I am a single mother of four children ages 15, 19, 20, and 21. My divorce from my husband of seventeen years in 2017 was traumatic emotionally and financially. I had to pick up the pieces somehow. Instead of having two incomes to support the family, my children and I relied on just my income as a biology teacher to survive. I struggled and cried but didn't allow my children to see me that way. They didn't know how bad my financial situation was because I kept it a secret. They weren't aware that I was borrowing money from friends and relatives to provide for them. Ultimately, I took their father to court for child support, and I won. The judge forced him to pay or go to jail. His money relieved some of my financial stress, but I knew it wouldn't last forever because my children were getting older. I also knew that teaching would never allow me to acquire financial independence, so I began pursuing my real passion, medicine. About a year after my divorce, I took prerequisite classes to attain a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. It was challenging because I would work during the day and attend classes in the evening three days a week. My children didn't see me the whole day for those three days. On the days that I didn't attend school, I prepared meals for them, and they ate the leftovers when I was in school. I took three classes and made A’s in all of them. However, because of financial reasons, I was forced to stop. That was painful. However, I decided not to give up because I am compassionate and want to be part of a field that helps sick people get better. I returned to school in 2021, and now I am aggressively pursuing my degree in nursing. Every time I enter a hospital, especially the emergency department, I feel inspired. I get an adrenaline rush, and I get overcome with this feeling that the hospital is where I am meant to work. When I observe the medical team huddled together discussing possible medical treatments for the patients, I crave being included in the discussion. Also, I work as a patient care tech (PCT) at a major hospital in Texas. I clean the patients, ensure they are comfortable, check their vital signs, take them to the restroom, get them food and drinks, drain their bodily fluids, and more. Many of them are extremely appreciative. They are constantly thanking me for helping them to feel better. That puts a smile on my face. I enjoy my job, but I want to do more. I want to make care plans and communicate with the doctors and families about patient treatments. As a PCT, I can't do that. Having a nursing career is my dream. I love people, and I am very compassionate. There is nothing more fulfilling than helping a sick person feel better.

For the last ten years, I have spent many hours in the classroom teaching science. It has been fun, but my real passion is healthcare. Every time I enter a hospital, especially the emergency department, I get an adrenaline rush. I get overcome with this feeling that the hospital is where I am meant to work. When I observe the medical team huddled together discussing possible medical treatments for the patients, I crave being included in the discussion. I started taking prerequisite classes three years ago to attain a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. I took three classes and made A’s in all of them. However, because of financial reasons, I was forced to stop. That was painful. However, I decided not to give up because I am compassionate and want to be part of a field that helps sick people get better. My mom and sister inspired me to become a nurse. My mom is a licensed practical nurse (LPN), and my sister is a nurse practitioner (NP). Both are very caring and nurturing, and they love their jobs. I would always converse with them about the nursing field, and nursing became more appealing to me. Also, I work as a patient care tech (PCT) at a major hospital in Texas. I clean the patients, ensure they are comfortable, check their vital signs, take them to the restroom, get them food and drinks, drain their bodily fluids, and more. Many of them are extremely appreciative. They are constantly thanking me for helping them to feel better. That puts a smile on my face. I enjoy my job, but I want to do more. I want to make care plans and communicate with the doctors and families about patient treatments. As a PCT, I can't do that. When I become a nurse, I will have the skills to do everything a PCT does and more. I plan to be a team player and help my fellow nurses and the PCTs do their job so that my unit can function smoothly. Working as a PCT has prepared me immensely for what's to come for me in my nursing career. I have observed the nurses inserting and removing catheters, suctioning the patients, completing wound care, and giving medicine. I want to be able to do those things too. Having a nursing career is my dream. I love people, and I am very compassionate. There is nothing more fulfilling than helping a sick person feel better.

For the last ten years, I have spent many hours in the classroom teaching science. It has been fun, but my real passion is healthcare. Every time I enter a hospital, especially the emergency department, I get an adrenaline rush. I get overcome with this feeling that the hospital is where I am meant to work. When I observe the medical team huddled together discussing possible medical treatments for the patients, I crave being included in the discussion. I started taking prerequisite classes three years ago to attain a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. I took three classes and made A’s in all of them. However, because of financial reasons, I was forced to stop. That was painful. However, I decided not to give up because I am compassionate and want to be part of a field that helps sick people get better. This scholarship will help me immensely because nursing will be my second career. I already have a bachelor's degree in biology, so I cannot receive financial aid or get personal loans without a viable cosigner. I need scholarships to cover the cost of my tuition, supplies, and housing. I have given up a lot to make my dreams of working as a nurse come true. I left my older three kids and the rest of my family and moved to Texas from Louisiana to attend the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) just for nursing school. I could not attend any nursing schools in Louisiana because all of them required me to retake at least 5-7 science classes, and none had an evening or weekend program. Since I work as a biology teacher during the day, it was essential that whatever nursing school I chose would allow me to take class and complete clinicals in the evening and on the weekend. I discovered several universities in Texas that offered what I was looking for, and ultimately, I chose UTA. UTA is awesome, but I still have challenges. I have to secure funding to stay in school and keep my UTA apartment. If I don't secure funding, I cannot stay in school, and I will lose my UTA apartment. A campus apartment is they only thing I can afford. It is cheap, and it includes internet, cable, furniture, and a washer and dryer. Off-campus apartments would be too expensive for me. At any rate, my federal loans have reached the maximum amount allowed. I tried personal loans but I don't qualify without a creditworthy cosigner. Being awarded this scholarship would mean so much to me. I would be forever grateful. When I get out of school, I would definitely pay it forward.