My name is Aaron Chambers. I enrolled at Kettering College in the BSN Nursing program in January 2023. In January 2024, I start my fourth semester and expect to graduate in December 2024. Concluding to become a Nurse after almost a decade in a predominantly sales-oriented career was a hard choice. How I came to the decision and what influenced my choice is a story. I grew up in a single-parent household with my siblings and mother. We struggled financially, often resorting to food pantries and bouts without basic amenities such as electricity and running water. My mother, older sister, and brother all experimented with drugs and battled addictions throughout my childhood. Thankfully, I did not make the same mistakes they did, but I was not unscathed either. As an adolescent and young adult, I struggled with anger, discipline, and mental health from lifelong abuse and inadequate coping skills. The day my life changed, starting my journey to become a Nurse, occurred in August 2018. I had been working at a Sprint telecommunications store as a sales consultant when two men entered the building brandishing firearms and masks. The ordeal lasted forty-five minutes, although it felt like an entire lifetime. As I lay face down on the breakroom floor, they ordered my coworkers and me to stay on the floor. Otherwise, they would shoot us. I became acutely aware of the fragility of life and death. The ensuing unfolding of mismanaged childhood trauma and post-traumatic stress disorders brought me to my knees and broke my character. After being terminated for failing to return to work the next day, the cascade of events that unfolded my life began. The ensuing months following being terminated, I battled my mental health and struggled to find a purpose to continue. This cycle continued until my mother, who was similarly undergoing her renaissance, discovered one of her social work program instructors was a counselor. After sharing my story with him, he told my mother he would be willing and able to counsel me for free. Meeting him marked a changing point in my life. Together, we worked through the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy model, tackling each trauma, hardship, and issue at a time. Following a year and a half of intensive therapy and job hopping, I read the book "The Short History of Medicine" by Steve Parker, sparking a passion for medicine. In sales, I enjoyed working with people and providing quality service with friendliness and dedication. I determined Nursing would play into my strengths, so I researched programs. At 26 years old, I was not thrilled about returning to school as a student. However, I knew to achieve my dream of becoming a Nurse, I had to do what was necessary. At this point in my journey, I had not rebuilt my confidence yet, and my coping skills were still a work in progress. However, knowing I battled the most difficult challenge of my life gave me the strength and resolve to face adversity with courage. In June 2022, I graduated from Clark State College with an associate's degree, serving as a Student Ambassador, VP of Student Senate, and a member of the TRIO program. The month after graduation, I got accepted into Kettering College's BSN program. As a Nurse, I will have this experience with me for the rest of my life, utilizing it to help others overcome adversity and hardships. I promise to leave a lasting legacy predicated on empathy and compassion to create change.

When the light in your life is extinguished, how does one continue to move forward? There is no easy, simple answer, but in my story, I am eternally grateful and appreciative for those who have supported me throughout my darkest hours. There is no doubt that without my mentors, friends, and trained mental health professionals, I would not have made it to where I am now. As a young child, I experienced my parent's divorce, witnessed siblings and parents battle addiction, and was the victim of abuse. At the time, the significance and repercussions of their divorce were unbeknownst to me. Although, the ensuing years would impart to me a masterclass in suffering. Initially, there were no noticeable changes other than the new custody arrangements on weekends. At the start, my parents seemed to be cooperating and handling the new arrangements well enough. However, below the surface level, innumerable predicaments were occurring. After a year or so of normalcy, the world around us started to unravel. Food in the pantry and refrigerator became sparse, and the electricity-water blackouts began. Despite the court having ordered my father to pay alimony and child support for each of my siblings and me, and my mother starting two jobs to compensate for the lost income, we were impoverished. Ultimately, this was a result of a growing alcohol and drug addiction my mother was using to cope. Her addiction quickly earned our house the reputation as the local hotspot for partying and drug activity. As a nine-year-old, I was entirely naïve to what was happening around me. All I knew was that the adults surrounding me were unreliable, untrustworthy, violent, and ill-tempered. One defining moment was the physical abuse by my mother's boyfriend. He would drink alcohol and become violent, hitting anything and everything in his path. The worst of it was a broken wrist dealt to my mother, which I only learned the true origins of later as an adult. Beginning shortly after my mother's addiction, my older brother and sister started. Being exposed to the constant coming and going of drug addicts and my siblings' inability to cope with the tumultuous environment, they began experimenting. Both, including my mother, had stents of stays at rehabilitation and behavioral centers for suicide attempts and relapses. I watched this pattern play out for a decade, finally ending when I moved out at eighteen. For years, I was unaware of the adversity I experienced with mental health, battling crippling anxiety, a hyperactive fight-or-flight response, and debilitating bouts of depression without knowing what was happening. I avoided many opportunities for fear of failing, an inability to cope with change, and having no experience with healthy relationships. These amounted to severe long-term setbacks in my professional and personal life. The event responsible for transforming my life occurred on August 4, 2018. While at work, I was robbed at gunpoint by two armed assailants. At this moment, my highly fragile, armored ego of 25 years, developed to protect myself, was destroyed. Thanks to the robbery, I began a journey of healing. I was offered Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) through Ohio's Crime Victim Compensation Program, started practicing self-care routines, and found my passion for service to others. Without this history of suffering, I would not be who I am today, nor would I be pursuing a degree in Nursing. I hope to use these experiences to be a beacon of light for others suffering and to serve as a role model to others.

In 2018, I was robbed at gunpoint while at work as a telecommunications sales consultant for Sprint. Unbeknownst to me, I began my journey to becoming a Nurse that day. The following year and a half, I dealt with debilitating depression and a multitude of post-traumatic stress disorder issues. Along with stirred-up childhood trauma I never confronted, these barriers became an incredible challenge, making it difficult for me to work and engage socially with my peers. Thankfully, my mother was pursuing a degree in social work, and an instructor of hers was a licensed social worker and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) counselor. After she shared my experience with him, he offered to see me as a client and to cover my expenses with the Ohio Crime Victims Compensation Program. Starting CBT counseling has drastically altered the trajectory of my life and outlook on what I want to accomplish. Until the robbery, I had worked in the sales industry for almost a decade, seeing myself climbing the corporate leadership ladder. Through counseling, I realized I have an incredible passion for helping others through service, aiding them in their recovery, whether in the physical, mental, or another form. Combined with my lifelong interest in health and fitness and a recommendation by a good friend, I landed on Nursing as a career. Ironically, this happened to be March 2020, right before the outbreak of the Covid-19 epidemic. Watching the Nurses on the front lines, working endless hours throughout the pandemic, desperate for backup, and being overworked only strengthened my resolve and affirmed my career shift. I immediately enrolled at Clark State College the following summer semester, starting my prerequisite courses to obtain entry into a BSN program. I finished my studies at Clark State College, serving as the Vice President of the Student Senate and a member of the TRIO program, graduating with an Associate in Science. While at Clark State College, I fostered new friendships, renewed my confidence, and gained a tremendous mentor, Greg Meriwether. Mr. Meriwether happens to be the same man who helped counsel me through the years following the robbery. I owe this man enormous thanks and eternal gratitude; his impact on my character has been invaluable. After graduating from Clark State College with a 3.8 GPA, I applied to Kettering College's BSN program and was accepted. Presently, I will start the fourth semester in January 2024, and I expect to graduate in December 2024. Ultimately, I chose to be a Nurse to give the same support and dignity I received during my time of need. Without the help I received, I may not have transformed my life. As of December 20th, 2023, it has been five years since the best-worst moment in my life, and I can proudly say I am in the best place mentally. In the future, I hope to share my story of overcoming awful, traumatic circumstances to show others they can do the same.

When I imagine a career as a Nurse, the ultimate goal is to obtain a Nurse Practitioner licensure. With the licensure, I will start my own health and wellness clinic oriented on the prevention of disease and longevity. The philosophy I want to operate on is to utilize a holistic approach, treating each aspect of a person to treat the whole. I aspire to promote the evolution of the healthcare system into a prevention model versus the outmoded model that treats diseases after they occur. In my clinic, I hope to provide equal and fair care for all, regardless of socioeconomic status, race, age, or other factors. Everyone deserves equal access to safe, affordable healthcare. In 2018, I was robbed at gunpoint while at work as a telecommunications sales consultant for Sprint. Unbeknownst to me, I began my journey to becoming a Nurse that day. The following year and a half, I dealt with debilitating depression and a multitude of post-traumatic stress disorder issues. Along with stirred-up childhood trauma I never confronted, these barriers became an incredible challenge, making it difficult for me to work and engage socially with my peers. Thankfully, my mother was pursuing a degree in social work, and an instructor of hers was a licensed social worker and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) counselor. After she shared my experience with him, he offered to see me as a client and to cover my expenses with the Ohio Crime Victims Compensation Program. Starting CBT counseling has drastically altered the trajectory of my life and outlook on what I want to accomplish. Until the robbery, I had worked in the sales industry for almost a decade, seeing myself climbing the corporate leadership ladder. Through counseling, I realized I have an incredible passion for helping others through service, aiding them in their recovery, whether in the physical, mental, or another form. Combined with my lifelong interest in health and fitness and a recommendation by a good friend, I landed on Nursing as a career. Ironically, this happened to be March 2020, right before the outbreak of the Covid-19 epidemic. Watching the Nurses on the front lines, working endless hours throughout the pandemic, desperate for backup, and being overworked only strengthened my resolve and affirmed my career shift. I immediately enrolled at Clark State College the following summer semester, starting my prerequisite courses to obtain entry into their ADN program. After further research and advice from the same friend, she recommended I attend a BSN program instead of completing the ADN program. I chose to finish my studies at Clark State College, serving as the Vice President of the Student Senate and a member of the TRIO program, eventually graduating with an Associate in Science. While at Clark State College, I fostered new friendships, renewed my confidence, and gained a tremendous mentor, Greg Meriwether. Mr. Meriwether happens to be the same man who helped counsel me through the years following the robbery. I owe this man enormous thanks and eternal gratitude; his impact on my character has been invaluable. Ultimately, I chose to be a Nurse to give the same support and dignity I received during my time of need. Without the help I received, I may not have transformed my life. As of December 20th, 2023, it has been five years since the best-worst moment in my life, and I can proudly say I am in the best place mentally. In the future, I hope to share my story of overcoming awful, traumatic circumstances to show others they can do the same.

In 2018, I was robbed at gunpoint while at work as a telecommunications sales consultant for Sprint. Unbeknownst to me, I began my journey to becoming a Nurse that day. The following year and a half, I dealt with debilitating depression and a multitude of post-traumatic stress disorder issues. These barriers were incredibly challenging, making it difficult to work and engage socially with my peers. Thankfully, my mother was pursuing a degree in social work, and an instructor of hers was a licensed social worker and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) counselor. After she shared my experience with him, he offered to see me as a client and to cover my expenses with the Ohio Crime Victims Compensation Program. Starting CBT counseling has drastically altered the trajectory of my life and outlook on what I want to accomplish. Until the robbery, I had worked in the sales industry for almost a decade, seeing myself climbing the corporate leadership ladder. Through counseling, I realized I have an incredible passion for helping others through service, aiding them in their recovery, whether in the physical, mental, or another form. Combined with my lifelong interest in health and fitness and a recommendation by a good friend, I landed on Nursing as a career. Ironically, this happened to be March 2020, right before the outbreak of the Covid-19 epidemic. Watching the Nurses on the front lines, working endless hours throughout the pandemic, desperate for backup, and being overworked only strengthened my resolve and affirmed my career shift. I immediately enrolled at Clark State College the following summer semester, starting my prerequisite courses to obtain entry into their ADN program. After further research and advice from the same friend, she recommended I attend a BSN program instead of completing the ADN program. I chose to finish my studies at Clark State College, serving as the Vice President of the Student Senate and a member of the TRIO program, eventually graduating with an Associate in Science. While at Clark State College, I fostered new friendships, renewed my confidence, and gained a tremendous mentor, Greg Meriwether. Mr. Meriwether happens to be the same man who helped counsel me through the years following the robbery. I owe this man enormous thanks and eternal gratitude; his impact on my character has been invaluable. Ultimately, I chose to be a Nurse to give the same support and dignity I received. It has been five years since the best-worst moment in my life, and I can proudly say I am in the best place mentally. In the future, I hope to share my story of rebirth and overcoming awful, traumatic circumstances to show others they can do the same.