Madison Victoria Keith Nursing Scholarship

I will never forget the day I stood in a hospital hallway, staring through a glass window at my loved one lying in a hospital bed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The room was quiet except for the soft beeping of machines and the occasional movement of nurses checking in. I wasn’t allowed to go in, but I watched as the nurses moved with care, speaking gently, adjusting IV lines, and offering comfort. In that moment of helplessness, I realized something powerful: I didn’t want to be someone on the outside anymore. I wanted to be inside that room—making a difference, providing care, and helping people through their most vulnerable moments. That moment became the foundation of my “why” for becoming a nurse. Nursing, to me, is more than a profession. It’s a way to serve, heal, and stand with others during their darkest times. I chose this path not only because I want to help others but because I know what it feels like to need help, to be scared, and to place your trust in someone else’s hands. That trust is sacred, and I want to be the kind of nurse that patients and families can rely on. My goal is to bring compassion, strength, and competence to every patient I care for. To make this goal a reality, I’ve taken several important steps forward. While still in high school, I challenged myself academically by enrolling in college-level courses, including English and Human Anatomy and Physiology. These classes gave me a head start in understanding the complexity of the human body and prepared me for the rigorous academic demands of nursing school. I also joined my school’s medical club, where I learned more about healthcare careers, participated in service projects, and gained insight into the teamwork and leadership needed in nursing. In addition to my academic preparation, I volunteered with the Red Cross, where I helped support community events, learned about emergency response, and developed a greater appreciation for what it means to serve others. I’ve also worked as a babysitter since eighth grade, caring for children from newborns to age ten. These experiences taught me patience, responsibility, and how to respond calmly in unexpected situations. I became CPR certified as well, knowing that even outside a hospital, being prepared could save a life. What makes my journey unique is that I’m doing it all independently. I currently work a full-time job while attending school and living on my own. Balancing these responsibilities has taught me resilience, time management, and grit. There have been moments of exhaustion and doubt, but I never let those moments define me. Every obstacle has made me stronger and more committed to my purpose. I understand that nursing school will continue to challenge me academically, emotionally, and financially. But I also know that I am ready. I am willing to put in the work, make the sacrifices, and continue growing—because this dream is worth it. Being awarded this scholarship would mean more than just financial relief; it would be a recognition of the hard work, independence, and passion that I’ve poured into this journey. One day, I hope to look back and say that I made it—not just for myself, but for every patient I will have the honor of caring for. Nursing isn’t just a career to me; it’s a calling that began during one of the hardest times in my life and continues to grow stronger every day. I’m proud of how far I’ve come, and I’m even more excited for where this journey will take me.

My desire to become a nurse comes from a deep commitment to caring for others during moments of vulnerability and uncertainty. Nursing is a profession rooted in compassion, presence, and trust, where caregivers have the opportunity to support patients not only through medical treatment, but also through fear, pain, and hope. I am drawn to nursing because it allows me to serve others in a way that is both deeply human and profoundly meaningful. What inspires me most about nursing is the role nurses play at the bedside. Nurses are often the steady presence during long hours, the ones who notice subtle changes, and the people patients turn to when they feel overwhelmed or afraid. I want to be the kind of nurse who provides comfort through listening, reassurance, and genuine care, while also delivering safe and effective treatment. My commitment to this path has been shaped through service experiences that allowed me to care for others in challenging and unfamiliar environments. Through specialized training focused on patient care in high-pressure settings, I learned how quickly fear and stress can affect individuals and how important calm, clear communication is in those moments. I saw how patience, attentiveness, and reassurance could ease anxiety and help people feel safe, even when circumstances were difficult. These experiences taught me that meaningful care often comes from presence and steadiness, not just clinical skill. A missions trip with my church further deepened my understanding of service and compassion. Working with individuals who lacked consistent access to healthcare and basic resources showed me how powerful even small acts of care can be. I learned to listen before acting, to approach each person with humility, and to offer help without assumptions. Being present with people in these moments reinforced my belief that dignity and empathy are at the heart of true caregiving. My nursing education has played a central role in helping me turn this calling into a clear professional goal of serving as a nurse in the United States Army. Nursing school has challenged me to grow not only academically, but also personally, requiring discipline, accountability, and emotional resilience. I have learned how critical teamwork and clear communication are in patient care, especially in fast-paced or high-stress environments. This path was further affirmed when I was selected to attend the Nurse Summer Training Program. Observing military nurses care for patients with both clinical excellence and quiet compassion showed me what it looks like to serve with purpose. Seeing nurses lead, advocate, and remain steady in demanding situations confirmed that this is the kind of nurse I aspire to become. This scholarship honors the memory of a woman who understood firsthand the profound impact nurses can have on a patient’s life. That understanding lies at the heart of why I am pursuing nursing. My experiences have shown me that compassionate care can leave a lasting impression, even in the most difficult moments. As I continue toward becoming a nurse, I am committed to serving others with empathy, patience, and dedication, and to honoring the kind of care that inspired Madison’s own calling to this profession.

Losing my brother to cancer in 2020 changed the entire course of my life. He was more than my sibling—he was my best friend and biggest supporter. During his two-and-a-half-year battle, I helped care for him while trying to hold my own life together. I witnessed the compassion, strength, and knowledge of the nurses who cared for him, and it planted a seed I couldn’t ignore. When he passed, my grief was overwhelming, but it also clarified something deep inside me: I was meant to become a nurse. My “why” for entering the nursing field is rooted in love, loss, and the belief that I can help others the way nurses once helped my family. I want to be a source of calm and care in people’s darkest hours—just like those nurses were for my brother. I want my career to mean something beyond a paycheck or a title. I want it to be service. After his passing, I didn’t just dream about becoming a nurse—I made a plan. I enrolled in the BSN program at Chamberlain University and currently balance school with full-time work. Managing both has pushed me to grow in ways I didn’t expect. It’s taught me time management, discipline, and perseverance. Some days are overwhelming, but when I think about the impact I want to make, I find the strength to keep going. I’ve also taken that passion beyond the classroom. My family and I founded the Joshua L. Holmes Foundation in honor of my brother. As president, I help lead efforts to raise money for cancer patients and connect families with resources, especially in our hometown of El Centro, California, where support is limited. Just this year, through one of our annual events, we raised over $10,000 and were able to provide financial relief to four local families. This foundation is a direct reflection of my heart for others and my commitment to turning pain into purpose. Academically, I’ve made steady progress in my BSN program and continue to work toward my goal of graduating and becoming a trauma nurse. Eventually, I plan to go back to school to become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA), specializing in emergency care. It’s a long road, but every step I take honors my brother’s memory and gets me closer to a future where I can make a real difference. What drives me is not just the memory of what I’ve lost, but the possibility of what I can give. I truly believe I was made to serve, and nursing is the path that allows me to do just that. This scholarship would not only ease the financial stress of school but would also be a meaningful recognition of the work I’ve put in so far and the heart that continues to lead me forward.

My handwritten entry in our kindergarten yearbook declared: "When I grow up, I want to be a nurse." I loved the nurses' colorful, playful scrubs and sweet, helpful smiles I saw in picture books. I still want to be a nurse, but the reason is now much more profound. When I was six, I was quickly transferred from a routine checkup at my doctor's office to Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, where my panicked parents were told something no parent should ever have to hear: “Your daughter has cancer, Leukemia.” I was confined to the hospital for months at a time, receiving chemotherapy through a peripherally inserted central catheter. The first time a nurse changed the line’s adhesive dressing, a flaming pain shot through my arm. I screamed, kicking my legs wildly. The nurses tried to soothe me, but I was inconsolable. I felt alone; I thought I was the only one with cancer, suffering that pain. But then, a nurse gave me a Chemo Duck, a bright yellow stuffed animal with a PICC line just like mine. I named her after my oncologist, Dr. Breese. I pretended to be Breese’s nurse during my endless treatments, asking for clean syringes and IV lines—so I could administer chemo to my new friend. The nurses always smiled, like the nurses in my picture books, and brought them to me. I felt less alone—and safer. Usually, I felt too nauseous and groggy to get out of bed, but on sporadic, lucky days when I had enough energy to explore, I visited Nurse Beth at the nursing station. She would play Hedbanz to make me giggle. Later, I met Nurse Heather, who brightened my days with comforting hugs. I told my mom, “I want to be a nurse so I can work with Heather when I grow up!” My mom joked that Heather might not be working by then, but I was undeterred. I wanted to be a nurse like the nurses who were watching over me, no matter what. As I got older, my parents encouraged me to take pride in my cancer journey and utilize it to help others. I wanted to do that. With my art therapist, Dr. Jo, I wrote and illustrated my own book, "This Is When I Had A.L.L." After remission, I requested donations to Lucile Packard Hospital for my birthday in lieu of gifts. Most important, I began pursuing a path toward pediatric nursing, inspired by the extraordinary nurses who cared for me. I have excelled in all my high school classes and volunteer weekly at the Kaiser infusion center, comforting patients with blankets and conversation, enjoying cheerful chats with my "regulars"—emulating the passionate, dedicated nurses I assist, falling in love more each day with the whirlwind of their work. Sometimes, my job is pure joy. Tia came weekly for a year to have her PICC line changed. Helping the nurses, I removed the gauzes and grabbed the packages needed to replace the line, conversing with Tia about our respective adventures that week, giggling over funny stories. When her line was finally removed, Tia gave me a beautiful card, thanking me for my care and the delightful talks. I treasure that reminder of a difference I made in a patient's life. Working to become a nurse has helped me overcome my cancer trauma. My journey is a testament to the nurses who inspired me to follow in their footsteps. Like Madison, I hope to use my experience to support other children undergoing something similar. I am overjoyed to fulfill that prophetic scribble in my kindergarten yearbook.

Having the ability to enter the nursing program holds a great amount of significance for me, kindled by my life-altering experience while in a school shooting. November 19th, 2019, a student carried a gun he built himself to school injuring many, but killing two. One of the two was my very best friend Dominic, who I've grown up with since kindergarten. On that day, I would not know my text, "Are you okay," would be my last. Unknowing of his passing, I texted him with blood on my hands and stains of my cries down my cheeks from placing pressure on the wounds of my other friend Addie, both on her abdomen and arm. I was 14. I cried every day feeling guilty for living, overwhelmed by the stream of my thoughts, and scared to face the real world as I was terrified and traumatized. As the years went by, I began to heal with the support of my family and friends, but from that day, I learned that all I wanted to do was help people the same way others were there to help me. In 2021, my junior year, I decided that I wanted to start volunteering at the local hospital. Once I applied, I was immediately assigned to work in the Women and Newborn Center, where I accumulated over 350 hours. I gained abundant hospital experience, where I learned about patient care, charting, organization, and leadership. I made many nurse friends who enlightened me into the world of nursing, and I fell in love. I enjoyed coming into the hospital every week to help out the nurses as much as I could, and accumulated enough experience to start training new volunteers. Throughout my academic High School years, I accrued most of my college credits, and am in the process of finishing the Associates program at College of the Canyons, in less than a year of my entering. I applied to West Coast University, where I will attend next month, June 10th, 2024. Currently, I have been proactively involved in Caregiving, taking care of 4 children, and 1 with severe autism. Throughout it all, my end goal would be to help people, which I can achieve through the nursing program. Overall, I would like to finish my BSN, and hopefully later apply to a master's program, where I can receive a degree to become a Certified Registered Nurse anesthetist.

Hi, my name is Daniela Aguilar. I am a first-generation nursing student. And I have been loving it. I am currently in the second semester of my ADN program, and I just applied to a concurrent BSN program. I am very ambitious. I have big goals and plans for myself. But I always remember to enjoy each day. I have been loving my experiences in this healthcare world. I have experience volunteering for a hospice organization. And I consider myself very blessed to take on that challenge and come out the other end more grateful than ever. I can truly say that experience, those patients, and those families motivated me to go through nursing school even more. Nursing school was always the plan for me, but they gave me the reassurance that this was the field for me. I have a very soft spot for the geriatric population. Many of my peers think of the older population and say "No thank you." I feel like there is a stigma that older generations are mean and too hard to care for. But every time I am caring for someone of old age, I feel so grateful I was able to give them the care that they need. Being able to be the person to brush their teeth, brush their hair, turn them so they don't hurt so much, and laugh with them, is what makes it worth it. Yes, there are tough days, days where I left the facility a little sad cause I got yelled at or felt like I couldn't get through to the patient and make a meaningful impact. But I just remember, they have more years on their belt than I do, I don't know what challenges life threw at them many years ago. I always reflect on my own challenges, and then remember they have most likely experienced that and more. Which is why I do my best to make that day better than the previous. I cannot change their past, but I can help them today and tomorrow. Nursing is a challenging profession. Nursing school alone is a challenge. Having to study hours on end, do unpaid clinical hours, and pay for the schooling itself, is very stressful. But I don't regret it one bit. I know I can and will make a difference to at least one person. And that one person is what I am looking forward to. When that day comes, I won't think about that exam I had last week, or the tuition bill, or the essays. This is why I know for a fact, that nursing is for me. I am not motivated by the pay or even the praise of being a nurse, but it is the feeling I get when I make a difference in someone's day. Making a difference in someone's life is something I can only wish to have the privilege to accomplish.