The care I've received from dedicated nurses has made me who I am today. When I struggled through seven years of infertility and eventually turned to ART, my fertility nurses patiently answered my tear-filled questions about treatment options, carefully made sure that I knew how to administer each medication properly, and cheered me on when I was running out of hope. When my oldest child was born, my nurse-midwife made me feel safe during my sudden, precipitous labor. My NICU nurses were there with me day and night when my four-day-old child became deathly ill, gently shepherding me through the worst experience of my life. When my twins were born at 28 weeks by unplanned c-section, my labor and delivery nurses kept me informed every step of the way, held my hands when I was scared, and lovingly held up each tiny newborn so I could press my cheek against theirs. When my mental health collapsed, my psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner guided me through a long diagnostic process with an even-handed temperament that was my calm in the storm. He ensured I had the proper medication and support to put my life back together. Today, I'm a homeschooling mom to three wonderful children, working from home as a freelance writer specializing in health literacy. I've always been interested in healthcare and wellness—I was a childbirth doula and educator before my children were born—and my experiences with nurses have given me first-hand insight into how essential quality nurses are to the patients they serve. As a multiply-marginalized disabled mother in a low-income household, I'm aware of the barriers to healthcare access and participation that many patients face. I view nursing through a social justice lens and plan to use my career to reduce health disparities wherever possible. As the only child of a working single mother who became my family's first college graduate—I have many fond memories of curling up in the corner of her college classrooms with a sketchbook and crayons—I know how powerful a mother's example is to her children. I want my children to grow up knowing it's never too late to pursue their dreams. I want them to know that hard work and dedication can make all things possible, even when you've faced obstacles. I want to be a nurse who advocates for my patients, helps them navigate the healthcare system, improves their health literacy, and provides judgment-free care every step of their healthcare journey. I want to be a nurse who remembers that every one of my patients is someone's child, and I want to provide them the same compassionate, respectful, evidence-based care that I would want for my own children.