Cancer has shaped my family’s story in ways I could never have anticipated, and it has deeply influenced the person I have become. I remember the moment everything shifted—not for the first time, but for the second. I was 14 years old when I heard the word “cancer” again, a word that had already changed my life years earlier. The first time came when I was 11, when my oldest sister was diagnosed with leukemia. At the time, my family lived three hours away from our extended family, but as her treatment began, it became clear that we needed their support. We made the decision to move closer to them, leaving behind a larger town for a small rural community. It was a significant adjustment, but it allowed us to face that season together. Watching my sister endure treatment with strength taught me resilience at a young age and showed me how important support systems are during difficult times. A few years later, just as life began to feel more stable, cancer entered our lives again. I was on a spring break trip with my twin sister and our youth group when my mom called with the news. She had been dealing with ongoing health issues, but there had been no clear diagnosis until that moment. She told us she had colorectal cancer and would need surgery as soon as we returned home. I remember the fear and uncertainty that followed, realizing our lives were about to change once again. Over the next four years, my family experienced the full reality of cancer. There were moments of hope and progress, followed by setbacks and difficult days. My mom could no longer work, placing financial responsibility on my father, who carried that burden without hesitation. Despite everything she faced, my mom remained incredibly strong. She never missed a basketball game and continued to be my biggest supporter, always showing up for me even while fighting her own battle. My high school experience was shaped by her illness. My mom was not only my parent but also my best friend. I spent as much time with her as possible, helping care for her when she needed it and learning from her strength and resilience. Those moments taught me patience, empathy, and the importance of being present for others during their most vulnerable times. She passed away the night of my senior prom, just a week and a half before my twin sister and I graduated high school. That loss was overwhelming, but it also became a defining moment in my life. Through these experiences, I have learned what it truly means to be compassionate, resilient, and present. I have seen how illness affects not just the individual, but the entire family, and how important it is to provide support, understanding, and dignity during difficult times. Today, as a registered nurse pursuing my Family Nurse Practitioner degree, I carry these lessons with me every day. My goal is to be the kind of nurse I would have wanted for my own family—someone who provides not only medical care, but also compassion and support. While cancer changed my family in ways that cannot be undone, it gave me a sense of purpose and led me to a career dedicated to caring for others.

As a sophomore in high school in 2019, I was certain I would never pursue nursing. After shadowing nurses at a local hospital that summer, I told anyone who asked that it was not the path for me. Seven years later, I am a registered nurse working toward a Family Nurse Practitioner degree. What appears to be a dramatic change in direction is, in reality, the result of personal growth shaped by experience, loss, and a deepened sense of purpose—much of which centers on my mother. From eighth through twelfth grade, I witnessed my mother’s battle with cancer. Those years were filled with uncertainty, resilience, and emotional highs and lows. Our family carried the weight of difficult news while holding tightly to moments of hope when treatments showed promise. However, during my senior year of high school, my mother passed away. Losing her at such a pivotal time in my life was profoundly difficult and left me searching for direction and meaning in the years that followed. In the aftermath, I struggled to define my future. I began college as a business major, believing it was a practical and stable choice. Yet after one semester, it became clear that I felt disconnected from that path. I lacked a sense of fulfillment and found myself questioning what kind of work would truly matter to me. Through new relationships and exposure to different perspectives, I gradually began to reconsider nursing—not based on my earlier assumptions, but through a more personal and reflective lens shaped by my experiences. In 2023, I enrolled in a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) program. From the beginning, I recognized a sense of clarity that had previously been missing. The work was demanding, but it was also meaningful. I found purpose in caring for patients, building trust, and supporting individuals during vulnerable moments in their lives. Nursing no longer felt like something I was avoiding; instead, it felt like where I was meant to be. Today, my motivation is rooted in both personal experience and professional responsibility. I strive to provide care that reflects the compassion, attentiveness, and dignity I would have wanted for my own mother. That standard guides my daily practice and continues to shape the kind of provider I hope to become. I currently work in a small rural hospital in my hometown, where we serve a close-knit community with a 12- to 15-bed unit. Our facility provides swing bed services, supporting patients who require rehabilitation or recovery following illness or surgery. This setting offers a unique perspective on continuity of care, as I often know my patients outside of the hospital. Caring for neighbors, family friends, and community members adds a deeper level of responsibility and meaning. I am not only helping individuals recover physically, but also supporting their return to the lives and communities we share. What once felt like an unlikely path has become a clear calling. My journey into nursing has been shaped by loss, strengthened by resilience, and guided by a commitment to care for others with the same compassion I would have wanted for my own family.

Nursing was not my dream career as a child, I remember my sophomore year of high school I actually would state that I would not go into nursing, as I did not believe I had the strength, or brain for it. Now you may wonder, if you thought these things, why are you a nurse, and why do you keep going back to nursing school? That is a great question, and unfortunately I have a sad story that ties into my reasoning. My story actually begins the spring of my 8th grade year. I was young, naive, and pretty self involved, this was until we found out my mom had colon cancer. This opened my eyes to what life was truly like, and I slowly became more aware and matured for my age. I watched my mother fight a nasty disease called cancer for 4 short years before she passed away. While going through this I thought I had really matured and was persistent on not wanting to go into the medical field after what I saw my mother go through, thankfully, I met new people along the way who encouraged me to consider looking into nursing due to my personality and how organized I was. So as I was stuck in a corner, not knowing what I wanted to do with my life, I took the step and applied to LPN school at my local community college. From here I truly felt like I blossomed, I had thought I was mature in high school, but I now feel I have reached a new level of maturity. What were thoughts of I can’t handle that, turned into I want to be the nurse that I would want taking care of my mom. My mom and her journey has been my biggest inspiration and what has guided my through, LPN, RN, BSN, and now going to FNP school. At times I find myself tired, overwhelmed, and ungrateful for my situation, but I am sure to remind myself that I am right where I supposed to be, and every patient I see deserves someone who know they are where they belong and are happy to be there. I also remind myself that I am blessed to be doing this, not to take anything for granted, and to show everyone love and support because we never know what someone is going through. It is a blessing to be able to take care of those in need, and it should never be taken for granted. Overall, my whole career is thanks to my beautiful mom who I lost too soon, but who’s story led me where I am today! I found this scholarship on Bold.com!