My journey into oncology nursing began by accident, although looking back, it feels like something greater was guiding me. I started my career in adult med-surg. Each shift, I felt a strange sense of deja vu as the same patients were readmitted with the same problems. I cared for adults with diabetic foot ulcers that never healed, not because they were careless, but because they could not afford the insulin or the follow-up care required to prevent those complications. I saw people struggle with transportation, housing, and basic needs. What broke my heart most was how little hope they were given. It felt as if hope itself was being rationed. After a while, I felt burnt out and hopeless.
I applied to a general pediatric position, looking for a fresh start, and during my interview, I learned the only opening left was in pediatric oncology. I told myself I would give it six weeks, and if I hated it, I would leave nursing altogether and go back to school for something entirely different. I walked into that unit with curiosity, caution, and an exit plan.
Four weeks later, everything changed.
I met a teenage boy who had just been diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. He was scared, overwhelmed, and trying to make sense of the life he suddenly had to fight for. We learned his roadmap together. Whatever I learned, I shared with him and his family. We built trust one night shift at a time. One time, I found him in the middle of relentless vomiting that would not stop. The only thing I could do was hold his head, keep a cold cloth on his neck, and stay with him through each wave of nausea. I told him that if he did not quit, then neither would I. A week later, we made a pact. If he could give me one smile a day during his hospital stays, I would shave my head in solidarity at the annual St. Baldrick's Foundation Fundraiser. He took that deal seriously. He challenged me, pushed me, and kept me sharp. He taught me what real courage looks like.
From that moment forward, I never looked back. Pediatric oncology became my calling. Over the years, I have met different versions of that young man. Some survived and grew into adults I still keep in touch with. Some did not. I have celebrated victories, held hands through devastating conversations, and witnessed the strength of families who never imagined they would need to fight so hard. Every single one of them has shaped the person I am today and the way I care for my patients and their families.
Oncology nursing is challenging in a way that is difficult to explain. It demands emotional presence, clinical precision, and the ability to sit in heartbreaking moments with grace. Yet the rewards are beyond anything I could have imagined. There is no greater honor than helping a child and their family feel safe, supported, and understood through the hardest season of their lives.
Managing student loan debt while serving in this specialty can be difficult. Receiving support through this scholarship would ease a burden that often weighs heavily on all nurses. It would allow me to continue this work with the focus and energy my patients deserve.
I entered oncology by chance, but I remain here by choice. This field has changed me, strengthened me, and given me purpose. I am committed to carrying that purpose forward with compassion, courage, and unwavering dedication.
My journey into oncology nursing was not something I chose lightly—it was shaped by personal loss, lived experience, and a deep understanding of what it means to face cancer not only as a nurse, but as a daughter and a patient. These experiences have grounded my commitment to oncology nursing and continue to inspire my goal of becoming a Nurse Practitioner specializing in cancer care.
My first encounter with cancer’s impact came through my father’s battle with colon cancer. I watched as his diagnosis transformed our family’s world—introducing uncertainty, fear, and countless medical decisions. During this time, oncology nurses became our anchors. They explained complex treatment plans, managed debilitating side effects, and, most importantly, treated my father with dignity and compassion. Their presence showed me that oncology nursing extends far beyond clinical tasks; it is about walking alongside patients and families through some of life’s most difficult moments.
Years later, cancer became deeply personal when I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer myself. Sitting on the other side of the bed changed me in ways no textbook or training ever could. I experienced the vulnerability, anxiety, and emotional exhaustion that patients carry silently. I learned how much a calm voice, honest education, and genuine empathy can ease fear. That experience reshaped how I practice nursing today—it taught me to slow down, to listen more carefully, and to treat every patient as a whole person, not just a diagnosis.
I currently work as an nurse, providing care to patients undergoing cancer treatment and supporting them through all stages of their journey. One particularly meaningful experience involved a patient who struggled emotionally with a new diagnosis and feared losing independence. By taking time to educate them, acknowledge their fears, and include their family in care discussions, I witnessed a shift—from hopelessness to empowerment. Moments like these reaffirm why I remain in oncology nursing: the privilege of making a human connection when it matters most.
Nursing is emotionally demanding. Bearing witness to suffering, loss, and uncertainty can be challenging, yet it is also profoundly rewarding. I approach the emotional and psychological needs of patients and families with presence, honesty, and compassion. I believe that listening—truly listening—is one of the most powerful tools we have as nurses.
Receiving loan repayment support would allow me to continue serving in oncology care while advancing my education to become an Oncology Nurse Practitioner. It would reduce financial burden and enable me to focus on providing high-quality, patient-centered care. My goal is to expand my impact by diagnosing, treating, educating, and advocating for patients with cancer—guided by empathy forged through personal experience and professional dedication.
Nursing is not just my career; it is my calling. I remain in this field because I understand cancer from every angle, and I am committed to being the nurse—and future provider—I once needed myself.
I began my oncology career nearly two decades ago, not because I planned it, but because I found myself pulled toward patients facing the most uncertain and vulnerable moments of their lives. As a new nurse, I quickly realized that cancer care required a rare combination of clinical precision, emotional presence, and human connection. Over the years, that realization has grown into a deep sense of purpose. Today, I work as an Oncology Nurse Practitioner at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, specializing in acute oncology and urgent-care management. My journey has been shaped not only by the science of cancer care, but by the stories, fears, and remarkable resilience of the people I serve.
One of the patients who shaped my trajectory was a young mother battling metastatic disease. She was close in age to me, with children the same ages as my own. I cared for her repeatedly during rapid deteriorations, and I witnessed the quiet courage she brought to each clinic visit. What stayed with me most was not the treatment—though the recovery was intense—but the conversations we shared in the moments between crises. She once told me, “You’re the only person who makes me feel like I’m still me, not just a diagnosis.” That sentence changed the way I approached oncology forever. It taught me that the emotional and human aspects of cancer care are not extras; they are essential, central pillars of healing.
In acute oncology, patients and families often arrive overwhelmed by fear, uncertainty, and the sudden loss of control. My approach has always been to anchor care in compassion and clarity. I make space for emotion, answer questions honestly, and help families understand what is happening in a way that empowers them. I see each person not simply as a patient, but as a full human being with a story, a family, and a life they are fighting to return to. This perspective helps guide them through some of the darkest moments they will ever face.
The challenges of oncology are immense; emotionally draining days, rapid declines despite every intervention, and the weight of witnessing suffering. But the rewards are just as powerful. Oncology has taught me about courage, gratitude, and the strength of the human spirit. It has also deepened my commitment to advance safety and systems of care through research, education, and leadership.
As I continue my work at MSK and pursue further training, financial support would greatly ease the burden of graduate education and allow me to expand my impact without interruption. Loan repayment assistance would give me the freedom to focus on my clinical, academic, and research goals—improving early recognition of deterioration in oncology, advancing sepsis care pathways, and strengthening the support provided to patients and families in crisis.
Oncology is not just a specialty I chose; it is a calling that continues to shape me. I am committed to caring for patients with compassion, advocating for safety and equity in cancer care, and contributing to a future where emotional and human-centered nursing remains at the heart of oncology. This scholarship would support me in continuing the work that has become both my profession and my purpose.
