Graduating from high school, I already knew what I wanted to pursue for my future career. I wanted to study at a Christian college and gain a bachelor's degree in a nursing program, but when I chose nursing, it wasn't because of a dream that I had, but for a good demanding job so I would never be in want of work, and I thought that was all it would ever be. However, in the summer after I graduated, my mom became very sick with her worst case of diverticulitis. She could barely move, got little sleep, and anything she ate caused her pain. Hearing and seeing her struggle tore at my heart, knowing that my own mom was in so much pain. However, I couldn't just sit back and watch. So, during these weeks, I took care to make sure my mom was getting the rest she needed, ate food that didn't make her sickness worse, and stood by to listen and provide her with her every need. As she slowly got better, I realized that becoming a nurse wouldn't just be for me anymore, but for the mothers, fathers, children, and siblings in this world who are going through tough times, as my own mom had. Because of the trial I went through with my mom, instead of carelessly wanting to take up this career for selfish desires, I grew a new aspiration to bring peace of mind and to reduce people's anxiety when going through the pains of seeing a loved one in a critical condition. I want to make a difference, though, not in the world but in individual lives that need hope and healing. As I made this decision, I got accepted to The Master's University. This fall, I plan to major in pre-nursing and get the education I need to work toward becoming an RN nurse. When I obtain my RN license, I plan to help those in my community who can't afford treatment receive the healthcare they need, and I want to be an emotional support to them throughout that time. Before heading out to college, I chose to volunteer at a local hospital, gaining experience of what it's like in a hospital setting. Working here, I have learned more about what it is like to be a nurse by helping them and observing them as they work. Through this opportunity, I have learned just how much work nurses take on, but this has not deterred me from my goals; it has only fueled them, knowing that I could remove some of the workload by adding one more nurse to the healthcare field. I started with nothing in mind but to help myself, but I soon learned that nursing has a vital role in our community. Many families have loved ones who endure severe conditions and need someone to share their fears and worries with, and I want to be the one they can share with. After my own experience with my mom, I developed a deep desire to be there for others in the healthcare field, and this scholarship would enable me to accomplish my desires.

It was a hot summer evening in Florida when my friends and I were playing kickball. We'd been playing for a while, and it was my turn to kick again. Standing at home plate, I looked down at my shoes: they were all worn out with holes on the tip and sides. I always wore my shoes out until we could buy new ones, but I had to wear these shoes longer than usual. I looked up from my feet, and as I did, the ball hurtled at me while everyone yelled, “Kick the ball!” In response, I kicked as hard as I could, and as the ball flew in the air, the bottom of my shoe fell apart. Throughout high school, my family and I received a low income. We lived paycheck to paycheck off of my dad's VA money because he became physically disabled, and because of this, we could barely afford food, clothes, or shoes. Through this strain, my siblings and I continued our school work as homeschoolers. Being homeschooled, we had to buy the curriculum ourselves, but since my parents could barely afford to pay their bills, we used what was free or cheap. Doing school was hard because my parents were so busy with finances, I had no help. I had to go down a grade to understand algebra better, and because of this setback, I started to feel hopeless and dumb, and I put the thought in my head that I had no bright future ahead of me. These thoughts would linger in my mind constantly, but I had a greater desire to attend college and achieve a higher education. I had no teachers to help me, so I turned to YouTube and articles to understand math and science better. I treated school like a puzzle that I needed to solve and grew to love learning and excelled in my grades. I soon completed two grades in one year and graduated when I was 16 as an A student. I have now been accepted to The Master's University and plan to study to become an RN nurse to help those who can't afford healthcare get the treatment they need. With this new chapter starting to turn in my life, I thought everything was set with my financial aid and my dad's G.I. Bill to pay for college. However, one day, my mom came bearing news that I wasn't actually eligible for the G.I. Bill. This news struck me hard, and I thought I would never be able to attend college, but then I looked down at my shoes with holes starting to appear on the sides, and I remembered that day playing kickball with my friends. When my shoe fell apart, I didn’t stop and quit the game, but ran to first base and continued until the end. Throughout my life, I have had my own voices yelling at me, telling me I'm worthless. However, I never let those thoughts change my course in the past or let the distressing circumstances that would arise become proof that all is hopeless. Instead, I kept going, and when life fell apart beneath my feet, I chose to stand up stronger and push the negative thoughts out to finish what I started. Because of all this, I know I can go to the college of my dreams and accomplish my goal of being a nurse, but I also know those thoughts of doubt will never leave. However, I will not let these thoughts define who I am and will strive to work hard to accomplish my desires.

Throughout high school, my family and I received a low income. We lived paycheck to paycheck off of my dad's VA money because he became physically disabled, and because of this, we could barely afford food, clothes, or shoes. Through this strain, my siblings and I continued our school work as homeschoolers. Being homeschooled, we had to buy the curriculum ourselves, but since my parents could barely afford to pay their bills, we used what was free or cheap. Doing school was hard because my parents were so busy with finances I had no help. I had to go down a grade to understand algebra, and because of this setback, I started to feel hopeless and dumb, and I put the thought in my mind that I had no bright future ahead of me. My parents expected a lot from me, especially since I was the oldest daughter, but I kept telling myself it was impossible and that I'd never amount to much. These thoughts would linger in my mind constantly, always ringing in my head, but I had a greater desire to achieve a higher education. I truly wanted to make a difference in others' lives, but I wasn't sure how to get there. Therefore, one day, I decided to look at my situation differently. I had no teachers to help me with my homework, so I turned to YouTube and articles to understand math and science better. I treated school like a puzzle that I needed to solve and grew to love learning and excelled in my grades. I soon completed two grades in one year and graduated when I was 16 as an A student. Since I achieved all this, I have now been accepted into The Master's University. I plan to study to become an RN nurse to help those who can't afford healthcare get the treatment they need and support the family members who are anxious to see their loved ones better. Throughout my life, I have put the thought in my head that I am not good enough. That no matter what I do, I can never accomplish my desires. However, when I was struggling in high school, I chose to ignore my thoughts and take action and learned I could do more than I ever dreamed. Because I became victorious through that trial, I have looked at every situation that seems hopeless as a challenge, not an obstacle. I still have those thoughts of failure, and I know they will never leave. However, I have decided not to let those thoughts define who I am, and I will strive to accomplish all my desires.

After graduating high school, I already knew what I wanted to pursue for my future. I wanted to study at a Christian college and gain a bachelor's degree in a nursing program, but when I chose nursing, it wasn't because of a dream that I had, but for a good demanding job so I would never be in want of work, and I thought that was all it would ever be. However, in the summer after I graduated, my mom became very sick with her worst case of diverticulitis. She could barely move, got little sleep, and anything she ate caused her pain. Hearing and seeing her struggle tore at my heart that my mom was in so much pain. However, I couldn't just sit back and watch. So, during these weeks, I took care to make sure my mom was getting the rest she needed, ate food that didn't cause her pain, and stood by to listen and provide her with her every need. As she slowly got better, I realized that becoming a nurse wouldn't just be for me anymore but for the mothers, fathers, children, and siblings in this world who are going through tough times as my own mom had. Because of the trial, I went through with my mom, instead of carelessly wanting to take up this career for selfish desires, I grew a new aspiration to bring peace of mind and to reduce people's anxiety when going through the pains of seeing a loved one in a critical condition. I want to make a difference, though, not in the world but in the individual lives who need hope and healing. As I made this decision, I became accepted to a Christian college in California, The Master's University. This fall, I plan to major in pre-nursing to get the education I need to work toward becoming an RN nurse. When I obtain my RN license, I plan to help those in my community who need treatment and are unable to afford it, and I want to support them throughout those trials. Before heading to college, I began volunteering at a local hospital to gain experience in a hospital setting. Through this, I have assisted the nurses with small tasks so they can stay focused on caring for patients without worrying about other matters, and I have been able to show compassion and care to the patients at the hospital who need help and a friendly smile. Seeing the nurses working with little breaks and many hours has left me in awe of all the work they carry out throughout their job, but this hasn't deterred me from my goals. Instead, it has encouraged me to keep going because I know I will make a difference by adding one more nurse to the healthcare field. I started with nothing in my mind but to help myself, but I soon learned that nursing has a vital role in our community. Many families have loved ones who endure severe conditions and need someone to share their fears and worries with, and I want to be the one they can share with. After my own experience, I developed a deep desire to be there for others in the healthcare field, especially women, by showing them we can accomplish anything life throws at us. I am very thankful for the opportunity to participate in this contest, and should I be selected as a recipient, I'll use the reward towards my higher education to assist all those who will cross my path in my nursing career.

It was a hot summer evening in Florida when my friends and I decided to play kickball. We'd been playing for a while, and it was my turn to kick again. Standing at home plate, I looked down at my shoes: they were all worn out with holes on the tip and sides. I always wore my shoes out until we could buy new ones, but I had to wear these shoes longer than usual. I looked up from my feet, and as I did, the ball hurtled at me while everyone yelled, “Kick the ball!” In response, I kicked as hard as I could, and as the ball flew in the air, the bottom of my shoe fell apart. Throughout high school, my family and I received a low income. We lived paycheck to paycheck off of my dad's VA money because he became physically disabled. Through this strain, my siblings and I continued our school work as homeschoolers. Being homeschooled, we had to buy the curriculum ourselves, but since my parents could barely afford to pay their bills, we used what was free or cheap. Doing school was hard because my parents were so busy with finances I had no help. I had to go down a grade to understand algebra better, and because of this setback, I started to feel hopeless and dumb, and I put the thought in my head that I had no bright future ahead of me. These thoughts would linger in my mind constantly, but I had a greater desire to achieve a higher education. I had no teachers to help me with my school work, so I turned to YouTube and articles to understand math and science better. I treated school like a puzzle that I needed to solve and grew to love learning and excelled in my grades. I soon completed two grades in one year and graduated when I was 16 as an A student. I've now been accepted to The Master's University and plan to study to become an RN nurse to help those who can't afford healthcare get the treatment they need. With this new chapter starting to turn in my life, I thought everything was set with my financial aid and my dad's G.I. Bill to pay for college. However, one day, my mom came bearing news that I wasn't actually eligible for the G.I. Bill. This news struck me hard, and I thought I would never be able to attend college, but then I looked down at my shoes with holes starting to appear on the sides, and I remembered that day playing kickball with my friends. When my shoe fell apart, I didn’t stop and quit the game but ran to first base and continued until the end. Throughout my life, I've had my own voices yelling at me, telling me I'm worthless: out playing kickball, throughout high school, and even now before I attend college. However, I never let those thoughts change my course in the past or let the distressing circumstances that would arise become proof that all is hopeless. Instead, I kept going, and when life fell apart beneath my feet, I chose to stand up stronger and push the negative thoughts out to finish what I started. Because of this, I know I can go to the college of my dreams and accomplish my goal of being a nurse, but I also know those thoughts of doubt will never leave. However, I will not let these thoughts define who I am and will strive to work hard to accomplish my desires.