My name is Annalee Herrera, and I am a proud first-generation Mexican American college student pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. I was born in Los Angeles, raised in Mexico, and returned to San Diego at age 15 to learn English and complete high school. That transition was challenging, but it taught me resilience, adaptability, and the importance of education. My passion for nursing began in 2018 after working as a caregiver for a retired principal that had a terminal illness in Encinitas,CA. I shaped by my experiences as a nursing assistant over the past five years. I’ve had the privilege of working at Sharp Healthcare and UCSD hospitals, where I’ve supported patients and care teams with compassion and dedication. These roles have shown me the power of empathy and the importance of cultural understanding in healthcare. As a fluent Spanish speaker, I’ve been able to connect deeply with patients from diverse backgrounds, earning their trust and improving their care experiences. This ability has opened many doors and reaffirmed my commitment to serving my community. My journey has been deeply influenced by my mother, a single parent who raised my twin sister and me with unwavering strength and sacrifice. Watching her work tirelessly to provide for us instilled in me a strong work ethic and a desire to make her proud. She is my greatest inspiration, and I am determined to complete my nursing degree not only for myself but as a tribute to her love and perseverance. Outside of academics and work, I enjoy walking on the beach with my dog, hiking, traveling, and spending time with my family. These activities help me stay balanced and remind me of the importance of mental and emotional well-being—values I hope to carry into my nursing practice. Receiving scholarship support would significantly ease the financial burden of my education. With the money I save by paying down my student loans, It would also allow me to reduce work hours and focus more on my clinical training and academic success. Also, I love to be a volunteer at my church, but I have not been able to be involved much since school started, being a full time student and worker has it sacrifices. My ultimate goal is to become a registered nurse and work in community health, where I can advocate for vulnerable populations and help bridge gaps in care. I am passionate about making a difference and committed to using my education to uplift others. With your support, I will be one step closer to achieving that dream and continuing a legacy of service, compassion, and pride.

My name is Annalee Herrera, and I am a proud first-generation Mexican American college student pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. I was born in Los Angeles, raised in Mexico, and returned to San Diego at age 15 to learn English and complete high school. That transition was challenging, but it taught me resilience, adaptability, and the importance of education. My passion for nursing began in 2018 after working as a caregiver for a retired principal that had a terminal illness, and I shaped by my experiences as a nursing assistant over the past five years. Being a CNA that start working as a float team for hospitals in 2020 was a huge step for me, being able to be a team up with nurses at the ICU, tuning patients in ventilators every 2 hours, staying close to the room windows when my nurses needed anything gave me de ambition to wanting to do more in the medical field. I’ve had the privilege of working at Sharp Healthcare and UCSD hospitals, where I’ve supported patients and care teams with compassion and dedication. These roles have shown me the power of empathy and the importance of cultural understanding in healthcare. As a fluent Spanish speaker, I’ve been able to connect deeply with patients from diverse backgrounds, earning their trust and improving their care experiences. This ability has opened many doors and reaffirmed my commitment to serving my community. My journey has been deeply influenced by my mother, a single parent who raised my twin sister and me with unwavering strength and sacrifice. Watching her work tirelessly to provide for us instilled in me a strong work ethic and a desire to make her proud. She is my greatest inspiration, and I am determined to complete my nursing degree not only for myself but as a tribute to her love and perseverance. Outside of academics and work, I enjoy walking on the beach with my dog, hiking, traveling, and spending time with my family. These activities help me stay balanced and remind me of the importance of mental and emotional well-being—values I hope to carry into my nursing practice. Receiving scholarship support would significantly ease the financial burden of my education. With the money I save by paying down my student loans, It would also allow me to reduce work hours and focus more on my clinical training and academic success. Also, I love to be a volunteer at my church, but I have not been able to be involved much since school started, being a full time student and worker has it sacrifices. My ultimate goal is to become a registered nurse and work in community health, where I can advocate for vulnerable populations and help bridge gaps in care. I am passionate about making a difference and committed to using my education to uplift others. With your support, I will be one step closer to achieving that dream and continuing a legacy of service, compassion, and pride.

My name is Annalee Herrera, and I am a proud first-generation Mexican American college student pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. I was born in Los Angeles, raised in Mexico, and returned to San Diego at age 15 to learn English and complete high school. That transition was challenging, but it taught me resilience, adaptability, and the importance of education. My passion for nursing began in 2018 after working as a caregiver for a retired principal that had a terminal illness, and I shaped by my experiences as a nursing assistant over the past five years. I’ve had the privilege of working at Sharp Healthcare and UCSD hospitals, where I’ve supported patients and care teams with compassion and dedication. These roles have shown me the power of empathy and the importance of cultural understanding in healthcare. As a fluent Spanish speaker, I’ve been able to connect deeply with patients from diverse backgrounds, earning their trust and improving their care experiences. This ability has opened many doors and reaffirmed my commitment to serving my community. My journey has been deeply influenced by my mother, a single parent who raised my twin sister and me with unwavering strength and sacrifice. Watching her work tirelessly to provide for us instilled in me a strong work ethic and a desire to make her proud. She is my greatest inspiration, and I am determined to complete my nursing degree not only for myself but as a tribute to her love and perseverance. Outside of academics and work, I enjoy walking on the beach with my dog, hiking, traveling, and spending time with my family. These activities help me stay balanced and remind me of the importance of mental and emotional well-being—values I hope to carry into my nursing practice. Receiving scholarship support would significantly ease the financial burden of my education. With the money I save by paying down my student loans, It would also allow me to reduce work hours and focus more on my clinical training and academic success. Also, I love to be a volunteer at my church, but I have not been able to be involved much since school started, being a full time student and worker has it sacrifices. My ultimate goal is to become a registered nurse and work in community health, where I can advocate for vulnerable populations and help bridge gaps in care. I am passionate about making a difference and committed to using my education to uplift others. With your support, I will be one step closer to achieving that dream and continuing a legacy of service, compassion, and pride.

My name is Annalee Herrera, and I am a proud first-generation Mexican American college student pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. I was born in Los Angeles, raised in Mexico, and returned to San Diego at age 15 to learn English and complete high school. That transition was challenging, but it taught me resilience, adaptability, and the importance of education. My passion for nursing began in 2018 after working as a caregiver for a retired principal that had a terminal illness, and I shaped by my experiences as a nursing assistant over the past five years. I’ve had the privilege of working at Sharp Healthcare and UCSD hospitals, where I’ve supported patients and care teams with compassion and dedication. These roles have shown me the power of empathy and the importance of cultural understanding in healthcare. As a fluent Spanish speaker, I’ve been able to connect deeply with patients from diverse backgrounds, earning their trust and improving their care experiences. This ability has opened many doors and reaffirmed my commitment to serving my community. My journey has been deeply influenced by my mother, a single parent who raised my twin sister and me with unwavering strength and sacrifice. Watching her work tirelessly to provide for us instilled in me a strong work ethic and a desire to make her proud. She is my greatest inspiration, and I am determined to complete my nursing degree not only for myself but as a tribute to her love and perseverance. Outside of academics and work, I enjoy walking on the beach with my dog, hiking, traveling, and spending time with my family. These activities help me stay balanced and remind me of the importance of mental and emotional well-being—values I hope to carry into my nursing practice. Receiving scholarship support would significantly ease the financial burden of my education. With the money I save by paying down my student loans, It would also allow me to reduce work hours and focus more on my clinical training and academic success. Also, I love to be a volunteer at my church, but I have not been able to be involved much since school started, being a full time student and worker has it sacrifices. My ultimate goal is to become a registered nurse and work in community health, where I can advocate for vulnerable populations and help bridge gaps in care. I am passionate about making a difference and committed to using my education to uplift others. With your support, I will be one step closer to achieving that dream and continuing a legacy of service, compassion, and pride.

My name is Annalee Herrera, and I am a proud first-generation Mexican American college student pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. I was born in Los Angeles, raised in Mexico, and returned to San Diego at age 15 to learn English and complete high school. That transition was challenging, but it taught me resilience, adaptability, and the importance of education. My passion for nursing began in 2018 after working as a caregiver for a retired principal that had a terminal illness, and I shaped by my experiences as a nursing assistant over the past five years. I’ve had the privilege of working at Sharp Healthcare and UCSD hospitals, where I’ve supported patients and care teams with compassion and dedication. These roles have shown me the power of empathy and the importance of cultural understanding in healthcare. As a fluent Spanish speaker, I’ve been able to connect deeply with patients from diverse backgrounds, earning their trust and improving their care experiences. This ability has opened many doors and reaffirmed my commitment to serving my community. My journey has been deeply influenced by my mother, a single parent who raised my twin sister and me with unwavering strength and sacrifice. Watching her work tirelessly to provide for us instilled in me a strong work ethic and a desire to make her proud. She is my greatest inspiration, and I am determined to complete my nursing degree not only for myself but as a tribute to her love and perseverance. Outside of academics and work, I enjoy walking on the beach with my dog, hiking, traveling, and spending time with my family. These activities help me stay balanced and remind me of the importance of mental and emotional well-being—values I hope to carry into my nursing practice. Receiving scholarship support would significantly ease the financial burden of my education. With the money I save by paying down my student loans, It would also allow me to reduce work hours and focus more on my clinical training and academic success. Also, I love to be a volunteer at my church, but I have not been able to be involved much since school started, being a full time student and worker has it sacrifices. My ultimate goal is to become a registered nurse and work in community health, where I can advocate for vulnerable populations and help bridge gaps in care. I am passionate about making a difference and committed to using my education to uplift others. With your support, I will be one step closer to achieving that dream and continuing a legacy of service, compassion, and pride.

My name is Annalee Herrera, and I am proud to be a first-generation Mexican American college student pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. I was born in Los Angeles, raised in Tijuana, Mexico, and returned to San Diego at the age of 15 to learn English and complete high school. This transition was challenging because I was only allowed to take ESL classes and P.E but it taught me perseverance and the value of education. Growing up, I witnessed my mother’s strength and sacrifices as a single parent raising my twin sister and me. Her unwavering dedication to our future has been my greatest inspiration. She worked tirelessly to provide for us, and I am determined to honor her efforts by completing my nursing degree and building a meaningful career in healthcare. I want to make her proud and show her that her sacrifices were not in vain. I have been very independent since 18 years old, an I am always helping her as much as I can, she provided for me and it is my time to care for her. For the past five years, I’ve worked as a nursing assistant at Sharp Healthcare and UCSD hospitals. These roles have allowed me to serve patients with compassion and support my care teams with dedication. Being fluent in Spanish has opened many doors and helped me build trust with patients from diverse backgrounds. I’ve seen first hand how language and cultural understanding can make a difference in someone’s care experience, and I am committed to continuing that impact as a registered nurse and have been able to step into helping the Mexican American community that lacks the English language. Outside of work and school, I enjoy walking on the beach with my dog, hiking, traveling, and spending time with my family. These moments keep me grounded and remind me of the importance of balance and self-care values I hope to pass on to my future patients. As I continue my education, financial support through scholarships would greatly ease the burden and allow me to focus fully on my studies and clinical training. I am passionate about nursing and committed to serving my community with empathy, skill, and integrity. With your support, I will be one step closer to achieving my dream of being a nurse, a first generation graduate and giving back to the people and communities that have shaped my journey.