I am an adult student, returning to school after getting my first Bachelor's degree 20 years ago, to become a nurse with my sights set on becoming a nurse practitioner after I complete this first technical program to receive my RN. I first got the inkling that I wanted to be a nurse when I was a college student in my twenties, but I was intimidated by science and my closest friend at the time convinced me that I didn't want to be a nurse because her mom was a nurse and she emphasized how terrible the hospital politics were. I graduated college, kept my interest in health by working for the American Cancer Society and pursuing my interest in alternative and complementary health modalities. I eventually became a Labor & Postpartum Doula and Massage Therapist. During that time, I was certain I would finally become a nurse, I researched nurse midwife programs extensively, but again, the science and pre-requisites were so intimidating I wasn't sure I could do it. Fast forward several years and I've moved to Colorado where I worked for a brief stint in a naturopath's office and decided I was going to finally do it! But again, the pre-requisites intimidated me and I backed away again. Many jobs and a failed business later, I wondered if perhaps this was my time. In fact, when the business was going well, I wondered "what will happen to me being a nurse if this business takes off?" So here I was, a business that had not taken off and a future open wide in front of me. Not being that young anymore, but still very much feeling pulled toward medicine and nursing, I began researching how to become a nurse, certain there must be an easy fast track since I already had a Bachelor's degree. It admittedly is not clear cut to figure out how to become an RN, but I stuck with my search and finally found a technical program at a local community college that was very doable in both coursework and time commitment. Because I now have adult financial responsibilities, I needed a program that would still allow me to work almost full time hours to make ends meet. Luckily, this program at Cloud County Community College would. The school accepted all of my classes from my previous Bachelor's degree and I was able to take the two pre-requisites I needed with a generous scholarship. I've just completed my first semester of this program and am energized and grateful to become a nurse practitioner that can serve the rural communities in the area I live here in the Midwest. I have varied interests from Chronic Pain, Autoimmune conditions, Mental Health and Labor & Delivery, but I trust that the path will unfold for me if I keep taking the right next step, just as it unfolded for me in getting to this point. It may have been a roundabout way to get to being a nurse, but I am thrilled to be pursuing nursing, and the chance to help people with their health as my second career. I would be honored to receive this scholarship to memorialize Joseph and walk the same path he was to become a Nurse Practitioner in this long held dream to work in healthcare.

I grew up in a rural community, then moved away to experience life in the big city, only to find that after all that hustle and bustle of the city, what I really wanted was a life lived in a rural community where I could live quietly. I now live in the small rural community I grew up in. However, I quickly realized just how sparse good quality services are in rural communities and how few and far between access to quality, whole-person healthcare truly is. I am finally going back to school to fulfill on a longheld dream of being a nurse and plan to become a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner to help fill the gap in rural communities of caring for people and their mental health through medicine, therapy and a whole person approach. On a personal level, I have been a long time student of meditation, mindfulness, yoga. I am a legit #gardengeek and have a vision for offering therapy services along with a multitude of other wellness services that seek to help people find balance, a sense of wholeness and joy that so often feels impossible when wracked with depression, anxiety, feelings of isolation and discontent. I believe there is a bridge that can be built between the resources of modern medicine, therapy and holistic whole person solutions that can create a comprehensive, full bodied solution to change the game for people struggling with mental health issues. I want to build that bridge and help people normalize caring for their mental health in a way that helps them thrive and destigmatize mental health in rural, underserved communities. There are multiple channels that I am excited to couple with modern medicine in the effort to help people increase their experience of joy, contentment and peace of mind and reduce feelings of anxiety, depression and the milieu of other mental health challenges we see unfolding in our modern culture. For example, there is incredible research about how reconnecting to nature through gardening, forest bathing or merely being outside in a park or backyard increases feel-good hormones and reduces stress, anxiety and feelings of isolation. Furthermore, we have extensive research and knowledge that simply eating differently and moving more also supports an uptick in positive feelings and lifts symptoms of depression. Lastly, rural folks often live in an isolated way, with less community and cultural activities to participate in. We know from current studies that social connection is one of the pre-eminent deteriments of health outcomes. Helping foster a community around gardening, food and mindful movement is part of my dream in working as a nurse practitioner. Not only is there empirical data to back up the benefits of these activities, but I know first hand just how valuable they are because I have used them in my own life to learn to work with my anxiety, feelings of isolation and general mood and emotional outlook. I envision a healthcare center that provides traditional talk therapy and medical approaches while also being surrounded by gardens, walking paths and includes cooking classes, yoga classes and a whole host of whole person services that will pair seamlessly with quality, modern medicine approaches.

I believe that healthcare is in a significant time of change and evolution and I am excited to fulfill my longheld dream of being a nurse so that I can contribute in a positive way to the changes that are happening in healthcare today. I grew up in a rural community, then moved away to experience life in the big city, only to find that after all that hustle and bustle of the city, what I really wanted was a life lived in a rural community where I could live quietly. I now live in the small rural community I grew up in. However, I quickly realized just how sparse good quality services are in rural communities and how few and far between access to quality, whole-person healthcare truly is. I am finally going back to school to fulfill on a longheld dream of being a nurse and plan to become a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner to help fill the gap in rural communities of caring for women and their mental health. Having gotten my first Bachelor's degree in Women's Studies and then becoming a doula, massage therapist and nanny many years later, I have a particular interest in women's health and the skyrocketing rates of anxiety, discontent and depression that women experience in our culture. I believe there is a bridge that can be built between the resources of modern medicine and holistic whole person solutions that can create a comprehensive, full bodied solution for women struggling with mental health issues. I want to build that bridge and help rural women normalize caring for their mental health in a way that helps them thrive and destigmatize mental health in rural, underserved communities. There are multiple channels that I am excited to couple with modern medicine in the effort to help women reduce their experience of decreased mental health. For example, there is incredible research about how reconnecting to nature through gardening, forest bathing or merely being outside in a park or backyard increases feel good hormones and reduces stress, anxiety and feelings of isolation. Furthermore, we have extensive research and knowledge that simply eating differently and moving more also supports an uptick in positive feelings and lifts symptoms of depression. Lastly, rural folks often live in an isolated way, with fewer community and cultural activities to participate in. We know from current studies that social connection is one of the pre-eminent deteriments of health outcomes. Helping foster a community around gardening, food and mindful movement is part of my dream in working as a nurse practitioner. Not only is there empirical data to back up the benefits of these activities, but I know firsthand just how valuable they are because I have used them in my own life to learn to work with my anxiety, feelings of isolation and general mood and emotional outlook. I envision a healthcare center that is surrounded by gardens, walking paths and includes cooking classes, yoga classes and a whole host of whole person services that will pair seamlessly with quality, modern medicine approaches.

I grew up in a rural community, then moved away to experience life in the big city, only to find that after all that hustle and bustle of the city, what I really wanted was a life lived in a rural community where I could live quietly. I now live in the small rural community I grew up in. However, I quickly realized just how sparse good quality services are in rural communities and how few and far between access to quality, whole-person healthcare truly is. I am finally going back to school to fulfill on a longheld dream of being a nurse and plan to become a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner to help fill the gap in rural communities of caring for women and their mental health. Having gotten my first Bachelor's degree in Women's Studies and then becoming a doula, massage therapist and nanny many years later, I have a particular interest in women's health and the skyrocketing rates of anxiety, discontent and depression that women experience in our culture. I believe there is a bridge that can be built between the resources of modern medicine and holistic whole person solutions that can create a comprehensive, full bodied solution for women struggling with mental health issues. I want to build that bridge and help rural women normalize caring for their mental health in a way that helps them thrive and destigmatize mental health in rural, underserved communities. There are multiple channels that I am excited to couple with modern medicine in the effort to help women reduce their experience of decreased mental health. For example, there is incredible research about how reconnecting to nature through gardening, forest bathing or merely being outside in a park or backyard increases feel good hormones and reduces stress, anxiety and feelings of isolation. Furthermore, we have extensive research and knowledge that simply eating differently and moving more also supports an uptick in positive feelings and lifts symptoms of depression. Lastly, rural folks often live in an isolated way, with less community and cultural activities to participate in. We know from current studies that social connection is one of the pre-eminent deteriments of health outcomes. Helping foster a community around gardening, food and mindful movement is part of my dream in working as a nurse practitioner. Not only is there empirical data to back up the benefits of these activities, but I know first hand just how valuable they are because I have used them in my own life to learn to work with my anxiety, feelings of isolation and general mood and emotional outlook. I envision a healthcare center that is surrounded by gardens, walking paths and includes cooking classes, yoga classes and a whole host of whole person services that will pair seamlessly with quality, modern medicine approaches.