Growing up as a religious Jew, I was different than all the other kids in my neighborhood. My family spoke different languages, believed in a different religion, and were of a different culture. My father grew up in Israel, and my mother left Ukraine with her family as a young girl. I watched firsthand how difficult it is to build your way up in a completely different country starting from nothing, while sacrificing a lot to remain frum Jews. When my parents landed in America they didn't have a dollar to their names. But they weren't afraid of hard work and they did everything to make it here. They worked hard all their lives to try to make something of themselves in this new and different environment. Unfortunately, because of their low status as Jewish immigrants, my mother and her family were not able to get the health services they needed to survive. When my grandfather was diagnosed with lung cancer at a young age, I witnessed firsthand how differently he was treated just because he was Jewish. The lack of respect and the minimal care he received from the medical staff opened my eyes to harsh realities. Watching him pass away, not only from his illness but also because of the coldness and neglect of those who were supposed to help, taught me a painful lesson. It showed me how deeply unfair the world can be to people from our religion. Since then, I’ve carried that lesson with me: I realized that if I ever wanted things to change, I had to be part of that change. That’s why I’ve chosen to become a nurse, so I can treat every patient with the respect and compassion they deserve, and make sure no one else experiences the same neglect that my grandfather did, no matter their status in society. I have chosen to be a nurse to help out others and do chesed every single do as mush as possible. My faith has one hundred percent played a role in my decision, as I have been taught that we are commanded to always be there for our fellow Jews, and do whatever we can to help, heal, and care for our brothers and sisters. In the past few years I have volunteered with different organizations that provide loving care to a range of people in our nation who need help, such as tutoring children who come from broken homes, or children who cannot afford to get help elsewhere. I have been a shadow for a special needs girl, who had learning and social disabilities. I have visited nursing homes, and organized shows for the elderly who do not have any visitors. My passion is to help others, and making those in the Jewish community know that there is someone who is ready and able to help if they are ever in need. If I were awarded this nursing scholarship, it wouldn’t just be financial support — it would be the key to fulfilling my purpose. It would give me the opportunity to serve as a nurse in my community, where compassion and care are too often in short supply. This would allow me to give back to the very people and places that shaped me, to stand beside those who feel forgotten, and to make sure they receive the respect, dignity, and quality care they deserve. With this scholarship, I’d be honoring my grandfather’s memory and fighting every day to make sure no one else experiences the pain of being overlooked in their most vulnerable moments.