Becoming a registered nurse is one of my main goals to accomplish by the end of 2022. I am in the last semester of my accelerated nursing program and I am currently working towards graduating in May 2022. The next goal is to take and pass the NCLEX exam. Upon obtaining my license, a big goal to accomplish is securing a position as a staff nurse in either a pediatric or labor & delivery unit. I am somewhat open to any specialty. I want to experience as much as possible in a year and half to 2 years because I would love to be a clinical instructor to college nursing students. I enjoy leading and showing others how things work. The end goal for my nursing career would be to become a nurse educator with 5-10 years. I would teach at all levels of education. I want to teach health promotion to grade school children and their families. I want to teach health classes to middle and high school students. I also want to teach nursing courses in undergraduate and graduate programs.

The best way I relax is by taking a nap. If I feel overwhelmed or drained, I know I may need a nap in order to reset. I'll clear my bed of any unnecessary items first. I like to make sure I have a nice comfy outfit on as well. If I only intend to take a short nap I will light a candle in the room. If I need a long nap, I will turn on my diffuser and add my favorite essential oil to it. I'll arrange my pillows and throw on my favorite blanket to begin my process of letting my thoughts loose. Sometimes I will set an alarm for the duration of the nap I want to take so I can get back to studying.

One of the first things they taught us in nursing school is to treat patients and families with empathy. Practicing empathy can help reduce some of the stress and anxiety patients and families feel when learning about their diagnosis and prognosis. One of the best ways to show empathy is through active listening. Being engaged to an individual while he/she is speaking shows your respect and willingness to understand and comprehend. I try to use this technique with everyone I interact with in my life. Give someone the spotlight and listen to their side of the story. Once I have all the details, I take a moment to reflect and think of an appropriate response to hopefully uplift or show my understanding. Leaving room for silence is another way to show empathy. Not every situation merits a response. Sometimes someone just needs someone to vent to. They make be able to come up with a resolution for their situation just by expressing it out loud to you.

My life at this point has been me living with the consequences of my actions. Starting at about 4th grade, I slowly had been losing my desire to go above and beyond when it came to school. I would do the bare minimum for most assignments, turn them in late, and barely studied for exams. When it came time to apply for colleges, I realized it was too late to my significant changes to my academic transcript. Attending to a college I did not want to go made it even harder to focus on school and rethinking my dreams and goals. After failing multiple classes, changing my major months before graduation, and taking 2 more years to graduate took a huge toll on my mental health and my relationships with family and friends. It took volunteering at a hospital for me to rethink my life and how I have been going about it. I focused on a new career goal of becoming a nurse. I was able to bring my GPA up to a 3.0 and get into an accelerated nursing program. After several classes, clinical and long nights of studying, I am now 4 months away from graduating with my BSN. I am looking forward to being successfully done with school and to be able to work as a pediatric or labor and delivery nurse one day. I cannot wait to go back to school to become a nurse educator to help students like myself succeed in life.

Being an accelerated nursing student, I am taught a large amount of information in a short amount of time. Usually our class is taught 2-3 chapters a week and we have an exam every other week. I first organize myself when I receive the syllabus for the semester. I create a calendar of all the dates of exams and assignments. From that, I plan out my studying schedule. I normally have classes 2-3 times a week. I use my days off to really get a lot of studying done. If feasible, I print out the PowerPoints for lectures to take hand written notes. I remember the most information when I write it out and highlight. If have a fast-speaking professor, I convert the PowerPoints into Word documents to quickly take notes during class. I bold any information the professor emphasizes and make sure to go into detail when I review the textbook later on. I will review my notes for 2-3 days, using colored pens or fonts for specific types of information such as lab values or clinical manifestations of a disease. A day or two before the exam I like to review with my study group or do several practices questions to prepare for the test. After the test, I will go back through my notes again and highlight what ever was on the test and use this to study for the cumulative final.

My dream for my future career is to become a successful nurse that is able to help as many people as physically possible. I want to promote optimal health to people of all backgrounds and work to make health care more accessible for all. I would love to start off providing care to the pediatric population in effort to instill health promotion at a young age. I also want to continue my own education and obtain a Master's in Nursing Education to become a nurse educator. I would go on to teach nursing courses to college students as well as health education to middle and high school students.

My favorite artist is female rapper Cardi B. She has shown that no matter where you come from, no matter your background or history, hard-work and persistent drive can help lead to a successful future. She has taught me to not let my past define who I am today or who I want to be tomorrow.

For me, it is important to have a holistic approach to self-care. I try to do something for my physical, mental, and spiritual self at least once a month. My physical and mental self-care includes weekly pampering. I try to pamper myself with an at-home spa day. I'll put on my favorite music, give myself a facial, and sometimes paint my nails. Although it is time consuming, I enjoy the process of washing and styling my hair every week whenever I do not have braids installed. During this time, I get think about myself, how I am currently feeling, and how I want to feel, especially when I get overwhelmed with school. For my spiritual self-care, I will recite affirmations daily to start and end my day with positivity. One affirmation I have been drawn to as of lately is, "Positive opportunities always find me." I believe if I project a good, wholesome day I will be able to have one.

I have chosen to pursue a career in nursing due to my longing interest of helping people. From a young age, I would always volunteered myself to do just about anything, especially if I knew I would excel at it. There are three experiences that have contributed to my goal of pursing a career in nursing. The first stems from college when I would study in the library with my friends. As a Biology major during my undergraduate schooling, I spent most of time in the library reviewing notes or writing lab reports in the library. In efforts to stay social with friends, we would meet in the library to study together, especially during midterms and finals. With many of my friends majoring in nursing, I would often see their notes or hear about their experiences in clinical, which I was always fascinated by. I have always enjoyed “hands-on” learning over oral dictation and reading. Something about practicing what you learned to directly help others caught my attention and stuck with me. The second experience is when I took the Anatomy and Physiology course in college. Learning about the body and how it works was an eye opening event. The systems, their organs and functions, and how everything works together is a remarkable phenomenon. I recognized that our bodies are constantly working every second, everyday, but there are also people who need assistance to feel at least half as healthy as I do. Being that this is course is primarily taken by nursing majors, the professors were consistently reiterating how “we” as nurses can aid in relieving certain diseases, or recognizes issues that could arise during practice. The last experience is one that solidified my decision. I had the opportunity to volunteer at Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital in Manhattan, NY where I assisted on the postpartum floor and in the pediatric emergency room. I respect both doctors and nurses, but it was the nurses that had the most profound effect on me. They were always present, in high spirits, and extremely supportive of one another and their patients. The care and love they had for one another as well as their patients was a warm sight to see. I recognized traits of myself in how these nurses worked throughout their shifts: resilient, hardworking, attentive. My short term goals start with obtaining a BSN from Mercy College, where I am currently a student, and passing the NCLEX exam. I would love to follow up with a career in Pediatrics or Labor & Delivery for at least two years before returning back to school to obtain a MSN in Nursing Administration. My long term goals to obtain a Doctor of Nursing Practice after some years of experience in the nursing field. As a Nurse Practitioner I would love to open a health care facility to provide care for all but especially to encourage Black-Indigenous People of Color to be more engaged in their health, primarily preventative care.

When I was at my first undergraduate school, I was very depressed. I did not like the school, the professors, or my major. I felt force to stick it out to please my parents who were paying my tuition. I would often skip class, miss assignment deadlines, and not study for exams which lead to frequent semesters of failing and retaking classes. I was stressed out, unmotivated, and unproductive. This resulted in me taking 6 years to finish my degree. Eventually, I was lucky enough to change my degree at the last minute. Post-graduating, it took 2 years working in retail for me to discover that I wanted to be a nurse. With a new mindset and focus, I spent a year and a half taking prerequisites in hopes to get into a nursing school. I worked hard and studied everyday, earning grades of B+ or better. In June 2020 I was finally accepted into an accelerated nursing program! I am now on track to receive my BSN in May 2022.

Being patient is important to me because it makes room for learning. When I take my time to understand the purpose, reason, or steps, I am able to achieve greater positive outcomes. As a nursing student, I am learning new material and skills almost everyday that I will one day use in the real world as a registered nurse. Getting frustrated with myself for not understanding something or perfecting a skill on the first try will only lead me down a path of self-destruction and possibly burnout. Being down on myself will not lead to any positive progress. Taking my time to understand processes, making connections, and practicing skills allows me to move through the motions easier and grasp onto new knowledge easier. Being patient helps me retain information for the future and not just in the moment or for an exam. I am able to develop not only my skill set but also my clinical thinking skills.

I believe higher powers know our fate and everything we experience has been set up to serve a particularly purpose. Through the choices we make, the consequences we experience happen for a reason, or the simple saying, "everything happens for a reason". This reason may be either a lesson or blessing. Regardless the motive, it occurred for personal development. Whenever I am faced with an unexpected, difficult outcome, I first remind myself that, "everything happens for a reason." I then trace back my steps to what led up to the outcome and identify where I went wrong. This allows me to make changes to my approach for future occurrences. It also opens an opportunity to educate myself on something I previously was not familiar with. Taking these steps, I able to pick myself up and continue to move toward a better self and not dwell on my faults for too long.

One experience that shaped part of who I am today is failing classes within my major. I was tremendously unhappy at my first undergraduate school. I did not like the school, the professors, or my major but I stayed to please my no-nonsense parents who were paying my tuition. Almost every semester I failed at least one class due to being depressed and very stressed. Discovering that I had to do a 5th and 6th year broke my heart because I desperately wanted to be done with that school and never have to go back. Finally seeking help and being open to a support system helped me reconnect with myself. I was able to push myself toward focusing on what was important and I was able to figure out a new career path. After 6 years, I finally received my Bachelor of Arts degree in Interdisciplinary Studies; combining something I love to do with something I had already been doing. My new found self-esteem has led me back to school, as I now work toward my second degree in nursing. I am thankful for my first experience in college. Although I struggled for years, I was able to understand that I can do anything and it is ok to ask for help.

If I were a highly influential figure, the main thing I would stand for is a woman's control over her own body. It is disgusting and disheartening that out-of-touch Caucasian men in politics are making health decisions of all women of every background. These men are restricting a woman's access to gynecological care and dictating our rights to our bodies. I have always been pro-choice because I believe someone's decision for themselves, in terms of health, has absolutely nothing to do with me. If someone is sick or injured, he or she has the right to seek medical attention. The same should stand for women who request an abortion or contraception. It takes 2 people to create a fetus, but only takes one to carry it to term. All women should have the freedom to make her own decisions about her body. We are the ones, feeding, caring, and protecting it, on our own, every day of our lives. No one should limit our choices to our bodies, especially when have complete freedom to father several child in the time to takes a woman to create 1 child.

To be independent means to be self-sufficient and not relying on anyone. This is one of the earliest lessons I was taught by my father as a child. Being the first born and having both my immigrant parents working full-time jobs, I was often left on my own to figure out how the world works, especially anything that was not the norm in Haitian culture. I am thankful for all my experiences I have encountered in my life, for they have made me into the adult I am today. Through trial and error, I learn rights and wrongs, build values, and established individual beliefs. As I grow older, I try to keep things in my life structured and organized, while prioritizing my mental health needs first. I do find myself taking keen to management and leadership positions in most spaces I enter. I am confident in my skills to teach others and build organizations to new heights. My independence has allowed me to take on new challenges with confidence, such as obtaining a second degree and finding my future career path in nursing.

The biggest problem facing the world right now is climate change. All the intensifying natural disasters, extinction of animal species, and even the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic stem from climate change. We use and go through the earth's natural resources at an alarming rate and poorly dispose of waste; both of which are hurting our environment and ecosystem. Wild animals are losing their natural habitats due to rising sea levels, melting ice caps, wildfires, and deforestation. There is also an abundance of misinformation from public leaders, stating that climate change does not exist or it is too expensive or unnecessary to implement changes that promote a greener way of living. One way we can work on this problem is providing more leaderships positions to environmentalists and scientists who have the most accurate data on the current state of the world. Environmentalists and scientists should be the ones disseminating information to the public and directing the changes needed to improve the world's health. We need experts providing accurate teachings globally and initiating achievable activities everyone can participate in. The public may be more receptive of the information when it is being shared by an individual who is an expert in the field. People will have questions and will be expecting answers to be quick, precise and accurate. There needs to be a greater scientific presence in local, state, and federal governments to influence policies needed to combat climate change. Without collaboration from all parties, there are limitations and barriers placed preventing the entry of additional sources of help.

The most helpful piece of financial advise I have ever received was the 50-30-20 rule for managing income. 50% of your income should be designated towards your needs, which for me are my student loans, current school tuition, and necessary miscellaneous things (books and gas). The remainder 50% of your check goes towards savings and wants. I often alternate between how much put towards my savings and wants, depending on what is going on during the month. Most of the time I put 30% toward my savings and 20% to my wants, especially since I am in school full-time and work part-time/per diem. My wants could include going out with friends, buying food or clothes, or just buying myself something fun. With my father being an accountant, I was taught from a very young age the importance of having discipline when it comes to saving and spending money. When I first starting working at 16 years old, my father stressed the importance of saving money so I would never have to reliable on anyone to help me out. He never wanted me to be in a situation where I would be in-debt to someone else, especially family or friends. Being conscious of how much I earn and spend has allowed me to save a decent amount of money before I started my second degree. Although I do not make enough to fully cover my tuition, I am in what I refer to as a "safe zone" to at least cover out-of-school expenses. I plan to continue applying the 50-30-20 rule throughout my life. I also make it a habit to teach my friends the benefits of being financially responsible as we grow older.

I have chosen to pursue a career in the healthcare industry due to my longing interest of helping people. From a young age, I would always volunteer myself to do just about anything, especially if I knew I would excel at it. I would act as a teacher to my younger cousins, teaching them choreography or school work that I had learned. As I grew older, I often offered to babysit, eventually working at a day care and day camp during my summers. Upon entering retail, my interest in helping people remained the same, but I also found joy in assembling and organizing. I believe I have great attention for detail, an important quality in both retail and the medical field. I want to have a profound effect in peoples’ lives. If I have the opportunity to improve someone’s life or experience, even for a moment, I am taking every chance. There are three experiences that have contributed to my plans to pursue a career in nursing. The first stems from college when I would study in the library with my friends. During my time in undergrad, I was a Biology major where I spent most of time in the library reviewing notes or writing lab reports. In efforts to stay social with friends, we would meet in the library to study together, especially during midterms and finals. With many of my friends majoring in nursing, I would often see their notes or hear about their experiences in clinical which I was always fascinated by. I have always enjoyed “hands-on” learning over oral dictation and reading. Something about practicing what you learned to directly help others caught my attention and stuck with me. The second experience is when I took Anatomy and Physiology in college. Learning about the body and how it works was an eye opening event. The systems, their organs and functions, and how everything works together is a remarkable phenomenon. I recognized that our bodies are constantly working every second, everyday, but there are also people who need assistance to feel at least half as healthy as I do. Being that this is course is primarily taken by nursing majors, the professors were consistently reporting how “we” as nurses can aid in relieving certain ailments, or recognizes issues that could arise during practice. The last experience is one that solidified my decision. I had the opportunity to volunteer at Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital in Manhattan, NY where I assisted on the postpartum floor and in the pediatric emergency room. I respect both doctors and nurses, but it was the nurses that had the most deepest effect on me. They were always present, in high spirits, and extremely supportive of one another and their patients. The care and love they had for one another as well as their patients was a warm sight to see. I recognized traits of myself in how these nurses worked throughout their shifts: resilient, hardworking, attentive. My short term goals for nursing start with obtaining a BSN from Mercy College and passing the NCLEX exam. I would love to begin my career working in Pediatrics for at least a year tow before returning to school to obtain a MSN in Nursing Administration or Nursing Education. My long term goal is to obtain a Doctor of Nursing Practice after a couple years of experience within the nursing field. As a Nurse Practitioner I would love to open a health care facility to provide care for all but especially to encourage Black-Indigenous People of Color to promote involvement of their health.