My initial inspiration for becoming a nurse was seeing my older cousin who I had looked up to majority of my life graduate from nursing school. Seeing her accomplish something she was so passionate about and her desire to care for others definitely sparked an interest within me. However, what continued to drive me to pursue a career in healthcare was the disproportionate rate at which Black women were likely to die during the labor/birthing process compared to their White counterparts. As a Black woman I fear for not only myself but for the other Black women bringing children into this world. I have heard many heartbreaking stories about Black woman being ignored or not taken seriously in healthcare. Some going into the hospital and not making it out alive or walking into a hospital and nit coming out with a baby. It is a sad tragedy that I want to be a part of the solution for. I am going to my degree to advocate and be that familiar face for my patient and their families. My goal is to make sure that every Black woman and her child makes it out of that delivery room and goes home safely and unharmed, leaving no family broken. It is important to show them that I will listen and they will be heard, I want to be that person that creates a safe environment for my patient and I know it will be made possible. I want to become a nurse for my community and for those that didn’t have that familiar face to be by their side. All patients are deserving of quality care and no “bias” should get in the way of that. This is truly something I believe no family should have to go through, but unfortunately there are those that assume the horrific stereotypes placed upon Black women or people of color in general. Obtaining my BSN degree and becoming a nurse is going to open a whole new world of opportunities and will allow me to use my passion and motivation for the betterment of others. Using my position to ensure the safety and wellbeing of those that are placed in my care. I will spend my entire career advocating and making a difference, because if you are not a part of the solution then you are only enabling the problem. Health care is the place for me and I know that I will be successful in order to make sure others are successful creating a lasting impact on my community and the world.

My name is Amari Taylor and I am a creative, hard-working, and determined student and young woman. I love going on hikes, painting, and spending time with the people who matter the most to me. Creating memories and going on adventures are some of my favorite things to do. I am also big on mental health and strive to be the best version of myself everyday. As a Black woman I fear for not only myself but for the other Black women bringing children into this world. I have heard many heartbreaking stories about Black woman being ignored or not taken seriously in healthcare. Some going into the hospital and not making it out alive or walking into a hospital and nit coming out with a baby. It is a sad tragedy that I want to be a part of the solution for. I am going to my degree to advocate and be that familiar face for my patient and their families. My goal is to make sure that every Black woman and her child makes it out of that delivery room and goes home safely and unharmed, leaving no family broken. It is important to show them that I will listen and they will be heard, I want to be that person that creates a safe environment for my patient and I know it will be made possible. I want to become a nurse for my community and for those that didn’t have that familiar face to be by their side. All patients are deserving of quality care and no “bias” should get in the way of that. This is truly something I believe no family should have to go through, but unfortunately there are those that assume the horrific stereotypes placed upon Black women or people of color in general. Obtaining my BSN degree and becoming a nurse is going to open a whole new world of opportunities and will allow me to use my passion and motivation for the betterment of others. Using my position to ensure the safety and wellbeing of those that are placed in my care. I will spend my entire career advocating and making a difference, because if you are not a part of the solution then you are only enabling the problem. Health care is the place for me and I know that I will be successful in order to make sure others are successful creating a lasting impact on my community and the world.

My initial inspiration for becoming a nurse was seeing my older cousin who I had looked up to majority of my life graduate from nursing school. Seeing her accomplish something she was so passionate about and her desire to care for others definitely sparked an interest within me. However, what continued to drive me to pursue a career in healthcare was the disproportionate rate at which Black women were likely to die during the labor/birthing process compared to their White counterparts. As a Black woman I fear for not only myself but for the other Black women bringing children into this world. I have heard many heartbreaking stories about Black woman being ignored or not taken seriously in healthcare. Some going into the hospital and not making it out alive or walking into a hospital and nit coming out with a baby. It is a sad tragedy that I want to be a part of the solution for. I am going to my degree to advocate and be that familiar face for my patient and their families. My goal is to make sure that every Black woman and her child makes it out of that delivery room and goes home safely and unharmed, leaving no family broken. It is important to show them that I will listen and they will be heard, I want to be that person that creates a safe environment for my patient and I know it will be made possible. I want to become a nurse for my community and for those that didn’t have that familiar face to be by their side. All patients are deserving of quality care and no “bias” should get in the way of that. This is truly something I believe no family should have to go through, but unfortunately there are those that assume the horrific stereotypes placed upon Black women or people of color in general. Obtaining my BSN degree and becoming a nurse is going to open a whole new world of opportunities and will allow me to use my passion and motivation for the betterment of others. Using my position to ensure the safety and wellbeing of those that are placed in my care. I will spend my entire career advocating and making a difference, because if you are not a part of the solution then you are only enabling the problem. Health care is the place for me and I know that I will be successful in order to make sure others are successful creating a lasting impact on my community and the world.

My initial inspiration for becoming a nurse was seeing my older cousin who I had looked up to majority of my life graduate from nursing school. Seeing her accomplish something she was so passionate about and her desire to care for others definitely sparked an interest within me. However, what continued to drive me to pursue a career in healthcare was the disproportionate rate at which Black women were likely to die during the labor/birthing process compared to their White counterparts. As a Black woman I fear for not only myself but for the other Black women bringing children into this world. I have heard many heartbreaking stories about Black woman being ignored or not taken seriously in healthcare. Some going into the hospital and not making it out alive or walking into a hospital and nit coming out with a baby. It is a sad tragedy that I want to be a part of the solution for. I am going to my degree to advocate and be that familiar face for my patient and their families. My goal is to make sure that every Black woman and her child makes it out of that delivery room and goes home safely and unharmed, leaving no family broken. It is important to show them that I will listen and they will be heard, I want to be that person that creates a safe environment for my patient and I know it will be made possible. I want to become a nurse for my community and for those that didn’t have that familiar face to be by their side. All patients are deserving of quality care and no “bias” should get in the way of that. This is truly something I believe no family should have to go through, but unfortunately there are those that assume the horrific stereotypes placed upon Black women or people of color in general. Obtaining my BSN degree and becoming a nurse is going to open a whole new world of opportunities and will allow me to use my passion and motivation for the betterment of others. Using my position to ensure the safety and wellbeing of those that are placed in my care. I will spend my entire career advocating and making a difference, because if you are not a part of the solution then you are only enabling the problem. Health care is the place for me and I know that I will be successful in order to make sure others are successful.

Obtaining my BSN degree and becoming a nurse is going to open a whole new world of opportunities and will allow me to use my passion and motivation for the betterment of others. Using my position to ensure the safety and wellbeing of those that are placed in my care. As Black woman I fear for not only myself but for the other Black women bringing children into this world. I have heard many heartbreaking stories about Black woman being ignored or not taken seriously in healthcare. Some going into the hospital and not making it out alive or walking into a hospital and nit coming out with a baby. It is a sad tragedy that I want to be a part of the solution for. I am going to my degree to advocate and be that familiar face for my patient and their families. My goal is to make sure that every Black woman and her child makes it out of that delivery room and goes home safely and unharmed, leaving no family broken. It is important to show them that I will listen and they will be heard, I want to be that person that creates a safe environment for my patient and I know it will be made possible. I want to become a nurse for my community and for those that didn’t have that familiar face to be by their side. All patients are deserving of quality care and no “bias” should get in the way of that. This is truly something I believe no family should have to go through, but unfortunately there are those that assume the horrific stereotypes placed upon Black women or people of color in general. This scholarship is going to get me one step closer to that by closing the financial I have when it comes to paying for certain aspects of school such as books. As a nursing student books are an expensive requirement and investment for studies. I currently am struggling to find a way to pay for my books. Although I do have a job, I am still lacking finances to buy the texts I need for both of my semesters and this scholarship is going to aid me in purchasing those. By having the books necessary then I am one step closer to graduation, one step closer to passing the NCLEX, and finally to working my first day as a registered nurse.

The hardships I have dealt with in life has been my anxiety and depression. I have dealt with anxiety for as long as I can remember and depression since the age of 16 years old. At times it has debilitated me to the point where it seems like nothing will work out and has caused me to shut down, even isolate myself from those around me. I even struggled with hatred for myself and thoughts that no one should have to experience, In order to overcome this obstacle I have been doing a lot more self-care activities. Going to therapy to work through these things, more painting to relax my find, going to the gym. Engaging in things to destress and to take my mind off of what seemed to be weighing me down. It is important to remember that mental health is just as important as physical health which is why this has been my priority. College is important to me because it allows me to pursue my dreams of becoming a Pediatric or Labor and Delivery Nurse post-graduation. Besides from an academic stand point, college has also allowed me to meet some of my best friends and has given me a support system aside from family. Especially going to school in another city, it feels good knowing I have people to back me up in tough time and I get to do the same for them as well. Getting my BSN degree is going to open a whole new world of opportunities and will allow me to use my passion and motivation for the betterment of others. As Black woman I fear for not only myself but for the other Black women bringing children into this world. I have heard many heartbreaking stories about Black woman being ignored or not taken seriously in healthcare. Some going into the hospital and not making it out alive or walking into a hospital and nit coming out with a baby. It is a sad tragedy that I want to be a part of the solution for. I am going to my degree to advocate and be that familiar face for my patient and their families. My goal is to make sure that every Black woman and her child makes it out of that delivery room and goes home safely and unharmed, leaving no family broken. It is important to show them that I will listen and they will be heard, I want to be that person that creates a safe environment for my patient and I know it will be made possible.

I am Amari Taylor, a driven, hard-working, determined, and creative student. In my free time I love to paint and to spend time with those that matter the most, creating memories and going on adventures. I also love going on hikes, playing sand volleyball, and working out. My dreams for the future include becoming a Pediatric nurse in order to create change in my career field. It is my goal to leave a lasting impression on both the children and families that I will be taking care of in my career. I hope to be working in the NICU or PICU, taking care of and advocating for those who cannot do so for themselves. I have heard countless stories of parents and children being ignored or told that nothing is wrong and I want to be that voice advocating for the care that they deserve. I want to be the nurse that takes care of the whole patient, mind, body, spirit, and the family as well. When asked about stands in my way of building my dream in the future, one of the biggest road blocks has been anxiety and fear surrounding the idea of what “success” is. I have dealt with anxiety for as long as I can remember and the fear of being unsuccessful or a “failure” has always been a weight that I carried. At times it has debilitated me to the point where it seems like nothing will work out, however I know that is not a true statement. In order to overcome this obstacle I have been doing a lot more self-care activities. Going to therapy to work through these things, more painting to relax my find, going to the gym. Engaging in things to destress and to take my mind off of school and studies. It is important to remember that mental health is just as important as physical health, so taking the time to unwind is needed. So far, these things have allowed me to reset and to take things day by day without putting an immense amount of pressure on myself. Thinking and worrying so hard about the future impacts the way you live life in the present and can hinder that. Overall, I have learned to establish a balance; a balance between school, homework, and studying versus self-care. Both are equally important for my wellbeing and both are going to set me up for success in the future and get me to my dreams.