Somebody Cares About Science - Robert Stockwell Memorial Scholarship

Before I introduce myself, I'd like to give my condolences to you, Mrs. Stockwell. Though I never met Mr. Stockwell, the teachers at my school speak very highly of him and the impact he made on other students. I’d also like to thank you for allowing me to apply for this scholarship. It means a great deal to be able to apply for this because the money could help significantly, and many of the larger-scale scholarships feel almost hopeless due to the abundance of applicants. Now, for who I am. My name is Leilani Fernandez. I’m 17 years old, and I plan to start college at Long Beach City College or Cerritos College, then transfer into a nursing program in two years. The biggest motivator for me to choose a job that both makes me happy and sustains my life is my family. We’ve always struggled financially, and that has motivated me to strive for success in a way that will enable me to support my future family. I want to become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist(CRNA). This is the path I chose after years of careful consideration because no matter how many job ideas I'd combed through, I’d always come back to one where I could help people. Ever since I was a child, I've always had an intense urge to take care of others. This shone through a lot. Anytime my mom got hurt, I'd always play her “nurse”. My life right now has once again proven true because she fractured a bone in her ankle, and she’s been struggling to do things by herself. During the day, I help her carry things, and I get her anything she needs to reduce the time she spends standing. Taking care of her has only strengthened how positively I feel about helping others. What I find most meaningful about science is its ability to explain and improve the world around me. For science to grow, it requires curiosity. It begins with one person asking a question and then going out to find the answer. This one question could lead to a discovery that changes lives. Specifically in the medical field, every single advancement came from science. The difference between a person’s suffering and their healing is all of the treatments and technologies that have come from learning about the human body. I also love that science is a forever-adapting and self-correcting field. There's always something new to learn, and that progress is another inspiration to me as I advance as a student and future nurse. Like I mentioned previously, my goal is to become a CRNA. To achieve that, I plan to receive a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree, gain hands-on experience as a registered nurse in an Intensive Care Unit, and continue my education with a master’s degree in anesthesia. I want to continue to learn and challenge myself to help people. I want to make them feel safer, cared for, and understood. For me, nursing wouldn’t just be my career; it would be a combination of all the things I love. I’d get to combine my love for science, my compassion, empathy, and love for learning to help others. Once again, thank you so much for this opportunity!