to make a difference in healthcare by taking action to travel to susceptible communities as a nurse is what the world needs more of. Frequently, I find myself studying these statistics and using them as motivation to encourage a difference beginning with me. I desire to fight the statistics and become more than just the four percent of Hispanic females earning an adequate education. I desire to change the statistics against my ethnicity. And all in all, I desire to become a great nurse in this field and promote the fundamentals of cultural equality.
Volunteering has always been pivotal in our family, but I have gotten to experience more opportunities in my community through organizations like National Charity League (NCL), National Honors Society (NHS), and High Adventures Treks (HATS). Through NCL, my mother and I have volunteered over 1,000 hours at many organizations, but a few of my favorites are Friday Nite Friends, Meals on Wheels, Feed my Starving Children (FMSC), and Tango Tab. At Friday Nite Friends, volunteers play games and interact with children who have special needs and their siblings while the parents have a night out. This has been my favorite philanthropy in NCL because I absolutely adore the children who let me be a part of their Friday night. There is so much to learn and love about the children, and I am so blessed to leave them with a smile when their parents come to pick them up. I have found that I have a special place in my heart for children with disabilities. I'm passionate about ensuring the food insecure are properly fed. I have volunteered at numerous organizations to try to make as much of an impact as I can. I have found that I have a special place in my heart for children with disabilities. Additionally, I make it a personal challenge to ask all my friends to join me so now I am making an even bigger impact. At FMSC and Tango Tab, packing food for children across the world and making and packing sandwiches for the neighbors in need in my community remind me how lucky I am to have a family that can provide for me in a way that I can return the favor to someone in the world who needs it. I have been so grateful to have volunteered at these organizations and will continue to pursue opportunities like these while I am in college.
I fell in love with volunteering because I found the organizations which I am most passionate about and have had a constant burning desire to make an impact. Not only did I make an impact on each of these organizations but I learned so much about myself. I have a special place in my heart for children with disabilities, I want to help put a stop to food insecurity, and I strive to help break the barriers for women in aviation.
I aspire to be a commercial pilot and I want to be an influential person for young girls. I want to establish a scholarship in my name for women pursuing a career in aviation. Women are severely underrepresented in the workforce and according to the Smithsonian magazine, only 5.14 percent of the total US commercial pilots are women. At Southwest Airlines, women make up 3.6 percent of the company’s total pilot breakdown. These statistics are horrifying and upon completion of my degree, I will help make a difference. I think it is critical to start educating girls at a young age, during elementary and middle grades. I want to volunteer at schools mentoring young girls (Adopt-A-Pilot program) and encouraging them to explore the world of aviation. When I have a family, I want to make volunteering a staple in my family's values because I know the impact it has made on me and it is important for every child to know that there is always someone out there who needs help - there is always something to be done. One person's impact is small, yes, but as more people join, the impact becomes everlasting, which is all one can ever hope for.
