Marybelle Huggins Memorial Nursing Scholarship

I always thought I wanted to be a lawyer. I thought it would be exhilarating to argue why I thought I was right. I also knew that lawyers make a lot of money. However, I realized that neither of those were good reasons to base my entire future on. After that, I was lost. I didn’t know what I wanted, I didn’t know how to plan for my future, and I just felt stuck. My sophomore year of high school, my mom and sister convinced me to sign up for the WATC Practical Nursing Program. My sister had done it and now she is currently a nurse. I honestly did not think it would be for me. I didn’t know if I could handle the unknown violence, the tears of loved ones lost, difficult families, and many more unknowns. But I signed up anyway, and out of hundreds I was one of the thirty-six that got in. Pre-requisites were not a walk in the park but I tried. I showed up every day and I gave it my all because if I was going to do something, I was going to do my best. And it paid off. That fall I was one of the sixteen that got accepted into the LPN program. I was so proud of myself, even if I wasn’t sure it was for me, I was still doing great. And then I had Fundamentals of Nursing, where I started clinicals. I fell in love with nursing. I loved helping people. I loved being there for people when they needed somebody. I loved helping when I could. I loved smiling at patients and watching their face light up from just a friendly face. I loved learning how each disease process worked and how each medication affected the body. I loved learning how to do injections and nasal gastric tubes. I loved nursing and I wanted to do it as a career. So I put everything into the past three semesters, determined that I was going to be a nurse. And now I’m at my last semester of LPN. I hope that with this scholarship that I will be able to continue my education in nursing and get my associates degee. I want to continue to learn and develop skills in order to help people and live out my dream as a nurse. And even if I don’t get the scholarship, that’s okay, because I will continue to be determined to achieve my goals.

Growing up, my family has always been a big part of my life and the biggest influence on the person I am becoming. They have taught me the importance of hard work, compassion, and showing up for others when they need you most. Watching the way my family cares for one another helped shape my decision to pursue a career in nursing. I want to build a life centered on helping people, just like the people who raised me have always done. My family believes in taking care of each other, no matter what. Whether someone is sick, stressed, or just having a bad day, we show up. I grew up seeing how much a small act of kindness can mean to someone who is struggling. I have also grown up around nursing, because my mother is a nurse and two of my grandmothers were nurses. Having these people in my life and seeing how they can impact others really shows me that nursing is so much more than just a job. Nursing stood out to me because it combines compassion with skill, allowing someone to make a real difference in a person’s life during some of their most difficult moments. As I began thinking about my future, I knew I wanted a career that allowed me to help people. Nursing offers the opportunity to support patients physically, emotionally, and mentally. Nurses are often the people who spend the most time with patients, advocating for them and helping them feel safe and understood. That role inspires me because it allows me to be both a caregiver and a problem solver. My journey toward nursing has also required dedication and perseverance. Balancing school responsibilities while preparing for my future career has taught me the importance of discipline and time management. While in high school, I was able to get my Patient Care Technician certificate and CPR certification, which have helped prepare me for a future in nursing. Along the way, my family has remained my biggest support system. They encourage me to keep pushing forward, reminding me that the hard work I put in now will allow me to help others in the future. Another reason nursing appeals to me is the variety of opportunities within the field. Nurses can work in hospitals, clinics, communities, and schools, caring for people of all ages and backgrounds. This flexibility means I will be able to find a path where I can make the greatest impact. I hope to work in an environment where I can provide comfort and reassurance to patients while also continuing to learn and grow in my profession. Receiving this scholarship would help me take the next step toward achieving my goal of becoming a nurse. More importantly, it would allow me to focus on my education so that I can eventually give back to others in the same way so many people have supported me throughout my life. My family’s encouragement and the values they have instilled in me are the foundation of my journey. They showed me the importance of compassion, patience, and service to others. Because of them, I am motivated to pursue nursing and dedicate my future to caring for people when they need it most.