My name is Aubrey Higgins, and I am a freshman at Saint Charles Community College, pursuing a major in Nursing. Growing up, I witnessed firsthand the impact mental health can have on individuals and families. My experience with mental health has profoundly shaped my beliefs, relationships, and career aspirations, driving me to make a positive difference in the world. During high school, I maintained a 4.0 GPA, but it was not without its challenges. I dealt with anxiety, which often felt overwhelming. Through therapy and support from loved ones, I learned the importance of mental health awareness and self-care. This experience taught me that mental health is just as crucial as physical health, and it should be treated with the same level of importance and compassion. It also made me realize that seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness. These experiences have influenced my beliefs about mental health. I believe that everyone deserves access to mental health resources and support, regardless of their background or circumstances. Mental health should not be stigmatized; instead, it should be openly discussed and addressed with empathy and understanding. This belief drives my desire to integrate mental health awareness into my career in nursing. My relationships have also been shaped by my mental health journey. I have learned to communicate more openly with my friends and family about my feelings and to be a better listener. I understand the importance of offering support and being there for others who may be struggling. This has strengthened my relationships and has taught me the value of empathy and patience. My career aspirations have been influenced by my experiences with mental health. I chose to major in Nursing because I want to be on the front lines of healthcare, providing holistic care that addresses both physical and mental well-being. I am particularly interested in working in mental health nursing, where I can support patients in managing their mental health challenges and promote mental wellness. I plan to make a positive impact on the world through my career by advocating for mental health awareness and education. I hope to work in settings where I can provide compassionate care and support to individuals dealing with mental health issues. Additionally, I aim to contribute to initiatives that reduce the stigma surrounding mental health and increase access to mental health services. Through my education and future career in nursing, I am committed to making a difference in the lives of those affected by mental health challenges. I believe that by addressing mental health with the same dedication as physical health, we can create a more compassionate and supportive society. Receiving the Autumn Davis Memorial Scholarship would help me continue my education and achieve my goal of becoming a mental health advocate in the nursing field. Thank you for considering my application.

My name is Aubrey Higgins, and I am currently a freshman at Saint Charles Community College, where I am pursuing a degree in nursing. From a young age, I have always been drawn to the idea of helping others just like my grandmother, and healthcare seemed like a natural path for me to follow. Choosing to pursue a degree in healthcare, specifically nursing, was influenced by my passion for science and my desire to make a positive difference in people's lives. Growing up, I watched my grandmother, who was a nurse, care for others with compassion and dedication. Her stories about the lives she helped and the gratitude she received from her patients inspired me deeply. I admired her ability to provide comfort and support during some of the most vulnerable times in a person's life. This early exposure to healthcare planted a seed in me that grew into a strong desire to follow in her footsteps. As a woman entering the healthcare field, I hope to bring empathy, resilience, and a nurturing spirit to my work. I believe that women have a unique perspective and approach to caregiving, which can be incredibly valuable in healthcare settings. By becoming a nurse, I aim to provide not only medical care but also emotional support to patients and their families. I want to be a source of strength and reassurance, helping to ease their fears and anxieties. In addition to providing direct patient care, I hope to advocate for women's health issues and contribute to closing the gender gap in healthcare leadership. Women face unique challenges in healthcare, both as professionals and as patients. By pursuing a career in nursing, I want to be a voice for women, ensuring that their needs are met and that they receive the highest quality of care. I also aspire to mentor and support other women entering the field, encouraging them to pursue leadership roles and to challenge the status quo. I am committed to lifelong learning and staying current with advancements in healthcare. The field is constantly evolving, and I want to be at the forefront of these changes, integrating new knowledge and technologies into my practice to improve patient outcomes. As a student, I am dedicated to working hard and gaining the skills and knowledge necessary to excel in my career. In conclusion, I have chosen to pursue a degree in healthcare because it aligns with my passion for helping others and my interest in science. As a woman in the healthcare field, I hope to make a positive impact by providing compassionate care, advocating for women's health issues, and supporting other women in the profession. I am excited about the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead and am committed to making a meaningful difference in the lives of my patients and the healthcare community.

My name is Aubrey Higgins, and I am currently a freshman at Saint Charles Community College, where I am pursuing a degree in nursing. From a young age, I have always been drawn to the idea of helping others just like my grandmother, and healthcare seemed like a natural path for me to follow. Choosing to pursue a degree in healthcare, specifically nursing, was influenced by my passion for science and my desire to make a positive difference in people's lives. Growing up, I watched my grandmother, who was a nurse, care for others with compassion and dedication. Her stories about the lives she helped and the gratitude she received from her patients inspired me deeply. I admired her ability to provide comfort and support during some of the most vulnerable times in a person's life. This early exposure to healthcare planted a seed in me that grew into a strong desire to follow in her footsteps. As a woman entering the healthcare field, I hope to bring empathy, resilience, and a nurturing spirit to my work. I believe that women have a unique perspective and approach to caregiving, which can be incredibly valuable in healthcare settings. By becoming a nurse, I aim to provide not only medical care but also emotional support to patients and their families. I want to be a source of strength and reassurance, helping to ease their fears and anxieties. In addition to providing direct patient care, I hope to advocate for women's health issues and contribute to closing the gender gap in healthcare leadership. Women face unique challenges in healthcare, both as professionals and as patients. By pursuing a career in nursing, I want to be a voice for women, ensuring that their needs are met and that they receive the highest quality of care. I also aspire to mentor and support other women entering the field, encouraging them to pursue leadership roles and to challenge the status quo. I am committed to lifelong learning and staying current with advancements in healthcare. The field is constantly evolving, and I want to be at the forefront of these changes, integrating new knowledge and technologies into my practice to improve patient outcomes. As a student, I am dedicated to working hard and gaining the skills and knowledge necessary to excel in my career. In conclusion, I have chosen to pursue a degree in healthcare because it aligns with my passion for helping others and my interest in science. As a woman in the healthcare field, I hope to make a positive impact by providing compassionate care, advocating for women's health issues, and supporting other women in the profession. I am excited about the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead and am committed to making a meaningful difference in the lives of my patients and the healthcare community.

What I have learned in tennis through out the years is to be a better person then when you started. This has happened by working myself to the bone to be the best that I can be. Whether that is on the court, at school, home, or even work. By pushing myself to serve faster, to sprint farther, study longer, I try to encourage others to be the best that they can be as well. By being in tennis I have learned you don’t have to rely on yourself for everything. For example, in a doubles match where you have to be able to trust your partner to not serve the ball into your back or where you have to trust them to get a ball you couldn’t reach. Which learning this through tennis has allowed me to let more people into my life whether they are my teammates that become part of my family or some strangers that I meet which end up becoming the most important people in my life, it would never of happened with out tennis and my coaches. Tennis has shaped my future by making me be the best that I can be by having me be a school athlete. By making me put school first and not the other way around, where it is athlete who is a student. This has allowed me to do what I love, which is play tennis and also help with my future. By being a school athlete I am expected to be at my best at school and on the court. So I try to do the best that I can, and to try and figure out how I can be better. Since having outstanding grades is a requirement to be a tennis player for school. Which has allowed me to have more opportunities during the school year and even more after I graduate from high school. By learning to not only rely on my on myself I have been able to open myself to others. Whether they are my teammates or not. This has allowed me to build relationships that will last a lifetime. This has helped shaped my future by being able to build a relationship with any person that I have or will need that will potentially be in my life. When I go off to collage and I don’t have my family or friends that I have now near by, I will have to be able to start and build new relationships. Which I am able to do because of what tennis has done for me.

The most helpful piece of financial advice that I have ever received was from my uncle when I was around 11 years old. This is when I had just gotten a couple of dollars from my grandpa. I wanted to go to the store and buy my favorite snack at the time. He later pulled me aside when I was just about to walk out the door with my partners and older sisters and told his advise to me which was was “earn the amount of money you are worth and then spend less than you earn.” With this advise at the time I had no idea what he meant because as an 11 year old kid I just wanted a nutter butter from Dollar General. But now a few years after that. Now I am starting to get little jobs that I can do. And now I have been able to put a small amount of money away in case I need it for a rainy day in the future.