I deserve this scholarship because I applied for it. That's all you have to do, isn't it? My goals are to keep going to school so I always have an excuse to not get a job. I'll collect degrees and certificates. This is the route for me because one of my many talents is being a student. I overcome obstacles every day when I can make it up a flight of stairs. It can be very difficult and there are many risks such as falling and rolling down all the steps.

A healthy lifestyle is important to me because I believe life should be lived to the fullest. For many years I was obese and it greatly affected my quality of life. I couldn't do normal everyday activities without being out of breathe or feeling pain. My mental health was also affected because I hated looking at myself and was constantly being compared to other thin people by myself and the people around me. It took a long time but after getting so down about my life I decided to make a change, I started reading books about different foods and how it is taken in and processed by the body. Being more knowledgeable about how my body was suffering helped me to make a change. I lost weight and I am now healthy, my body feels good and strong. I am able to enjoy life again and do any activity without worrying about my body not being able to keep up.

In my junior year of high school, my family and I were homeless. My mom didn't have a job and she never had before because my dad wouldn't let her. Well now they were getting a divorce, he took the house, quit his job so he wouldn't have to give her any money, and disappeared. Thankfully my aunt took us in and helped my mom get a job. I was living in a house with 9 other people. There was no privacy or quiet time to get work done, there was no having friends over, and I always felt like a burden having to rely on them for housing, food, and even clothes. I didn't want to make my mom feel bad because it wasn't her fault and I didn't want to talk to my friends because it was embarrassing so I held it all in which caused me a lot of stress and built-up anger. My grades and relationships suffered due to that. It didn't help that my dad disappeared knowing we had no income, it made me question everything about his character and all the memories I had of him being a "good dad". I slowly started opening up to my softball coach who helped me study, channel my anger into softball and start communicating with my family about how I was feeling. After that, I was able to use the situation I was in to feel empowered. I was able to go through all of that as a teenager and still accomplish my goals. I am thankful for what happened and the way it affected me, I will use the person I am now to overcome any other obstacle that comes my way.

As long as I could remember my dog was with me until two years ago when she became deaf and blind, her quality of life was declining and it was clear she was in pain. I didn't want to let her go but I also didn't want her to remember life this way. We ended up adopting a kitten and they got along very well, constantly chasing each other around and sleeping with each other. Although my dog seemed to be having better days she passed only a couple weeks after getting our kitten. Me and my family were heartbroken and didn't know what to do to keep her memory alive, we didn't want to just move on like she was never there. I would feel guilty playing or even looking at our kitten until he started bringing me toys that use to belong to my dog, coming to the door to greet us when we came home, jumping into the grocery bags, and sleeping at the bottom of my bed. I felt they had made a deep connection in the short time they knew each other and it was almost like my dog was still there in my kitten. Every day he does things to remind me of my dog and I think that is the best way to keep her memory alive. It's also an amazing feelings to play and pet him and feel like I'm still getting to say hello to my dog. I think pets are so amazing because they can tell what you need and give you that unconditional love.

I was inspired to be a nurse by my aunt. She was a stay-at-home mom for many years until she decided to go back to school for nursing. As she went through the necessary courses and started her career I watched her become such a strong woman who not only took charge of her own life but also helped so many people get better. I would like to be a nurse whom co-workers feel comfortable going to with questions and patients feel comfortable with their health in my hands. I am excited to learn everything and will never be scared to ask a question to make sure I am an expert at what I do. I am also inspired by my grandmother because she faces many health issues that could have been avoided by being more knowledgeable and taking care of herself. I know she now lives her life in a lot of pain and can not enjoy things she once did. I have pushed her hernia back in multiple times and even simple things like walking and eating cause her discomfort. I do not want to give a quick fix but instead help and educate so people can take care of their bodies better and improve their quality of life in the long run. I would like to work in labor and delivery. I know this can be hard just as in any other area because of the loss but I believe I can give the comfort needed in those situations. I would also have the opportunity to bring joy into many lives. Life is a wonderful experience especially when it is spent with family, enjoying the world around us, and doing things we enjoy. I think everyone should be able to have the best experience and that starts with your body. I would like to be in health care to offer equal care to everyone regardless of gender, race, geographic location, sexual identity and orientation, and disability status. Everyone deserves the best possible care specific to them and their needs, what works for one person might not work for another and it is important to know how to adjust. I would never let a patient's differences from me affect the care I give them and I think it is very important to be able to separate personal feelings and work because these people are depending on you to help them.