As a woman, mother, and nontraditional student, my education is very important to me. My educational pathway has been disrupted many times, and there have been so many points in life where I have found myself uncertain that I would ever achieve the educational goals I desired. It seemed that every time I would begin to build more confidence in choosing the best pathway for my future career, I would experience setbacks. I have had to work tirelessly to find a way to take steps forward while balancing all my obligations, but I refuse to give in. In 2010, I became the primary caregiver to my brother when he was catastrophically disabled on a military deployment. I witnessed life turn upside-down for someone who had woken up one day as a healthy and athletic young adult and who, in an instant, experienced a permanent change in the course of his life when he suffered traumatic brain injury, bilateral above-knee limb amputation, partial loss of hearing, and other injuries. I did not realize that this event would trigger a permanent change in the course of my life as well. A few short years later, I became a single mother to my three children. At that same time, my youngest child was diagnosed with autism. During this very dark and challenging time in my life, I shed many tears with the belief that maybe my ambitions were a pipe-dream. Nonetheless, I have found that my three kids are not just my biggest responsibility and obligation; they are also the biggest source of inspiration and strength. I know that when I work toward a better future for myself, it’s a better future for all of us. Having three daughters, I want them to see that women can achieve anything. I do not want them to feel that they have to set their sights low in life; I want to serve as a strong female role-model they can look up to when they pursue ambitions of their own. As I have continued working toward my career in nursing, I have also found fulfillment in volunteerism and advocacy. I have become a Court Appointed Special Advocate for foster children and youth, and I currently have 2 children and 1 teen youth on my caseload. I visit with the children/youth a minimum of once monthly and also meet with their teachers, foster parents, and medical/therapy providers to ensure that their needs are being fully met. I then submit reports to the court and attend hearings to ensure that the family court judge is accurately informed of all issues pertaining to the kids’ wellbeing, which ensures that needs will be met and that no child will fall through the cracks of the CPS system. I take my role as CASA very seriously and am fully committed to this role, even if my “CASA kids” are in the system for years. I am passionate about my education because I know that when I achieve greater educational credentials, I can expand the ways in which I serve my community in advocacy with my current volunteer commitments and advocacy for my patients and their families, and I can also create a financially secure future for myself and my daughters. Thank you for your consideration of my application; this scholarship would make a huge impact on my pathway to achieving my dreams.

I was inspired to pursue a nursing degree when I became a caregiver for my brother, after he experienced a catastrophic injury while serving in the U.S. Marines. Prior to his injuries, I had never considered a career in nursing and was not sure that I had any particular talents or gifts in life. I witnessed life turn upside-down for someone who had woken up one day as a healthy and athletic young man and who, in an instant, experienced a permanent change in the course of his life when he suffered traumatic brain injury, bilateral above-knee limb amputation, partial loss of hearing, and other injuries. I did not realize that this event would trigger a permanent change in the course of my life as well. Through learning how to care for someone recovering from life-changing events, I found that I not only was able to learn the technical competencies required to deal with drains, bandages, and assisting in activities of daily living for someone newly dependent on the care of others, but I found that I had the compassion, empathy, and patience within myself to be there and support someone through post-traumatic stress disorder, altered self-concept, and the traumas of major medical events, acute and chronic pain, and the other psychosocial changes that can happen when someone’s life is effectively turned upside-down in a single moment. In helping someone I cared about to recover from such an event, I began to consider the possibility that I could build on my emerging gifts in caregiving and to find a way to share that with others as well. As my confidence in myself began to build and I began to give serious consideration to the possibility to a career in healthcare, the circumstances in my life shifted, and I faced more challenges and barriers to success. I became a single mother. My own mom was diagnosed with COPD. My child was diagnosed autistic. The people around me needed more and more from me, and my achievement of my dreams seemed less possible. However, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic made me take more stock of my life. I lost 2 family members to the disease and with those losses came the realization that life is very short, and that tomorrow is not guaranteed. I also realized that the people who rely on me will be in a better situation if I can better provide for them financially and if I am myself more personally fulfilled by living a life of meaning and purpose. In 2020, I decided to go back to school for vocational (practical) nursing. I paid my own way through VN school and pushed hard to achieve excellent grades while pushing forward in my other obligations. Once I finished that program, I took a job working full time nights as a private duty pediatric vocational nurse, and I applied to a transition program to become a registered nurse. Today I am enrolled in and attending my ADN program to become an RN, and I plan to continue my education to a BSN and beyond. My professional goals are to work in an area where I can support patients and their families who are going through major traumas and medical events so that they can feel support and hope for a future full of recovery and possibility, and I know that my own experiences will bring a deeper level of empathy and understanding in the delivery of this care.

As a woman, mother, and nontraditional student, I am passionate about pursuing my education. My educational pathway has been disrupted many times, and there have been so many points in life where I have found myself uncertain that I would ever achieve the educational goals I desired. It seemed that every time I would begin to build more confidence in choosing the best pathway for my future career, I would experience setbacks. I have had to work tirelessly to find a way to take steps forward while balancing all my obligations, but I refuse to give in. In 2010, I became the primary caregiver to my brother when he was catastrophically disabled on a military deployment. I witnessed life turn upside-down for someone who had woken up one day as a healthy and athletic young adult and who, in an instant, experienced a permanent change in the course of his life when he suffered traumatic brain injury, bilateral above-knee limb amputation, partial loss of hearing, and other injuries. I did not realize that this event would trigger a permanent change in the course of my life as well. A few short years later, I became a single mother to my three children. At that same time, my youngest child was diagnosed with autism. During this very dark and challenging time in my life, I shed many tears with the belief that maybe my ambitions were a pipe-dream. Nonetheless, I have found that my three kids are not just my biggest responsibility and obligation; they are also the biggest source of inspiration and strength. I know that when I work toward a better future for myself, it’s a better future for all of us. Having three daughters, I want them to see that women can achieve anything. I do not want them to feel that they have to set their sights low in life; I want to serve as a strong female role-model they can look up to when they pursue ambitions of their own. As I have continued working toward my career in nursing, I have also found fulfillment in volunteerism and advocacy. I have become a Court Appointed Special Advocate for foster children and youth, and I currently have 2 children and 1 teen youth on my caseload. I visit with the children/youth a minimum of once monthly and also meet with their teachers, foster parents, and medical/therapy providers to ensure that their needs are being fully met. I then submit reports to the court and attend hearings to ensure that the family court judge is accurately informed of all issues pertaining to the kids’ wellbeing, which ensures that needs will be met and that no child will fall through the cracks of the CPS system. I take my role as CASA very seriously and am fully committed to this role, even if my “CASA kids” are in the system for years. I am passionate about my education because I know that when I achieve greater educational credentials, I can expand the ways in which I serve my community in advocacy with my current volunteer commitments and advocacy for my patients and their families, and I can also create a financially secure future for myself and my daughters. Thank you for your consideration of my application; this scholarship would make a huge impact on my pathway to pursuit of these passions.

I was inspired to pursue a nursing degree when I became a caregiver for my brother, after he experienced a catastrophic injury while serving in the U.S. Marines. Prior to his injuries, I had never considered a career in nursing and was not sure that I had any particular talents or gifts in life. I witnessed life turn upside-down for someone who had woken up one day as a healthy and athletic young man and who, in an instant, experienced a permanent change in the course of his life when he suffered traumatic brain injury, bilateral above-knee limb amputation, partial loss of hearing, and other injuries. I did not realize that this event would trigger a permanent change in the course of my life as well. Through learning how to care for someone recovering from life-changing events, I found that I not only was able to learn the technical competencies required to deal with drains, bandages, and assisting in activities of daily living for someone newly dependent on the care of others, but I found that I had the compassion, empathy, and patience within myself to be there and support someone through post-traumatic stress disorder, altered self-concept, and the traumas of major medical events, acute and chronic pain, and the other psychosocial changes that can happen when someone’s life is effectively turned upside-down in a single moment. In helping someone I cared about to recover from such an event, I began to consider the possibility that I could build on my emerging gifts in caregiving and to find a way to share that with others as well. As my confidence in myself began to build and I began to give serious consideration to the possibility to a career in healthcare, the circumstances in my life shifted, and I faced more challenges and barriers to success. I became a single mother. My own mom was diagnosed with COPD. My child was diagnosed autistic. The people around me needed more and more from me, and my achievement of my dreams seemed less possible. However, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic made me take more stock of my life. I lost 2 family members to the disease and with those losses came the realization that life is very short, and that tomorrow is not guaranteed. I also realized that the people who rely on me will be in a better situation if I can better provide for them financially and if I am myself more personally fulfilled by living a life of meaning and purpose. In 2020, I decided to go back to school for vocational (practical) nursing. I paid my own way through LVN school and pushed hard to achieve excellent grades while pushing forward in my other obligations. Once I finished that program, I took a job working full time nights as a private duty pediatric vocational nurse, and I applied to a transition program to become a registered nurse. Today I am enrolled in and attending my ADN program to become an RN, and I plan to continue my education to a BSN and beyond. My professional goals are to work in an area where I can support patients and their families who are going through major traumas and medical events so that they can feel support and hope for a future full of recovery and possibility, and I know that my own experiences as a caregiver will bring a deeper level of empathy and understanding in the delivery of this care.

I am seeking a scholarship to help me pay for my education in nursing, and I plan to use my career as an RN to build on a life I am already living, where I work to help those around me. One of my biggest passions is my volunteer position as a Court Appointed Special Advocate. After completing extensive training and background checks, CASA advocates are sworn in before a judge and pledge to offer a commitment to assigned foster children/youth for a minimum of 18 months or for however long that child/youth is in care (whichever is longer). I currently have 2 children and 1 teen youth on my caseload. As a CASA, I visit with the children/youth a minimum of once monthly and also meet with their teachers, foster parents, and medical/therapy providers to ensure that their needs are being fully met. I then submit reports to the court and attend hearings to ensure that the family court judge is accurately informed of all issues pertaining to the kids’ wellbeing, which ensures that needs will be met and that no child will fall through the cracks of the CPS system. I take my role as CASA very seriously and am fully committed to this role, even if my “CASA kids” are in the system for years. In addition to being a CASA, I also volunteer at M.I. Lewis Social Services food pantry. Prior to working with M.I. Lewis and CASA of Galveston County, I also volunteered for 3 years as a foster home and transportation provider for dogs and puppies in a licensed animal rescue. Outside of volunteering, I work as a private duty pediatric LVN nurse, I am a mother to three children, and I am a fulltime student of registered nursing. I was inspired to pursue a nursing degree when I became a caregiver for my brother, after he experienced a catastrophic injury while serving in the U.S. Marines. Prior to his injuries, I had never considered a career in nursing and was not sure that I had any particular talents or gifts in life. I witnessed life turn upside-down for someone who had woken up one day as a healthy and athletic young man and who, in an instant, experienced a permanent change in the course of his life when he suffered traumatic brain injury, bilateral above-knee limb amputation, partial loss of hearing, and other injuries. I did not realize that this event would trigger a permanent change in the course of my life as well. Through learning how to care for someone recovering from life-changing events, I found that I not only was able to learn technical healthcare competencies, but I found that I had the compassion, empathy, and patience within myself to be there and support someone through post-traumatic stress disorder, altered self-concept, and the traumas of major medical events, acute and chronic pain, and the other psychosocial changes that can happen when someone’s life is effectively turned upside-down in a single moment. In helping someone I cared about to recover from such an event, I realized I could build on my emerging gifts in caregiving and find a way to share that with others as well. This pushed me to put myself through a practical/vocational nursing program, and now I am working to become an RN. By combining my personal background experiences with the knowledge that I continue to acquire each day in school, I believe that I will be a registered nurse who truly makes the world a better place.

I believe that a life well-lived is about more than making money or doing well in school. Caring for others and working to create a healthier community in which we live, is just as essential a part of life as family, profession, and personal interests. In my own life, I attain a sense of personal fulfillment when I work to help those around me. As a Court Appointed Special Advocate for foster children/youth, I work to make positive change in the lives of some of the most vulnerable members of my community. CASA volunteer advocates complete extensive training in topics related to foster care, the family court system, educational advocacy, substance abuse, and trauma-informed psychology. After completing this training and background checks, CASA advocates are sworn in before a judge and pledge to offer a commitment to their assigned foster child/youth for a minimum of 18 months or for however long that child/youth is in care (whichever is longer). I currently have 2 children and 1 teen youth on my caseload. I visit with the children/youth a minimum of once monthly and also meet with their teachers, foster parents, and medical/therapy providers to ensure that their needs are being fully met. I then submit reports to the court and attend hearings to ensure that the family court judge is accurately informed of all issues pertaining to the kids’ wellbeing, which ensures that needs will be met and that no child will fall through the cracks of the CPS system. I take my role as CASA very seriously and am fully committed to this role, even if my “CASA kids” are in the system for years. In addition to being a CASA, I also volunteer at M.I. Lewis Social Services food pantry. Prior to working with M.I. Lewis and CASA of Galveston County, I also volunteered for 3 years as a foster home and transportation provider for dogs and puppies in a licensed animal rescue. This was a really great opportunity not only to help homeless animals but to teach my children about caring for others as well, by encouraging my kids to help with the dogs and puppies we fostered. Outside of volunteering, I work as a private duty pediatric LVN nurse, I am a mother to three children, and I am a fulltime student of registered nursing. As a private duty nurse, I provide high quality care for my patients and in doing so, I support their families as well. Sometimes it seems that the care I provide doesn’t end when my shift ends; in fact, one of my patient’s families recently contacted me on my night off to get my assistance in coming to their house to retrieve a litter of stray kittens that had crawled up into their van’s engine compartment! Having a reputation for helping animals, I was the person they thought to contact. Fortunately, I was able to retrieve all of the kittens safely and took them home to care for them until finding them homes. I joke that I am a magnet for kids and animals in need, but it’s not something that I mind because it gives me additional purpose every day. Through striving to be an excellent mom and nurse, and through volunteer work, I believe I am helping others and making the present and future better for my community.

I am a community leader who has struggled with my mental health, and this struggle gives me a sense of empathy and awareness for those I help. As a Court Appointed Special Advocate for foster children/youth, I work to be a leader in positive change to some of the most vulnerable members of my community. CASA volunteer advocates complete extensive training in topics related to foster care, the family court system, educational advocacy, substance abuse, and trauma-informed psychology. After completing this training and background checks, CASA advocates are sworn in before a judge and pledge to offer a commitment to their assigned foster child/youth for a minimum of 18 months or for however long that child/youth is in care (whichever is longer). I currently have 2 children and 1 teen youth on my caseload. I visit with the children/youth a minimum of once monthly and also meet with their teachers, foster parents, and medical/therapy providers to ensure that their needs are being fully met. I then submit reports to the court and attend hearings to ensure that the family court judge is accurately informed of all issues pertaining to the kids’ wellbeing, which ensures that needs will be met and that no child will fall through the cracks of the CPS system. I take my role as CASA very seriously and am fully committed to this role, even if my “CASA kids” are in the system for years. In addition to being a CASA, I also volunteer at M.I. Lewis Social Services food pantry. Outside of volunteering, I work as a private duty pediatric LVN nurse, I am a mother to three children, and I am a fulltime student of registered nursing. In my personal life, I have faced more challenges and barriers to success. Just as I began to identify my plans for a pathway toward a career in nursing, circumstances in my life changed. I became the provider of care for my disabled brother, I became a single mother to my three children, my mom was diagnosed with COPD, and my child was diagnosed autistic. The people around me needed more and more from me, and the achievement of my dreams seemed less possible. However, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic made me take more stock of my life. I lost 2 family members to the disease and with those losses came the realization that life is very short, and that tomorrow is not guaranteed. In 2020, I went back to school for vocational (practical) nursing. I paid my own way through school and pushed hard to achieve excellent grades while pushing forward in my other obligations, through a dark and trying time in my life. Once I finished that program, I took a job working full time nights as a private duty pediatric vocational nurse, and I applied to a transition program to become a registered nurse. Today I am enrolled in and attending my ADN program to become an RN, and I plan to continue my education to a BSN and beyond. In addition to my community leadership and CASA advocacy, I will lead and advocate for my patients as well. My professional goal is to work in an area where I can support patients and their families who are going through major traumas and medical events so that they can feel support and hope for a future full of recovery and possibility, and I know that my own experiences will bring a deeper level of empathy and understanding in the delivery of this care.

As a Court Appointed Special Advocate for foster children/youth, I work to bring positive change to some of the most vulnerable members of my community. CASA volunteer advocates complete extensive training in topics related to foster care, the family court system, educational advocacy, substance abuse, and trauma-informed psychology. After completing this training and background checks, CASA advocates are sworn in before a judge and pledge to offer a commitment to their assigned foster child/youth for a minimum of 18 months or for however long that child/youth is in care (whichever is longer). I currently have 2 children and 1 teen youth on my caseload. I visit with the children/youth a minimum of once monthly and also meet with their teachers, foster parents, and medical/therapy providers to ensure that their needs are being fully met. I then submit reports to the court and attend hearings to ensure that the family court judge is accurately informed of all issues pertaining to the kids’ wellbeing, which ensures that needs will be met and that no child will fall through the cracks of the CPS system. I take my role as CASA very seriously and am fully committed to this role, even if my “CASA kids” are in the system for years. In addition to being a CASA, I also volunteer at M.I. Lewis Social Services food pantry. Outside of volunteering, I work fulltime as a private duty pediatric LVN nurse, I am a mother to three children, and I am a fulltime student of registered nursing.

I was inspired to pursue a nursing degree when I became a caregiver for my brother, after he experienced a catastrophic injury while serving in the U.S. Marines. Prior to his injuries, I had never considered a career in nursing and was not sure that I had any particular talents or gifts in life. I witnessed life turn upside-down for someone who had woken up one day as a healthy and athletic young man and who, in an instant, experienced a permanent change in the course of his life when he suffered traumatic brain injury, bilateral above-knee limb amputation, partial loss of hearing, and other injuries. I did not realize that this event would trigger a permanent change in the course of my life as well. Through learning how to care for someone recovering from life-changing events, I found that I not only was able to learn the technical competencies required to deal with drains, bandages, and assisting in activities of daily living for someone newly dependent on the care of others, but I found that I had the compassion, empathy, and patience within myself to be there and support someone through post-traumatic stress disorder, altered self-concept, and the traumas of major medical events, acute and chronic pain, and the other psychosocial changes that can happen when someone’s life is effectively turned upside-down in a single moment. In helping someone I cared about to recover from such an event, I began to consider the possibility that I could build on my emerging gifts in caregiving and to find a way to share that with others as well. As my confidence in myself began to build and I began to give serious consideration to the possibility to a career in healthcare, the circumstances in my life shifted, and I faced more challenges and barriers to success. I became a single mother. My own mom was diagnosed with COPD. My child was diagnosed autistic. The people around me needed more and more from me, and my achievement of my dreams seemed less possible. However, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic made me take more stock of my life. I lost 2 family members to the disease and with those losses came the realization that life is very short, and that tomorrow is not guaranteed. I also realized that the people who rely on me will be in a better situation if I can better provide for them financially and if I am myself more personally fulfilled by living a life of meaning and purpose. In 2020, I decided to go back to school for vocational (practical) nursing. I paid my own way through school and pushed hard to achieve excellent grades while pushing forward in my other obligations. Once I finished that program, I took a job working full time nights as a private duty pediatric vocational nurse, and I applied to a transition program to become a registered nurse. Today I am enrolled in and attending my ADN program to become an RN, and I plan to continue my education to a BSN and beyond. My professional goals are to work in an area where I can support patients and their families who are going through major traumas and medical events so that, like Cindy, I can also exemplify care that brings support and hope for a future full of recovery and possibility. I know that my own experiences will allow me to be like Cindy, providing a deeper level of empathy and understanding in the delivery of this care.

Being a single mother requires wearing many “hats” in life and working tirelessly to fill many roles. As a mother of three children who live with me fulltime, I often deal with role conflict as I try to take care of the needs of the day-to-day while also working to lay the foundation for a better future for my family and myself. I was inspired to pursue a nursing degree when I became a caregiver for my brother, after he experienced a catastrophic injury during military deployment. Prior to his injuries, I had never considered a career in nursing and was not sure that I had any particular talents or gifts in life. I witnessed life turn upside-down for someone who had woken up one day as a healthy and athletic young adult and who, in an instant, experienced a permanent change in the course of his life, now with traumatic brain injury, bilateral above-knee limb amputation, partial loss of hearing, and other injuries. However, I did not realize that this event would trigger a permanent change in the course of my life as well. Through learning how to care for someone recovering from life-changing events, I found that I not only was able to learn the technical competencies required to deal with drains, bandages, and assisting in activities of daily living for someone newly dependent on the care of others, but I found that I had the compassion, empathy, and patience within myself to be there and support someone through post-traumatic stress disorder, altered self-concept, and the traumas of major medical events, acute and chronic pain, and the other psychosocial changes that can happen when someone’s life is effectively turned upside-down in a single moment. In helping someone I cared about to recover from such an event, I began to consider the possibility that I could build on my emerging gifts in caregiving and to find a way to share that with others as well. As I began to build more confidence in choosing the best pathway for my future career, I had to work tirelessly to find a way to make it happen while balancing all my obligations. I became a single mother to my three children at the same time that my youngest child was diagnosed with autism. During this very dark and challenging time in my life, I shed many tears with the belief that maybe my ambitions were a pipe-dream. However, my kids are not just my biggest responsibility and obligation; they are also the biggest source of inspiration and strength. I know that when I work toward a better future for myself, it’s a better future for all of us. When I decided to go back to school, I sat down with my kids and had a family meeting about my goal and the sacrifices that would be required to get there. Together, we decided that everyone was on board. We have had to skip a lot of extras, get rid of cable tv, and eat a lot of beans and rice. I have had many sleepless nights studying and I’ve missed many activities, but I thank my children every day for their sacrifices as I work toward this goal. They are my biggest cheerleaders, and I am so blessed to have them. Today, I have less than a year left before becoming an RN, and I know that we will get there together as a family.

I was inspired to pursue a nursing degree when I became a caregiver for my brother, after he experienced a catastrophic injury while serving in the U.S. Marines. Prior to his injuries, I had never considered a career in nursing and was not sure that I had any particular talents or gifts in life. I witnessed life turn upside-down for someone who had woken up one day as a healthy and athletic young man and who, in an instant, experienced a permanent change in the course of his life when he suffered traumatic brain injury, bilateral above-knee limb amputation, partial loss of hearing, and other injuries. I did not realize that this event would trigger a permanent change in the course of my life as well. Through learning how to care for someone recovering from life-changing events, I found that I not only was able to learn the technical competencies required to deal with drains, bandages, and assisting in activities of daily living for someone newly dependent on the care of others, but I found that I had the compassion, empathy, and patience within myself to be there and support someone through Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, altered self-concept, and the traumas of major medical events, acute and chronic pain, and the other psychosocial changes that can happen when someone’s life is effectively turned upside-down in a single moment. In helping someone I cared about to recover from such an event, I began to consider the possibility that I could build on my emerging gifts in caregiving and to find a way to share that with others as well. As my confidence in myself began to build and I began to give serious consideration to the possibility to a career in healthcare, the circumstances in my life shifted, and I faced more challenges and barriers to success. I became a single mother. My own mom was diagnosed with COPD. My child was diagnosed autistic. The people around me needed more and more from me, and my achievement of my dreams seemed less possible. However, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic made me take more stock of my life. I lost 2 family members to the pandemic, and with those losses came the realization that life is very short, and that tomorrow is not guaranteed. I also realized that the people who rely on me will be in a better situation if I can better provide for them financially and if I am myself more personally fulfilled by living a life of meaning and purpose. In 2020, I decided to go back to school for vocational (practical) nursing. I paid my own way through school and pushed hard to achieve excellent grades while pushing forward in my other obligations. Once I finished that program, I took a job working full time nights as a private duty pediatric vocational nurse, and I applied to a transition program to become a Registered Nurse. Today I am enrolled in and attending my ADN program to become an RN, and I plan to continue my education to a BSN and beyond. My professional goals are to work in an area where I can support patients and their families who are going through major traumas and medical events so that they can feel support and hope for a future full of recovery and possibility, and I know that my own experiences will bring a deeper level of empathy and understanding in the delivery of this care.