I have wanted to become a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) since I decided to attend nursing school. I double major to gain a better knowledge of how the two fields play such a big part with one another. This made my desire to become a PMHNP even more sound as I loved both programs and became interested in how I can become a better nurse using my knowledge in psychology. I have personal experience with how mental health is looked at within our healthcare systems. My brother struggles with addiction and mental health issues, and I see how he falls through the broken cracks of the healthcare system more and more each day. While his illness is unseen in the physical sense, it still has a great impact on his daily life and the daily life of our family. I believe that everyone should be taken seriously and have their healthcare needs met no matter what condition, physical or mental, they may have. Mental health can have physical effects on a person and needs to be treated with the same care and compassion as any other patient. Mental health should be talked about and have specific criteria within our healthcare system to ensure these patients feel heard and safe. This is crucial for people to seek help regarding their own mental health struggles rather than feeling alone and helpless. If we can help make mental health have a higher standard of treatment requirements and more facilities that are equipped in treating these patients, less families would deal with the loss of a family member or friend due to mental health. I want to be the nurse who is able to fix the broken cracks of the system and ensure my patients do not fall through it. I feel it is easy for someone to turn their head at someone who struggles if they have never had the heart-wrenching experience of watching someone they love battle that struggle. Unfortunately, most people show little compassion and these patients continue their downhill spiral until eventually they cannot fight anymore and lose their battle with mental health or addiction. These tragedies are preventable, like any other illness, and should be addressed and treated with the same regard. I hope to be the nurse and eventually the PMHNP who can stop this vicious cycle of struggle and loss. I want to have my knowledge and training to be able to give hope to my patients and their families when it seems all hope is lost. I want to be able to make a difference in someone else’s life the way a PMHNP did for my brother six years ago. He has told me that if that one person did not treat him differently than all the other nurses and doctors he had seen, he would have not had the strength to keep fighting and get to where he is today. In the future, I hope to be that one person who can give someone’s loved one the strength and desire to be better. Without her, my own brother would not be celebrating his sixth year clean and leading a new life for himself, and that is why I want to be a nurse and nurse practitioner in the field of mental health. I have used all available financial aid and will have to pay for my senior year of nursing school out of pocket. This scholarship would help tremendously paying for school. I have worked so long and hard to pursue my dreams. I hope this scholarship will help me to continue doing so.

I have wanted to become a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) since I decided to attend nursing school. I double major to gain a better knowledge of how the two fields play such a big part with one another. This made my desire to become a PMHNP even more sound as I loved both programs and became interested in how I can become a better nurse using my knowledge in psychology. I have personal experience with how mental health is looked at within our healthcare systems. My brother struggles with addiction and mental health issues, and I see how he falls through the broken cracks of the healthcare system more and more each day. While his illness is unseen in the physical sense, it still has a great impact on his daily life and the daily life of our family. I believe that everyone should be taken seriously and have their healthcare needs met no matter what condition, physical or mental, they may have. Mental health can have physical effects on a person and needs to be treated with the same care and compassion as any other patient. Mental health should be talked about and have specific criteria within our healthcare system to ensure these patients feel heard and safe. This is crucial for people to seek help regarding their own mental health struggles rather than feeling alone and helpless. If we can help make mental health have a higher standard of treatment requirements and more facilities that are equipped in treating these patients, less families would deal with the loss of a family member or friend due to mental health. I want to be the nurse who is able to fix the broken cracks of the system and ensure my patients do not fall through it. I feel it is easy for someone to turn their head at someone who struggles if they have never had the heart-wrenching experience of watching someone they love battle that struggle. Unfortunately, most people show little compassion and these patients continue their downhill spiral until eventually they cannot fight anymore and lose their battle with mental health or addiction. These tragedies are preventable, like any other illness, and should be addressed and treated with the same regard. I hope to be the nurse and eventually the PMHNP who can stop this vicious cycle of struggle and loss. I want to have my knowledge and training to be able to give hope to my patients and their families when it seems all hope is lost. I want to be able to make a difference in someone else’s life the way a PMHNP did for my brother six years ago. He has told me that if that one person did not treat him differently than all the other nurses and doctors he had seen, he would have not had the strength to keep fighting and get to where he is today. In the future, I hope to be that one person who can give someone’s loved one the strength and desire to be better. Without her, my own brother would not be celebrating his sixth year clean and leading a new life for himself, and that is why I want to be a nurse and nurse practitioner in the field of mental health.

I have wanted to become a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) since I decided to attend nursing school. I double major to gain a better knowledge of how the two fields play such a big part with one another. This made my desire to become a PMHNP even more sound as I loved both programs and became interested in how I can become a better nurse using my knowledge in psychology. I have personal experience with how mental health is looked at within our healthcare systems. My brother struggles with addiction and mental health issues, and I see how he falls through the broken cracks of the healthcare system more and more each day. While his illness is unseen in the physical sense, it still has a great impact on his daily life and the daily life of our family. I believe that everyone should be taken seriously and have their healthcare needs met no matter what condition, physical or mental, they may have. Mental health can have physical effects on a person and needs to be treated with the same care and compassion as any other patient. Mental health should be talked about and have specific criteria within our healthcare system to ensure these patients feel heard and safe. This is crucial for people to seek help regarding their own mental health struggles rather than feeling alone and helpless. If we can help make mental health have a higher standard of treatment requirements and more facilities that are equipped in treating these patients, less families would deal with the loss of a family member or friend due to mental health. I want to be the nurse who is able to fix the broken cracks of the system and ensure my patients do not fall through it. I feel it is easy for someone to turn their head at someone who struggles if they have never had the heart-wrenching experience of watching someone they love battle that struggle. Unfortunately, most people show little compassion and these patients continue their downhill spiral until eventually they cannot fight anymore and lose their battle with mental health or addiction. These tragedies are preventable, like any other illness, and should be addressed and treated with the same regard. I hope to be the nurse and eventually the PMHNP who can stop this vicious cycle of struggle and loss. I want to have my knowledge and training to be able to give hope to my patients and their families when it seems all hope is lost. I want to be able to make a difference in someone else’s life the way a PMHNP did for my brother six years ago. He has told me that if that one person did not treat him differently than all the other nurses and doctors he had seen, he would have not had the strength to keep fighting and get to where he is today. In the future, I hope to be that one person who can give someone’s loved one the strength and desire to be better. Without her, my own brother would not be celebrating his sixth year clean and leading a new life for himself, and that is why I want to be a nurse and nurse practitioner in the field of mental health.

In high school I became very ill due to a reaction I had from a shot I received. I was so sick that I was not able to attend high school and needed to be homeschooled throughout high school. At the time my doctors did not have an answer of when I would feel better, or when I could go back to school. The only people in all of my visits to doctors and specialists that had any suggestions or answers for me were my nurses. At that moment I decided that I wanted to be a nurse, so I could help someone sick like I was and give them the same hope my nurses gave me. Unfortunately, due to me being homeschooled through high school, I did not have the attendance I needed to get into a nursing program. I decided to choose my backup career with the thought and hope that maybe I would like this choice too, but I did not. However, by choosing another path I had the chance to receive the attendance and high GPA that I needed to get into nursing school. I never knew that going back to college as an adult would be such a financial challenge. I was so worried about getting into nursing school that I never thought about how I would pay for it now that I am an adult living on my own. Since I had attended college for two years, I have used all my available aid and will have to pay out of pocket my senior year of school in the fall. I am becoming concerned with how I will continue working to pay for the supplies I need and covering the cost of tuition. My primary goal for school is to become a psych nurse and eventually a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. I know that I will need to spend a lot of time studying, completing assignments, and attending all of my classes and labs to become a great nurse and pass my program. However, I am starting to become stressed with how I will be able to juggle working full time and going to school full time. I do not want my work to affect my grades. I do not want to be in a position that I cannot afford to pay for school after I waited all this time and now finally got into a program. I want to be able to have the knowledge and skill set to be able to help people as a nurse like nurses did for me when I was sick through high school. My nurses at that time gave me hope, and I want to be able to give another sick person that same hope I have worked so long and so hard to pursue my dreams. I hope this scholarship will help me to continue my dream and not have to put it on hold again.

In high school I became very ill due to a reaction I had from a shot I received. I was so sick that I was not able to attend high school and needed to be homeschooled throughout high school. At the time my doctors did not have an answer of when I would feel better, or when I could go back to school. The only people in all of my visits to doctors and specialists that had any suggestions or answers for me were my nurses. Those women gave me hope that I would get better and supported me along my journey. At that moment I decided that I wanted to be a nurse, so I could help someone sick like I was and give them the same hope my nurses gave me. Unfortunately, due to me being homeschooled through high school, I did not have the attendance I needed to get into a nursing program. I decided to choose my backup career with the thought and hope that maybe I would like this choice too, but I did not. However, by choosing another path I had the chance to receive the attendance and high GPA that I needed to get into nursing school. I never knew that going back to college as an adult would be such a financial challenge. I was so worried about getting into nursing school that I never thought about how I would pay for it now that I am an adult living on my own. Since I had attended college for two years, I have used all my available aid and will have to pay out of pocket my senior year of school in the fall. I am becoming concerned with how I will continue working to pay for the supplies I need and covering the cost of tuition. My primary goal for school is to become a psych nurse and eventually a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. I know that I will need to spend a lot of time studying, completing assignments, and attending all of my classes and labs to become a great nurse and pass my program. However, I am starting to become stressed with how I will be able to juggle working full time and going to school full time. I do not want my work to affect my grades. I do not want to be in a position that I cannot afford to pay for school after I waited all this time and now finally got into a program. I want to be able to have the knowledge and skill set to be able to help people as a nurse like nurses did for me when I was sick through high school. My nurses at that time gave me hope, and I want to be able to give another sick person that same hope I have worked so long and so hard to pursue my dreams. I hope this scholarship will help me to continue my dream and not have to put it on hold again.

In high school I became very ill due to a reaction I had from a shot I received. I was so sick that I was not able to attend high school and needed to be homeschooled throughout high school. At the time my doctors did not have an answer of when I would feel better, or when I could go back to school. The only people in all of my visits to doctors and specialists that had any suggestions or answers for me were my nurses. At that moment I decided that I wanted to be a nurse, so I could help someone sick like I was and give them the same hope my nurses gave me. Unfortunately, due to me being homeschooled through high school, I did not have the attendance I needed to get into a nursing program. I decided to choose my backup career with the thought and hope that maybe I would like this choice too, but I did not. However, by choosing another path I had the chance to receive the attendance and high GPA that I needed to get into nursing school. I never knew that going back to college as an adult would be such a financial challenge. I was so worried about getting into nursing school that I never thought about how I would pay for it now that I am an adult living on my own. Since I had attended college for two years, I have used all my available aid and will have to pay out of pocket my senior year of school in the fall. I am becoming concerned with how I will continue working to pay for the supplies I need and covering the cost of tuition. My primary goal for school is to become a psych nurse and eventually a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. I know that I will need to spend a lot of time studying, completing assignments, and attending all of my classes and labs to become a great nurse and pass my program. However, I am starting to become stressed with how I will be able to juggle working full time and going to school full time. I do not want my work to affect my grades. I do not want to be in a position that I cannot afford to pay for school after I waited all this time and now finally got into a program. I want to be able to have the knowledge and skill set to be able to help people as a nurse like nurses did for me when I was sick through high school. My nurses at that time gave me hope, and I want to be able to give another sick person that same hope I have worked so long and so hard to pursue my dreams. I hope this scholarship will help me to continue my dream and not have to put it on hold again.

In high school I became very ill due to a reaction I had from a shot I received. I was so sick that I was not able to attend high school and needed to be homeschooled throughout high school. At the time my doctors did not have an answer of when I would feel better, or when I could go back to school. The only people in all of my visits to doctors and specialists that had any suggestions or answers for me were my nurses. At that moment I decided that I wanted to be a nurse, so I could help someone sick like I was and give them the same hope my nurses gave me. Unfortunately, due to me being homeschooled through high school, I did not have the attendance I needed to get into a nursing program. I decided to choose my backup career with the thought and hope that maybe I would like this choice too, but I did not. However, by choosing another path I had the chance to receive the attendance and high GPA that I needed to get into nursing school. I never knew that going back to college as an adult would be such a financial challenge. I was so worried about getting into nursing school that I never thought about how I would pay for it now that I am an adult living on my own. Since I had attended college for two years, I have used all my available aid and will have to pay out of pocket my senior year of school in the fall. I am becoming concerned with how I will continue working to pay for the supplies I need and covering the cost of tuition. My primary goal for school is to become a psych nurse and eventually a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. I know that I will need to spend a lot of time studying, completing assignments, and attending all of my classes and labs to become a great nurse and pass my program. However, I am starting to become stressed with how I will be able to juggle working full time and going to school full time. I do not want my work to affect my grades. I do not want to be in a position that I cannot afford to pay for school after I waited all this time and now finally got into a program. I want to be able to have the knowledge and skill set to be able to help people as a nurse like nurses did for me when I was sick through high school. My nurses at that time gave me hope, and I want to be able to give another sick person that same hope I have worked so long and so hard to pursue my dreams. I hope this scholarship will help me to continue my dream and not have to put it on hold again.

In high school I became very ill due to a reaction I had from a shot I received. I was so sick that I was not able to attend high school and needed to be homeschooled throughout high school. At the time my doctors did not have an answer of when I would feel better, or when I could go back to school. The only people in all of my visits to doctors and specialists that had any suggestions or answers for me were my nurses. At that moment I decided that I wanted to be a nurse, so I could help someone sick like I was and give them the same hope my nurses gave me. Unfortunately, due to me being homeschooled through high school, I did not have the attendance I needed to get into a nursing program. I decided to choose my backup career with the thought and hope that maybe I would like this choice too, but I did not. However, by choosing another path I had the chance to receive the attendance and high GPA that I needed to get into nursing school. I never knew that going back to college as an adult would be such a financial challenge. I was so worried about getting into nursing school that I never thought about how I would pay for it now that I am an adult living on my own. Since I had attended college for two years, I have used all my available aid and will have to pay out of pocket my senior year of school in the fall. I am becoming concerned with how I will continue working to pay for the supplies I need and covering the cost of tuition. My primary goal for school is to become a psych nurse and eventually a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. I know that I will need to spend a lot of time studying, completing assignments, and attending all of my classes and labs to become a great nurse and pass my program. However, I am starting to become stressed with how I will be able to juggle working full time and going to school full time. I do not want my work to affect my grades. I do not want to be in a position that I cannot afford to pay for school after I waited all this time and now finally got into a program. I want to be able to have the knowledge and skill set to be able to help people as a nurse like nurses did for me when I was sick through high school. My nurses at that time gave me hope, and I want to be able to give another sick person that same hope I have worked so long and so hard to pursue my dreams. I hope this scholarship will help me to continue my dream and not have to put it on hold again.

In high school I became very ill due to a reaction I had from a shot I received. I was so sick that I was not able to attend high school and needed to be homeschooled throughout high school. At the time my doctors did not have an answer of when I would feel better, or when I could go back to school. The only people in all of my visits to doctors and specialists that had any suggestions or answers for me were my nurses. At that moment I decided that I wanted to be a nurse, so I could help someone sick like I was and give them the same hope my nurses gave me. Unfortunately, due to me being homeschooled through high school, I did not have the attendance I needed to get into a nursing program. I decided to choose my backup career with the thought and hope that maybe I would like this choice too, but I did not. However, by choosing another path I had the chance to receive the attendance and high GPA that I needed to get into nursing school. I never knew that going back to college as an adult would be such a financial challenge. I was so worried about getting into nursing school that I never thought about how I would pay for it now that I am an adult living on my own. Since I had attended college for two years, I have used all my available aid and will have to pay out of pocket my senior year of school in the fall. I am becoming concerned with how I will continue working to pay for the supplies I need and covering the cost of tuition. My primary goal for school is to become a psych nurse and eventually a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. I know that I will need to spend a lot of time studying, completing assignments, and attending all of my classes and labs to become a great nurse and pass my program. However, I am starting to become stressed with how I will be able to juggle working full time and going to school full time. I do not want my work to affect my grades. I do not want to be in a position that I cannot afford to pay for school after I waited all this time and now finally got into a program. I want to be able to have the knowledge and skill set to be able to help people as a nurse like nurses did for me when I was sick through high school. My nurses at that time gave me hope, and I want to be able to give another sick person that same hope I have worked so long and so hard to pursue my dreams. I hope this scholarship will help me to continue my dream and not have to put it on hold again.

In high school I became very ill due to a reaction I had from a shot I received. I was so sick that I was not able to attend high school and needed to be homeschooled through my whole high school career. At the time my doctors did not have an answer of when I would feel better, or when I could go back to school. The only people in all of my visits to doctors and specialists that had any suggestions or answers for me were my nurses. At that moment I decided that I wanted to be a nurse, so I could help someone sick like I was and give them the same hope my nurses gave me. Unfortunately, due to me being homeschooled through high school, I did not have the attendance or grades I needed to get into a nursing program. I decided to choose my backup career with the thought and hope that maybe I would like this choice too, but I did not. However, by choosing another path I had the chance to receive the attendance and high GPA that I needed to get into nursing school. After chasing my dream for years and trying to decide if going back to school was an option for me, I applied to nursing school. After waiting for months I finally received my acceptance letter. I never knew that going back to college as an adult would be such a financial challenge. I was so worried about getting into nursing school that I never thought about how I would pay for it now that I am an adult living on my own. Since I had attended college for two years, I have used all my available aid and will have to pay out of pocket my senior year of school in the fall. I am becoming concerned with how I will continue working to pay for the supplies I need and covering the cost of tuition. This scholarship would allow me the opportunity to work less to pay for school. My primary goal for school is to become a psych nurse and eventually a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. I know that I will need to spend a lot of time studying, completing assignments, and attending all of my classes and labs to become a great nurse and pass my program. However, I am starting to become stressed with how I will be able to juggle working full time and going to school full time. I do not want my work to affect my grades. I do not want to be in a position that I cannot afford to pay for school after I waited all this time and now finally got into a program. I want to be able to have the knowledge and skill set to be able to help people as a nurse like nurses did for me when I was sick through high school. My nurses at that time gave me hope, and I want to be able to give another sick person that same hope I have worked so long and so hard to pursue my dreams. I hope this scholarship will help me to continue my dream and not have to put it on hold again.