"The Ode To Millennials-Gen Z" text in the description of the scholarship application was quite interesting to read. The text was engaging from the beginning, as the author drew parallels between the historical context of the "Greatest Generation" and the challenges faced by the Millennials-Gen Z society. I found many interesting thoughts in the text, as I connected some pieces to what I learned in my philosophy classes and my life. One aspect that particularly piqued my interest was how the author discussed how each generation faces unique circumstances and responsibilities that shape the future's outlook and follows actions to help fix/prevent these events. Every generation encounters distinct events, and how they adapt to and handle those responsibilities has the potential to shape future possibilities, whether that involves societal growth or learning from setbacks, failures, and past mistakes. I've learned through the philosophy classes I've taken that the concept of history can play a fundamental role in human thought and logic. It can internally motivate notions of human agency and change. Across various generations, this has led to technological advancements, such as the invention of the basic telephone and computers, leading to cell phones and tablets further down the road. Another intriguing aspect I discovered was the similarities between the Greatest Generation and the Millennials-Gen Z. It saddens me to hear that income and underemployment rates are around the same percentage as they were back then. Potential global conflicts still exist, as well as issues with other countries, in addition to the challenge of climate change and global warming. With the growing significance of climate change and global warming, the survival of our society is in question for both us and future generations. Many policies are implemented in place to aid in reducing fossil fuel usage and preserve the ozone layer. The Millennials-Gen Z group is accepting the responsibility to address these issues gracefully. Numerous steps are in action to mitigate the damage caused by previous generations. Similarly, efforts are put in place to address setbacks in economic stability and the high student loan debt rate. Some individuals are eligible to have their loans forgiven, although this does impact those currently taking out student loans. Additionally, many scholarship opportunities are available for students to explore. Amidst the rising costs, healthcare rates, climate change, and student loan expenses, Millennials-Gen Z has gracefully accepted these challenges that lie ahead. I remember a phrase my soccer coach used to ask my team when I played at SUNY Cobleskill: "Are you willing to rise to the challenge?" She always asked us this with in mind the theme of overcoming adversity. I have always kept this phrase in mind since. I applied this phrase quite often. I rose to the challenge through hard work and persistence in soccer to earn a starting spot. I even used persistence and hard work to do the impossible and attend nursing school, when many people told me I would not be able to. The willingness of the Millennials-Gen Z group demonstrates that they are ready to face challenges head-on and tackle situations through lessons learned, solution development, and trial and error. Like this generation, I have learned lessons in my academics, developed solutions, and learned through trial and error to attend the school where I am today, intending to achieve my Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing. Like this generation, I am also very determined to make a difference head-on through the care I can provide for patients as a traveling registered nurse to help families and children in need.

Many factors in my life inspired me to study nursing. I have an internal motivation to help others in need. However, two significant situations inspired me to pursue this path. The two external situations that inspired me to pursue a nursing career were within my family. My grandmother and father both had experiences with forms of cancer. From their experiences, I have seen the good and bad of quality patient care by nurses in the healthcare industry. My grandma kept my family close together. She would take my sister and me to visit our cousin, who lived an hour away, hosted family dinners, and always supported my sister and me in everything we did. When I was ten, she was diagnosed with breast cancer for a fourth time. The hospital staff took great care of my grandma. I remembered the nurses saying many positive things to us about our grandmother, whenever we visited. Even after having a stroke, the staff still gave the best and most efficient care that they could give. They even went the extra mile once for my grandma, and let my sister and I visit briefly when visiting hours were closed. My grandma always left a positive impact on people, and the nursing staff left a positive impact on her. My father also supports my sister and me in everything we strive to accomplish today. He had a different experience compared to my grandma; he had esophageal cancer in the gastrointestinal tract when I was eleven. From his experience, I noted how rude the nursing staff was and how they talked down to him, and sometimes he waited a while when the call button for the nurse was hit. My dad was scared for his life, as he also had testicular cancer in the past; he primarily wanted someone to help make him more comfortable and less anxious. Both of these family experiences, along with my internal motivation to help others, encouraged me to pursue a nursing career no matter what it took. I attended a STEM camp and took classes that I thought would help me become the well-rounded nursing student I am today. Through my nursing career, I plan to leave an impact in women’s health or pediatrics, and eventually become a traveling nurse to help families and others in need. Through my community, either locally or as a traveling nurse, I want to leave a positive impact. I intend to do this by treating people with compassion and kindness, along with giving them the proper care they need. I plan to carry on the traits exemplified by Maureen in many ways. Maureen was passionate about improving the quality of patient care, as am I. With seeing the good and bad moments of patient care quality, I strive to make sure that my patients are getting the most efficient care from me I can give, in addition to leaving a positive impact on them. In addition, I carry on the compassion and kindness Maureen had for others. I remember visiting my grandmother within the little time she had left at home. I would swab her mouth with water and sit and hold her hand bedside as she rested. I have compassion by also taking the time to get to know patients and having them share their stories. Sometimes, like Maureen, I’ll share mine. As registered nurses, people need to know we are human too. Maureen seemed like a woman that would make this known and highly valued the importance of family (like myself); that’s why I think her traits/values are highly similar to mine.

Volunteering has helped open my mindset and helped make an impact on where I am today. When I think of the word, volunteering in particular, I directly think of the term "lollipop moment". A Lollipop moment can mean lots of different things and can leave a lasting impact on individuals. These particular moments, and seeing the impact of doing something-whether it was assisting a local group or even hosting events had a significant impact on the community. That impact lasts with those individuals, and it can help them inspire others by continuing that moment cycle on someone else, and so on. The first time I heard the term "Lollipop moment" was for a leadership program called Youth As Leaders, and this was when I was in high school. During the first meeting my leadership class had, we watched a TED Talk discussing Lollipop Moments. At the end of the video, we discussed the meaning. Our class had a strong conceptualization of the idea- that each of us, as leaders, has the potential capability and power to change someone else's life (through actions, a compliment, a smile, etc.). I knew as a leader that sometimes it means letting other leaders take point when needed, and it was nice to have my mind opened up more in that perspective. With the lessons we learned, we performed acts such as making fruit bags for the Office of The Aging Meals on Wheels program, cleaning out invasive species at Minekill State Park, hosting a children’s carnival for a local Headstart Program, and more. I was able to carry many of these lessons into the sports I played in high school (as I played soccer, basketball, softball, and collegiate soccer). Volunteering inspired me to help volunteer more with my sports booster club in high school. I also spent time working with the local food pantry during the summer. When I was at SUNY Cobleskill, my soccer team and I would volunteer to do small things in the community around the holiday time. In 2021, my mother and I helped make apple pies with The Joshua Project. Recently, this year, I have helped fundraise money for Alex's Lemonade Stand and assisted in making cards for seniors in nursing homes. Growing up at a young age, I realized I wanted to help others as a nurse. My lessons at Youth As Leaders and playing sports has helped me grow and open my mindset into the individual I am today. This means a lot to me to have an opportunity to apply for this scholarship. I have wanted to become a nurse since I was ten, as my grandmother was battling Breast Cancer for the fourth time. As a twenty-three-year-old, I have not given up on that dream. I decided to go for it. I currently attend a four-year degree college in Oneonta, where I am majoring in Nursing (for my BSN) and minoring in Philosophy. I have above a 3.0 cumulative GPA, and through my persistence and hard work, I am continuing my studies this upcoming fall. In addition, I am paying for everything in college on my own, including taking any student loans in my name. Any scholarships I may receive throughout the summer would primarily help with the cost of tuition, in addition to nursing textbooks/supplies. Throughout working this summer, I have been looking daily for scholarships, writing with determination and tenacity. As my persistence and hard work in nursing school have prevailed thus far, I am hoping that my determination and grit with scholarship applications will also do the same.

My life goals are to be a registered nurse, ideally in women's health or pediatrics. In particular, becoming a traveling nurse in either of those specialties would be amazing to do. I have a passion to travel and see the world someday. I have been fortunate to see the views and differences in two countries outside of the US, which are Jamaica and Ireland. I have seen how Jamaica is considered a developing nation with not a lot of access to medical supplies, and how Ireland can be short of medical staff sometimes. I learned through my host family how the nearest hospital is around 30 minutes for her to drive, however- she drives an hour to a better one. I want to help others that do not have that access to drive/travel. Traveling to various places around the world would be an extreme benefit along the way, as you learn about different cultures and viewpoints on the world around us. I have been driven to pursue this kind of career since I was 10 years old. The turning point that inspired me to go into nursing was when my grandmother was dying, mainly from Breast Cancer. The hospital had sent her home with nothing they could do. However, the nursing staff did a great job of taking care of her, which was one of the prime reasons that inspired me. My father also had to battle cancer twice as well and seeing how the staff treated him made me want to help other families like that. When I didn't make any nursing programs my senior year of high school, I took the long road to get into a Nursing Program. It was worth it in the end, as I ended up attending two SUNY colleges: SUNY Cobleskill and Fulton-Montgomery Community College. I graduated from SUNY Cobleskill with my associate's in Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (and graduated with a 3.64 overall). I also attended FMCC starting fall of 2021. When I was there during my first semester, I had a 4.0 GPA. I ended up getting above a 3.5 in the spring, and have a cumulative GPA of 3.81. This includes my time at SUNY Cobleskill and one year at Fulton-Montgomery Community college. I ended up getting above a 3.5 because some courses are more challenging than others I took (like Anatomy and Physiology 1). I know I needed to improve my grades, and I did. I ended up getting accepted into three nursing schools, and I decided to attend Hartwick College, and excel in the classroom as a member of their Honors Program. Their institution has a great nursing program, and the program itself is very focused on hands-on learning. The school also has great opportunities for students to study abroad off campus, and I was very fortunate (and grateful) to receive a scholarship to attend Ireland in January 2023. Even with focusing on my academics in the Honors Program, the number of clinical hours I participated in, picking up a Philosophy minor, and being involved on campus, I still managed to get a 3.5 GPA. I want to pursue this career because it fills my passion to primarily help others. With the determination I also have, I know that I have the potential to become a great nurse (traveling would be fun too!). Mahatma Gandhi once said, "You must be the change you wish to see in the world." This is me aspiring to be that change, to not only do good but additionally provide hope/inspiration for those that do not have.

My name is Abigail Wetsel, and I have wanted to pursue a nursing career since I was a 10-year-old girl. One of the things that inspired me was my grandmother. I originally did not get accepted into any Nursing programs when I was a high school senior. With a few years of college under my belt, I have been able to turn my grades around. When I graduated high school I had a 2.9 GPA, and in my college records, I have had it above a 3.0- making the Dean's list multiple times. This year I applied to four nursing schools and got into three. I am beyond proud to say I am attending Hartwick College to pursue my Bachelor's in Nursing. My grandmother, Marilyn Y. Wetsel, was the main person that helped inspire me to pursue a Nursing career. I have quite a bit of her characteristics, including being hard-working, determined, and always having a persevering mentality. In addition, she always put the family before herself, and always kept our family together when apart. When she got Breast Cancer for the 4th time and had a really bad stroke, she was again in the hospital. The nursing staff that took care of her did a nice job. There were times when my family and I ended up going late because of a soccer game, and the nursing staff would allow us to stay a few minutes later. They were also really supportive and were always there for my grandmother's needs during her time in the hospital (before she was sent home with nothing else they could do). Seeing her get treated with efficient and good care, and by good people was what inspired me to want to help others in the same way, while also caring for patients/families like how my grandmother cared for her own. My grandmother and her nursing staff inspired me to become a nurse. However, the kind of nurse I would like to be is inspired by my previous experiences in life. In high school, there were many times I worked with kids well, and realized my ideal specialty would be in the pediatric field. I remember teaching young elementary students about microscopes and working as a Leader in Training (which is like a camp counselor in the making). I also had collegiate experiences working with children in youth soccer clinics. If I am not able to get a pediatric nursing career, I felt like my next best fit would be women's health. I would be helping other women with various issues. The summer before my senior year of high school, I had to get surgery for what my medical staff originally thought was an ovarian cyst. However, it was my fallopian tube that ended up getting twisted. Women's health was with me every step of the way- before and after my procedure. Even four and a half years later, when I had an actual surgery for an ovarian cystectomy, in which a piece of my ovary was taken also. Women's health has been there even after surgery, and I would like to help out other women any way I can, just like there was help for me. Overall, my experiences and influences have helped shape my career. They have also shaped my aspirations and goals (and specialties) that I want to pursue as a Nurse. I am hoping with my BSN to make a big difference in the lives around me and my community. I am striving to become the best nurse that I can be.

Maintaining a positive attitude throughout the tough times in my life has been difficult, and at the same time has helped me see things differently. When my grandmother passed away in fifth grade, it was hard for me at first to have my head up. When I did, I kept going. I worked hard, and that helped open up brand new possibilities for me. In eighth grade, I had the opportunity to attend a different school, that was all about project-based learning. I used that optimism and positivity and took the jump. Attending that school brought me a lot more friends, and taught me a lot of lessons at the same time.- even when I switched back to my home district my junior year. I have never been one to start up conversations with other people. Since my two years at that school I have never been that shy (like I used to be) to go up to a person and say "hello". It can always brighten a person's day. My dream career is to become a nurse. Many people told me that I couldn't pursue that career, and my grades weren't good enough. Though I didn't make any Nursing programs my senior year, I still saw the glass half full and continued to try. I've wanted this career since I was a 10 year old kid. I took all of my prerequisites and worked hard to earn A's. I kept thinking to myself: "If I get my dream career, grandma will be proud, and I will have kept my promise". Before she died, I told my grandmother that I wanted to be a nurse, and I was going to get that career someday. That has kept me going all these years; I never want to let her down.

Hi, my name is Abigail Wetsel. I am 22 years old, and I live in Carlisle, NY. I have wanted to become a nurse since I was 10-years-old. I hope to help the world as a nurse- whether it is in the women's health or pediatric specialty. I love to help others in need. I used to do a lot of community and volunteer work when I was in high school, and I enjoyed giving back to the local community during my time at SUNY Cobleskill. When I was in high school, I was part of an organization called Youth As Leaders. Students from all over Schoharie county were selected to learn leadership skills, and performed various projects to help give back to the community. I plan to make a positive impact on the world through my career by always having an open perspective, and open mind to the world around me. I also will have a positive attitude, and always try to keep a smile on any patient's face. I want to be like the nurses that helped care for my grandmother when she was in the hospital (with round four of Breast Cancer); kind, compassionate, caring, empathetic, and helpful. I hope whether I am in the hospital setting, or traveling internationally to help patients- that I can be the best nurse that I can be.

My grandmother having Breast Cancer for the 4th time was the turning point that inspired me to pursue a career in nursing. My grandmother always taught my sister and me many things. She taught my sister and I the importance of family, as she always drove to get my cousin to visit us (when he lived an hour away). She taught us the importance of honesty, and hard work; and pushed my sister and I to have good grades in school. She always supported our academic endeavors. I remember being a 10-year-old kid in the hospital visiting her with my family, and to this day I still remember the kindness that the nursing staff gave to not only my grandmother, but to other people as well. My grandmother's spirit of determination, perseverance, and kindness have still lived in me, even though she left this world in 2011. Though many other students have made it into nursing programs their senior year, I did not make the cut. However, that did not stop me. I spent 2 years at SUNY Cobleskill to get a head start on some prerequisites, along with one year at Fulton-Montgomery Community College. This year, I applied to four nursing schools, and I ended up getting into three! Altogether, I have a 3.81 cumulative average, and this includes all my time at SUNY Cobleskill and FMCC. I am beyond proud and excited to say that my nursing dreams are becoming a reality this fall at Hartwick College. As a future nurse, I already have an idea of what kind of area I feel would be the best fit for me. Ideally, it would be nice to work in women's health or pediatrics, and it would be even better if I could travel internationally to help countries that lack in healthcare to help other patients. If I cannot travel internationally, then my next goal would be to work in the hospital setting, either with women's health or at a children's hospital (like St. Jude's Hospital). I work well with children, as I worked as a Leader In Training at a summer camp, ran Youth Soccer Clinics with the Cobleskill women's soccer team, and more. I would love to give back to others that need help and healthcare. When I was young, my family and I didn't have much, and I would like to help families/patients that were in the same boat as mine. The biggest goal I have for nursing is to make a difference and make an impact on those I help around me. I want to make an impact on them so they can aspire to help others as well. What society and our world need a lot of today is kindness. Mother Teresa once said, "The greatest good is what we do for one another." In this world, I hope and intend to do a lot of good in it.

I have spent 11 years pursuing my dream career. Since I was ten years old, I have carried the determination and strive to become a nurse. My reason for inspiration was my grandmother, who died in 2011. Though there were struggles, I put in a lot of work to do the right things to get into a nursing school. Even when I didn't get accepted into any Nursing programs my senior year of high school, I never gave up. I am proud to say I am going to Hartwick College in the fall. In addition, I can help carry on the values and traits that Cindy exemplified. My grandmother played a really big part in my life. She taught me a lot of life lessons that I use still to this day. My grandmother also kept my family close when we were all apart. A lot of times growing up, my grandmother would drive my cousin out to come and see us. She would always try to keep things equal and fair between all three grandchildren, and at the same time gave us a lot of love and compassion. Family seemed important to Cindy also; as she was a wife, mother, and grandmother. Our family as a whole was everything to my grandmother, and she taught all three of her grandchildren the same. In 2011, my grandmother ended up losing her fourth battle with Breast Cancer. The nursing staff at the hospital treated her well. She never seemed like she was suffering under their care, and they could always get a smile on her face. I hope in my nursing career I can give my patients a positive outlook (even by making them smile), and also keep the professionalism that Cindy had. When reading the introduction for this scholarship application, I read a lot of things about Cindy. Cindy showed a lot of compassion, empathy, and care for her patients. At the same time, she also was active in the community and found time to pursue her interests. When I didn't make any Nursing programs my senior year, I attended SUNY Cobleskill to work on pre requisites and take some other classes. There I was able to be part of the campus community on the soccer team, in clubs, and was at student events. At Hartwick, I want to be part of a few student clubs, and make sure to attend events where we can give back to either the Oneonta community or the Hartwick community (or even both!). I also plan to make sure I put time towards my academic studies, as I will be in the Honors program this coming year. I will find time to pursue my interests as well when I can. Though I cannot participate in Hartwick's NCAA Women's Soccer team, I plan to play intramural soccer when I can. Soccer has been part of my life since I was 6 years old. It has been a driven passion and hobby of mine. This sport has taught me the importance of communication, teamwork, dedication, and hard work. I plan to use these in my career as a nurse. Like Cindy, I plan to put responsibilities first towards my priorities, which would be my academics. I have wanted to become a nurse since I was 10 years old. I started out as a little girl with a dream, and didn't give up on it no matter what. Same with Cindy- she ended up getting a tumor and didn't give up. She fought until the end, which is what I intend to do for my nursing degree.