When I was a little girl, I always wanted to be what I called a “baby doctor.” I didn’t know then that it was called a neonatologist. I just knew I wanted to care for people who needed it most. As I grew older, life took a few unexpected turns that pulled me away from my original path, but the desire to help others never left my heart. I started working as a CNA at a local hospital while still in high school, and that experience changed everything. I was surrounded by incredible nurses who showed me what true compassion, dedication, and teamwork looked like. They encouraged me to keep going and to believe in myself. With their support and my own determination, I went back to school, earned my LPN, and passed the NCLEX-PN on my first try. For the past six years, I’ve had the privilege of working as an LPN, and it’s been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I found a special passion for wound care not just for the medical aspect but for the healing journey itself. There’s something powerful about helping someone recover both physically and emotionally. Watching wounds heal, seeing a patient’s confidence return, or simply hearing a heartfelt “thank you” reminds me why I chose this path. Patient education has also become one of my favorite parts of nursing. Teaching patients how to care for themselves and seeing them take pride in their healing brings me so much joy. Working alongside physicians in wound management has strengthened my skills and deepened my love for this field. Still, as an LPN, I’ve often felt limited in how much more I could do for my patients. That’s what drives me to continue my education and expand my ability to serve. I’ve enrolled in an accelerated BSN program because I know my purpose doesn’t end here. My goal is to earn my Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) and specialize in wound care and management. With this degree, I’ll be able to provide a higher level of care, lead teams, and reach more people, especially those in underserved communities who don’t always have access to proper wound treatment or education. One day, I hope to open a wound care and education clinic in my community. I want it to be a place where patients feel safe, supported, and truly cared for. A place that focuses not only on healing but also on prevention. Many people struggle with chronic wounds due to lack of knowledge or resources, and I want to change that. Through education, workshops, and follow-up care, I hope to empower my patients to take control of their health and quality of life. Becoming a nurse has already changed my life in more ways than I could have imagined. But earning my nursing degree will give me the opportunity to change even more lives. Nursing is not just a job to me, it’s my calling. Every patient, every lesson, and every challenge has shaped me into the nurse I am today. With this next step in my journey, I hope to continue growing, serving, and giving back to the community that helped shape me.

My name is Arielle Harvey. I am a mother, a daughter, a sister, and a friend. One title that I take pride in is being a nurse. Since I was 5 I expressed that when I grow up I want to be a doctor. Up until my freshman year in college I thought that it would be easy. But shortly after my first semester in college I realized that it would not be as easy as I thought. My road thus far has been a bit rocky, but I have concurred every obstacle that has come my way. I started nursing school back in 2017 to obtain my LPN license. It was a very strenuous program. At the tail end of the program I found out I was excepting my second child. I already had a daughter who was turning 4 that year. Through all of the early morning clinical and suffering from the first trimester aliments I graduated top of my class in the spring of 2019. Starting my nursing career off a little rocky with a high risk pregnancy. I had plans to continue my nursing education to obtain my RN after I delivered. After having my son in September 2019 life as we knew it surely changed when the country shut down in 2020. Trying to juggle a newborn, a toddler, and managing to work in the medical field in the mist of calamity; was enough to drive a sane person insane. After deep thought I decided to wait until my son was of school age to go back to school. He is now almost four and going to “big school” with his sister this fall. I decided that this is my opportunity to finish what I started. I desire to get my Masters in Nursing to be a Family Nurse Practitioner. This scholarship would help me tremendously. Being that before this program has ended I would be maxed out all of my financial aid. I would have to take out personal loans and financially I cannot afford to do that at this time. It will also show my kids that we can do anything we set our minds to do. If we have faith the size of a mustard seed, we can move mountains. In conclusion I desire to be a role model to any young person out there struggling to find their way. I want them to know that it’s never too late to follow your dreams. In life we may have to take detours and there also maybe road blocks. You can cry about it or do something about it. I believe that if God placed the desire on your heart to be that nurse or to be that entrepreneur or business owner; push through. What maybe a delay is not always a denial. Pick yourself up and try again