Growing up, my father struggled with alcoholism and bipolar disorder. While I may not have fully understood his diagnoses as a child, I understood the uncertainty that came with them. There were periods when life felt stable and others when it felt unpredictable. Watching someone I loved struggle with mental illness showed me how deeply mental health affects not only an individual, but also the people around them. As I entered my teenage years, I faced my own challenges. After experiencing bullying and helping support my family through difficult periods, I began struggling with major depressive disorder. At the time, it often felt isolating. Like many people experiencing mental health challenges, I believed I needed to handle everything on my own. Over time, however, I learned that asking for support is not a sign of weakness. Seeking help gave me the tools to better understand myself, develop healthy coping strategies, and move forward with resilience. Those experiences shaped the way I view mental health today. To me, mental health is just as important as physical health because it influences every aspect of a person's life, including relationships, academic success, physical well-being, and overall quality of life. When mental health struggles go unrecognized or untreated, the effects often extend far beyond the individual. Because of my personal experiences, I understand how important it is for people to feel heard, supported, and free from judgment. One of the ways I advocate for mental health in my community is through volunteering with children at my local church. Every weekend, I help provide childcare and spend time building relationships with kids of different ages. While my role is not formal counseling, I recognize that small interactions can have a lasting impact. By creating a safe, supportive environment and being a trusted adult who listens with patience and empathy, I hope to provide encouragement to children who may be struggling with challenges that are not always visible. I know from my own experiences that having even one supportive person can make a meaningful difference. As a nursing student, I also advocate for mental health by preparing to provide compassionate, patient-centered care. In my future nursing practice, I hope to use therapeutic communication and empathy to support patients experiencing mental illness while helping educate patients and families about available resources. I am especially passionate about reducing the stigma surrounding mental health treatment. Too often, people avoid seeking help because they fear judgment or misunderstanding. I want to be part of a healthcare system that encourages open conversations about mental health and treats it with the same importance as any physical condition. My experiences have shown me that mental health challenges do not define a person. They simply remind us of the importance of compassion, support, and understanding. Through my volunteer work, my education, and my future nursing career, I hope to contribute to a community where people feel comfortable seeking help and confident that they will be met with empathy rather than stigma.

My mother’s words seemed to halt time as I sat shivering in a pool locker room as she told me that my grandmother was dying. My grandmother had been sick for a few years with colon cancer, but she had previously responded well to treatment. I could not wrap my head around how she could decline in a matter of hours. It was hard to comprehend how I, with hair soaked in chlorine water and in a damp racing suit, might have to say goodbye to my grandmother three thousand miles away. A feeling of ear overwhelmed me, and all I would think was: how did this happen? Shortly after, my family spoke with one of the nurses involved in her care while I was on the phone. She explained my grandmother’s condition in a way that was clear and compassionate, taking the time to walk me through how the infection had spread and what that meant for her prognosis. What impacted me significantly was not just the information that she shared, but how she delivered it. She created a space for my questions and spoke with a calmness that made an overwhelming moment feel more manageable. While it did not change the outcomes, the clarity and reassurance she provided stayed with me. In that moment I began to understand the profound impact a nurse can have through both clinical care and communication. In the months following my grandmother’s passing, I became increasingly interested in understanding her illness and the way the body can rapidly shift from stability to crisis. As i continued my education, and eventually began working as a medical assistant, it became clear to me that I valued the connection I was able to build with patients rather than just the science behind the disease. Through taking p atient histories, assisting with exams, and supporting patients through routine visits as well as severe diagnoses, I found fulfillment in being present during those vulnerable moments. I found that I was able to help patients understand their care and feel more supported in uncertain situations, just as my grandmother’s nurse had done for me. These experiences shaped my decision to pursue nursing because of the unique role nurses play in patient care. Nurses are often the most consistent presence for patients and their families, bridging the gap between complex medical information and their lived experiences. Nurses advocate for their patients, provide education, and offer reassurance throughout the course of care. I am inspired by the way nurses combine clinical skill with empathy, creating a connection of trust during some of the most difficult moments in a patient’s life. Ultimately I chose nursing because it allows me to make a direct and meaningful impact on people’s experiences. I am motivated by the opportunity to provide safe, effective care and also being a source of reassurance during challenging times. My experiences have shown me that even small moments of understanding and support can have a lasting impact. I hope to bring that same sense of presence and compassion into my own practice as a nurse. I found this scholarship through an online search for nursing scholarships and the Bold.org platform.

I have always been an empathetic and caring person. In fact, I think that would be the most used words when describing me, hardworking being a close second, if you asked any of my friends. Throughout my childhood and through my first undergraduate degree, I competitively swam. Years of early morning swimming practices and balancing academics taught me discipline, focus, and resilience. I still love swimming, and I find that anytime I get back in the water I center myself. Being an athlete growing up instilled a passion for being active which I maintain to this day. Additionally, growing up in Alaska made me appreciate the outdoors. I love to get outside hiking and remember how small I am in this big, beautiful world. Sports have been a big part of my life, but at my core I am an intellectual person. Throughout my high school and college career, a love for science was fostered by my family and teachers. I found that I loved how things worked. This often-solidified knowledge and helped me understand the world around me. I began my first undergraduate degree in biochemistry in 2015, and during my second year my grandmother suddenly declined from complications of colon cancer. I happened to be at a swim meet when I got a call from my mother in Alaska that she was admitted to the hospital, and her prognosis was poor. Sitting in the locker room, still in my racing suit, I had so many thoughts of racing through my mind. One bubbled to the surface “how did this happen?" To my surprise someone on the other end of the speaker phone answered me. It was the nurse that was taking care of my grandmother, and she explained that she was septic, meaning that an infection had spread to her blood, and she was not responding to treatment. Her explanation and kindness slightly calmed the storm that was my thoughts at the time, and I carried that with me for several years. Shortly after my grandmother passed, I became very interested in colon cancer. I even made it the subject of many of my biochemistry undergraduate degree projects. At the time, I was certain that I wanted to work in a lab and possibly move on to a master's degree or PhD to contribute to the innovation of new pharmacological agents and treatments, hat is until I actually worked in a lab during my last semesters of my undergraduate degree. I found that I loved the logical processing and science, but I felt the work was too slow moving and I missed interacting with people. This led me to work as a medical assistant, a role I have now held for almost five years. It was through hands-on patient care that I discovered how deeply I value connecting with patients, supporting them during vulnerable moments, and helping them understand their health. This realization inspired me to pursue a nursing degree, a field that allows me to combine my love of science with my passion for serving others. I am now in my first semester of nursing school while working part time, and I feel energized and grateful to be following this path. After graduating, I hope to work at one of the major hospitals in Colorado Springs, giving back to the community I live in. My goal is to provide the same empathetic, thorough care that I witnessed from the nurse who cared for my grandmother. I hope to support patients and their families in their most challenging moments and contribute positively to the health of my community through compassion and education.

Growing up in Alaska provided me with some of the most amazing outdoor experiences that I could ever ask for. As I grew up, I was taught to admire, enjoy, and maybe even fear mother nature. When I graduated high school, I knew that, if I moved, I needed to move somewhere that allowed me to maintain my outdoor activities like hiking and skiing. Colorado was an obvious choice for me, and I have honestly never looked back. I love the versatility in the things that I can do here in Colorado, and I have been exposed to new experiences like via ferratas and white-water rafting. Colorado has my heart, but my most memorable outdoor experience still comes from Alaska when I was younger. I went on my first backpacking trip when I was seventeen with three of my closest friends. It was only a seven-mile hike to the campsite, and we had planned plenty of provisions for the next two days. The thing we didn’t plan for was the snow in late June. It got cold and wet fast. When we got to the campsite, it was far too windy to use our camp stove in the brush for fear of starting a wildfire. Cold and a little bit worn out, my friends and I crawled into our tent for cold, cured sausages and some bread (if you asked me at the time, it was the best meal I had ever tasted). We weathered the small June snowstorm in sleeping bags and multiple layers, and when the wind died down, we decided to leave the tent and explore a bit. The landscape had changed so much with just a dusting of snow. The sky had a blue/gray hue to it and the creek nearby seemed to run a little slower. We enjoyed a quiet walk by the creek and talked about the things that seventeen-year-olds are worried about. I remember feeling so at peace with the people that I cared about in a place so beautiful; after having arrived in frustration with the way the weather seemed to have ruined our plans. In the end, I had more fun and enjoyed my time in nature more than a lot of trips that have gone perfectly to plan. I was able to look up at the mountains and feel so tiny in this huge world that I get to live in. I learned that there is joy and beauty in the unknown, especially when it comes to the outdoors, and it is important to embrace the things that we cannot control. Looking back on this experience reminds me to take a moment and be grateful for the things that I think might be going wrong, or not exactly to plan. I remember that, sometimes, beauty in experiences comes from the places that we are and the people that we are with. Going through life with this mindset has allowed me to be flexible and pivot when life demands it, while also remaining thankful for the things that I have. I also will never forget to pack warm weather/waterproof gear just in case.