Growing up, I did not have much, but I had a mother who did everything she could to give me a better life. Both of my parents came from the Philippines to the United States with very little, hoping to find better opportunities. However, my father left, and I grew up with my mother. Life was not always easy, and we struggled financially, but my mom never stopped trying to give me the best life she could with what she had. Growing up poor taught me lessons that I still carry with me today. I learned that life is not always fair and that sometimes you have to work harder than others just to get by. There were things we could not afford and opportunities that seemed out of reach. But even through our struggles, my mom showed me what it meant to be strong, independent, and determined. She may not have been able to give me everything I wanted, but she gave me something more important: the motivation to work toward a better future. As I got older, I began to understand the sacrifices my mother made. She came to America hoping for a better life, only to face the challenges of raising a family without my father. Looking back, I appreciate everything she did for me. Her strength is one of the biggest reasons I continue pushing myself, even when life becomes difficult. Today, I am working toward earning my Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree while raising my two children and working as a medical assistant. Balancing motherhood, work, and nursing school has not been easy. There are days when I feel exhausted and overwhelmed, trying to make sure I am giving enough time to my children while also keeping up with school and work. Sometimes I wish there were more hours in the day. But whenever I feel like giving up, I remind myself of how far I have come and why I started this journey. My children are my biggest motivation. Just as my mother wanted better opportunities for me, I want to provide those same opportunities for my children. I want them to see that no matter where you come from or what challenges you face, you can still accomplish your goals. I hope that one day they will look at my journey and understand that hard work and determination can change your future. Becoming a nurse is more than just a career goal for me. It is an opportunity to make a difference in people's lives while creating a more stable future for my family. Working in healthcare has taught me the importance of treating every patient with kindness, patience, and respect. I want to be a nurse who makes people feel heard and cared for, especially those who may be going through difficult times. My mother's journey to America gave me opportunities that she did not always have. Her sacrifices helped shape the person I am today. I may have grown up with very little, but I grew up learning the value of hard work, love, and never giving up. Now, I want to turn those lessons into a future that would make my mother proud and show my children that our past does not have to limit our future.

My family’s story begins with my grandparents and parents leaving the Philippines and coming to Hawaii in search of a better life. They came from a poor background and did not have much to bring with them. They left behind the home and life they knew because they believed coming to the United States would give their family opportunities they did not have before, including better education, living conditions, and healthcare. They were willing to sacrifice what was familiar so their children could have a better future. My family came to Hawaii with very little and had to build their lives from the ground up. One of the greatest sacrifices they made was leaving their home to create a new one. They took a chance on a new beginning because they believed the future of their children was worth the uncertainty. Their journey has taught me that creating a better life often requires courage, sacrifice, and faith before you can see what the outcome will be. Growing up, I learned the importance of hard work and gratitude. I saw the sacrifices my family made and understood that the opportunities I have today were made possible by decisions they made before I was born. They taught me to persevere when life becomes difficult, appreciate what I have, and never forget where I came from. Most importantly, they taught me to have faith in God and to keep walking by faith even when I cannot see what is ahead. Their journey has deeply influenced my education and career goals. I am currently in nursing school, and I will be the first person in my family to earn a college degree. This accomplishment means more to me because I understand what my family sacrificed to make this opportunity possible. There have been difficult days in nursing school when I have questioned whether I could continue, but I think about my family and what they overcame. If they could leave everything familiar behind and start over with very little, I can push through the challenges in front of me. Growing up in Hawaii has also shaped who I am. Hawaii is a diverse place filled with different cultures, traditions, and backgrounds. Being surrounded by that diversity has taught me to respect where people come from and understand that everyone has a story. My Filipino heritage is an important part of who I am, and I am grateful to have grown up in a community where different cultures can come together through shared values of family, respect, hard work, and caring for others. I hope to honor my family’s journey by completing nursing school and earning my degree. To me, that degree will represent more than an education. It will represent my grandparents and parents choosing to leave their home, start over, and sacrifice for the generations that followed them. Every step I take toward graduation is a way of honoring what they gave up so I could have opportunities they did not. My family came to Hawaii with little, but they brought faith, courage, perseverance, and hope. Those values are now part of me. I want to carry their sacrifices forward by becoming a nurse, serving my community, making my family proud, and creating opportunities for the generations that come after me. Their journey is part of my story, and I hope my future will be a reflection of everything they worked so hard to build.

For as long as I can remember, providing service to others has been an important part of my life which resulted in some of my favorite adolescent memories. I don’t think that there is anything more satisfying than what you get in return for helping out your local community, neighborhood, and loved ones. Being able to assist younger children, members of the elder community, or anyone who can benefit from a skill you have is more than satisfying, it also provides a natural sense of accomplishment for oneself and it gives the community hope in making our world a better place for one another. Being able to participate in programs that provide little acts of kindness that are caring and meaningful to others is easy and rewarding. I remember a time in 2019 when I volunteered for the Great Aloha Run. I volunteered my time to care for the participants by making sure they were hydrated and safe during the run. Seeing each contestant walk through that finish line and being able to cheer them on and spread Aloha made each participant feel proud and accomplished knowing that they had made it through the finish line. In all honesty, the act of providing service to others is one of the many reasons why I decided to further my education by becoming a nurse. My first memory of being given the opportunity to provide help to others was when I was in high school. As a junior in high school, instead of enjoying my last couple of years of high school with friends, I dedicated my time to taking care of my grandmother. For two years, I helped assist in watching my grandmother and tending to her needs. I took pride and joy in taking care of my grandmother. Being able to assist her in her time of need gave me the satisfaction that even though she was in pain, I was able to bring her joy. I looked forward to caring for her until her last days because what seemed to be the worst days of her life, she told me and showed me that it was the happiest days of her life. With the years of caring for my grandmother, I realize now that my investment of time and companionship helped me to develop a sense of confidence, and gave me satisfaction that I had made a difference in someone’s life. Toward the end of high school, my mother ended up fostering children. It was a great way to meet new people and it ended up pushing me to be more involved with my community and the people around me. The children that my mother took in for an emergency shelter home gave me the opportunity to care for and give hope to these children who has been hurt. Although it was a challenge this experience has taught me to be kind towards one another because you may never know what that person may be going through. For me, it's about how much positivity I can spread not only in my community but to the world. I live in Hawaii and being a part of my community here is all about spreading “Aloha.” To continue to give back to my community I will continue by spreading Aloha. Extending warmth, kindness, hope, and love not just with one another but with our whole island and community.

“Ahhhh it hurts, please please please get him out!” Was what I was screaming while giving birth to my second child. After two pushes there he was. The only thing running down my face is tears of joy. Everything seemed so perfect. I have my husband beside my oldest son waiting for us at home to see his newborn brother. What could possibly go wrong? As we get discharged from the hospital I have the sense of butterflies in my tummy fluttering. Is it excitement or fear that I am feeling? I haven’t had a baby for over twelve years and here I am taking one home. The fear of taking care of a baby, and juggling school, and work flooded my mind with thoughts. Could I do it? Am I able to take care of my responsibilities or am I going to fail? The challenge now begins. Here I sit at home ready to start the first semester of my future career, Nursing school, and going back to work. I couldn’t help but look back at when I started my journey toward my nursing career. It took me six years to complete my prerequisites for the nursing program because I couldn’t afford to go to school full-time and was a single parent then. Am I able to do it now that I have two kids? A whole month went by and here I am. To think, I have four years of doing this. I can say that it's a struggle and sometimes I cry at night before I go to bed because of how overwhelming everything is and how all I feel like doing is giving up. Then I turn and look at my children and tell myself If I did it before I can do it again. My kids are my inspiration. They give me the strength and courage to want to do better not just for myself, but for them as well. I went from being a mother of one and having time to go out to being a mother of two and no longer being able to go out. Although some may feel that may suck I can say my children changed me for the better. They are the push that I needed to provide them with a better life in this crazy world. As months go by I sit and look at my children and I think that my fear wasn’t about juggling school, work, and taking care of my kids. I feared that I would fail my kids and not be able to provide them with a good life. But as I watch them grow and I see how happy they are with their smiles and laughter of joy I know now that there is nothing to fear, for my children are happy with just having me in their life. So now when I think of juggling school, work, and my family I know that all this hard work and sacrifice that I am juggling is for my children. My journey as a parent and student has made me become a better person by having a clear mindset on my values in life. I am still the same fun, happy and energetic Angelica I was before, the only thing that changed is that everything I do now is no longer for me but for me and my children.

“What are you gonna do with your life?” Those were the words that would be said to me every day for the last 2 months I had left before graduating high school. Being raised in a family full of boys made it very difficult for me to decide what I wanted to be because my mother expected so much. Although we didn't have the greatest relationship, I always tried to prove to her that I was a good kid. I never got in trouble, I always did well in school, I even volunteered my time helping the community, but no matter what I did, it seemed as if it was never good enough. In my mother’s words, it was “tough love.” At first, it really hurt me to know my relationship with my mom wasn’t what I thought it would be but as I grew older and became wiser instead of seeing it as something negative I saw it as encouragement and motivation to make me become a better person. I was then the first generation family member who decided to go to college, that’s also when I decided to start my journey in the medical field. Because of how I grew up, I gained the passion of always putting others before myself, it was in me to always extend my hand out to those in need. It gave me happiness to know that I can make a difference in one’s life just by offering a helping hand. What made me want to push myself more was when COVID-19 hit. During that time, it made me become more selfless, compassionate, and ambitious with how I saw the world. I wanted to help my community more and inspire others that the world can be safe again if we all learned how to be there for one another in such a tragic time. I remember when COVID-19 hit. There were so many families affected by the virus. Either being homeless due to no work or losing a loved one because they were ill. That’s when I decided I wanted to do something for those who were affected by the pandemic. Every Sunday morning for 2 months, I volunteered my time by feeding the homeless down the road from where I lived. There were about 3 families that were camping out at the park, they had lost their homes and jobs due to the pandemic. During such a horrible time for them, I was able to provide food and companionship until they were able to get back on their feet. The help I was able to provide even if it was just feeding them, inspired me and lifted my spirits knowing I was able to help out their family. The feeling I felt extending my arms out to these families brought joy and warmth to my heart.

After giving birth to my first born 12 years ago, I have had issues with my weight and healthy eating habits. I remember my doctor telling me that since I am not pregnant anymore I should start eating healthy, especially if I was breastfeeding. Growing up in Hawaii it’s a challenge to eat healthy because the food here is so good, or what we locals like to call “ono.” Because I was pregnant I couldn’t eat most of my favorite food., so after I gave birth, I felt free and excited at the fact I was able to eat anything and everything, especially when it came to my favorite foods. I would give up salads and vegetables any day for a poke bowl or loco moco. Although Hawaii food is irresistible, it did impact my daily living and appearance. I slowly noticed my clothes were slowly getting tight for me and I was lazy and sluggish during the day. As a mother and student, my days were very busy. I couldn’t afford to feel lazy or sluggish because that feeling made me become easily irritable, distracted, and impatient. I wasn’t happy feeling like that so I knew I needed to change something in my life. From there that's when I searched for ways how to better my physical and mental state and that's when I knew that eating healthier was one of the main factors. I love having productive days rather than lazy days so I knew that if I wanted to become that person I needed to change my eating habits and daily routines. I started researching reasons for healthy eating habits to give me insight and the motivation I needed to start. There was so much information provided that I didn’t realize how important our eating habits could affect our daily activities. I believe that healthy eating habits are very important not just for me but for my family and the community as well. Healthy eating habits are important because it supports the muscles in our bodies, boost our immunity, strengthen our bones, and can also lower the chances of any diseases that may occur such as heart disease, or diabetes. It also can boost our physical and/or mental health. As a student pursuing my degree in nursing and a mother of two, I needed my mental and physical state to be top-notch. We all know parenting can be the greatest gift but parenting and going to school can be stressful and hectic. My mental and physical state got the best of me to where I felt I was being challenged by my ownself. Eating healthier has enabled me to become more mindful, alert, and aware of the things I do such as organizing my time to take care of my kids all while making sure I complete what I needed for school. I became more self-aware of my priorities and what mattered in my life. As a person who struggled with healthy eating habits, I can say since I made the change I have been happier than I ever was. I am happy that I am able to take care of my body internally, mentally, and physically. I am more focused than I ever was which gives me the strength I need to be there for my kids and a step closer to getting my degree as a future nurse.

Since I was little I have always enjoyed helping others. I was always happy knowing I’d made a difference in someone’s life. I grew up always putting others' needs before my own. From lending a helping hand to sending encouraging words to those in distress. What inspired me to pursue a career in nursing was the nurses I encountered when my grandmother was sick. I noticed the smiles my grandmother had when the nurses came in to assist her. The care they provided towards my grandmother was gentle and compassionate. It seemed as if they understood that my grandmother needed all the help she could get, so they did what they could to make her feel comfortable while staying in the hospital. My grandmother went from being in agony to finding relief after her nurses provided amazing care. At this point, that’s when I knew of the important role nurses play in our very peaceful society. I began my health care journey as a medical assistant 9 years ago. It gave me passion and admiration for my medical career. I’ve become comfortable with interacting with patients all while developing the skill sets to bridge into my nursing profession. During such time I was given the opportunity to experience different specialties from occupational medicine, urgent care, orthopedics, and primary care. Each discipline has strengthened my desire in becoming a nurse. My drive to care for and heal others is the foundation I have built my sense of self upon. I love the feeling of knowing that I am doing something positive in my community. With everything going on in the world nowadays, serving the community is something we need to give to try and make our world safe and healthy again. Nursing is a field where there is so much to learn. As a nurse, I have the opportunity to learn and explore deeper knowledge of procedures and techniques to ensure that I continue to care for my patients in the best possible manner. The nursing profession will allow me to push myself to satisfy my needs to learn and improve as a person. I have been drawn to the nursing profession because I feel a great sense of pride in working with people during difficult times, you experience new things that require fast thinking, and the medical profession always has opportunities for learning and growing. I feel that nursing will offer me an effective environment to utilize my strengths and give me the opportunity to explore the different diversities and cultures that we have in my community.

What does culture mean to you? From my perspective I define culture as a way of life for a particular social group or race. Being born and raised in Oahu, Hawaii I was lucky to have been taught how many cultures had its diversity on how they value life and its beliefs. Although I appreciated the lessons from other cultures, I was fortunate to have been taught how my culture as an Asian American had an influence in my ways of living. For example, my culture is Filipino. We Filipinos are resilient. I grew up learning that our culture works hard to provide for our family as well as getting things we want and need in life. Growing up me and my siblings didn’t have much, my mom was a single parent taking care of 5 kids, myself included. As I watched her work hard to make our life better, she always told us that hard work pays off. At that time I didn't know what she meant until I got older. When I became an adult I had kids of my own and started a family. It wasn't till then I knew what my mom meant about hard work pays off. I have been working in the medical field as a Medical Assistant for the past 8 years. Throughout that time, I had pushed myself to become an excellent worker and provide excellent service by being consistent in meeting their needs and exceeding their expectations. Although my service was great, what made it even better was being able to satisfy my patient's care. With the hard work I put into at work, not only did I get raises, it also encouraged me to further my career as a nurse. All qualities of culture are a major part of our life and how we live. Culture is what shapes people into who they are as they gain knowledge, values and traditions. I am glad that my Filipino culture is resilient. It has taught me to work hard and rise above any challenges that we face in life.

Throughout my life I was always proud and happy knowing I made someone feel better. My mom use to tell me when I was little I would always play doctor. Which means I would be the one helping my cousins when they got hurt and we would pretend to take care of one another. I went from playing doctor as a child to lending a helping hand to my mother with taking care of children and adults, to comforting someone who was in distressed. What inspired me to pursue a career in nursing was the nurses I encountered when my grandmother was sick. I was a junior at the time and was working at Starbucks. I noticed the smile and satisfaction my grandmother had when the nurses came in to assist her. My grandmother went from agony pain to a state of relief after her nurses conducted amazing care. That’s when I knew that nurses are the glue that holds everything together. I am currently enrolled at Chaminade University to get my degree as a registered nurse. As an American Filipino I am hoping that I can be one of the 37% who will be holding a Bachelor's degree. I began my health care passion and admiration as a Medical Assistant for the past 9 years. I’ve become comfortable in interacting with patients along with developing the skills set to bridge into my nursing profession. During such time I was given the opportunity to experience different specialties from occupational medicine, urgent care, orthopedics, and primary care. Each profession strengthened my desires to becoming a nurse. My drive to care and heal the community is always the foundation I live upon. Although Hawaii has competitive programs amongst the nursing profession, I believe that nursing is a dream worth striving for. There is so much more to learn and as an American Filipino I am willing to work hard to show that what we do for the community shouldn't be under-represented. That we to are able to be given the opportunity to not only help those in need, but to inspire others that the act of giving help is one of life’s greatest gifts and can go a long way.