This is a poem I wrote for my 12th-grade English class about the holocaust: In the darkness, they were all alone Trapped in a place they wouldn't willingly go They wished for things that were normal in life They were never scared to fall on a knife Death was no longer scary All they wanted was some clarity There would be things that they couldn't unsee Most never received an apology Most died scared and alone All of the graves lacked tombstones There was no hope at the end of their lives Treated by people whose hearts were made of ice There was no explanation for the hate of the Jews However, Hitler was not alone in his views They were treated like garbage The Germans were snobbish They were all just innocent Jews Millions of people that the world would lose The world should be sorry For all the Jewish bodies Even though we can't go back in time This will go down as one of the most hateful crimes these awful events would not remain a mystery the world would know about this awful history.

One of the main things that I have learned from applying for scholarships is to have patience. Applying for scholarships isn't just about having the academics and the requirements, you also have to have patience and a lot of it. When applying for scholarships you don't think about how much time it takes to hear back about the scholarships. First, you have to apply, which means you take the time to sit down and write the required essay. But when writing the essay for the scholarship you want to make sure that you are putting your everything into it. You want to stand out so that you get picked for the money that you need for school. Then once the scholarship information is submitted that's when the real challenge starts. You just sit and wait, hoping that you are the best candidate for the money that is being offered. It could be days, weeks, or even months before you know if you won the scholarship competition, and then if you find out that you were not the winner, but some other student was then you have to start the process all over again. I have applied to over 30 scholarships on bold.org alone and am still yet to win any of those scholarships. When I was younger, I didn't understand everything that went into applying for scholarships. Heck, I didn't know about any of this until this year. There are essays upon essays that need to be written, some wanting to know about your future and some wanting to know about you. I think that it is very nerve-racking to apply for scholarships in the first place. To apply for a scholarship, you have to be vulnerable and a little bit convincing, trying your best to make a total stranger you have never met before convinced that you deserve to win. You are putting yourself on the line just to run the risk of being rejected and for the scholarship donor to pick someone else. Another key lesson I have learned from applying for scholarships is to be understanding. You have to be understanding if someone else wins the scholarship. You have to be understanding that that person might have deserved the money even more than you did. It is hard to not be the winner of scholarships after devoting so much time and energy into your application but having the understanding aspect is letting yourself be okay with the fact that someone else deserved or needed the scholarship as well. I think that being understanding and patient are the two most important things that I have learned from applying for scholarships throughout the year.

Dealing with anxiety from a young age has ultimately affected everything in my life including the goals that I set for myself, my ability to form and maintain relationships, and how I overall see the world differently than most. For as long as I can remember anxiety was present in my life, controlling every little detail. I would have a hard time sleeping at night, focusing on important tests, and even participating in basic events such as sporting events. This is something that I have never been able to control and now that I am older, I can understand how much it has affected my life. As for my goals in life, they would either be really small compared to other people, like not throwing up before the basketball game or finishing a test without biting all my fingers nails off. Or my goals in life would feel big compared to others. I would set high expectations for myself, expecting the perfect grade in each class I took and not failing a single test. These goals were not always reasonable, leaving me at an all-time low when I was unable to achieve this goal. These are still things that I struggle with today as an almost adult in the real world. I set goals that are small and unimportant to other people or goals that are impossible to achieve. It's hard to find a balance in finding a goal that is reasonable for someone like me. Relationships have always been a touchy subject for me when it comes to my mental illness. My anxiety and depression make it hard for me to make friends let alone maintain them. When it comes to being social, I much rather stay at home and hang out with my family than leave my house. Leaving my house is something that I have to force myself to do every day. I think that college will be good for me because I will have to suppress these feelings and become very more social when I am on my own. But even when I was a little girl I struggled to talk to new people and had a hard time making new friends. And when I did make those friendships, it was like pulling teeth to get me to go out and hang out with them. There was probably a solid 4 years in my childhood where I refused to spend the night anywhere and refused to let anyone spend the night at my house. Every time I would have a sleepover that anxiety grew in the pit in my stomach causing me to call home at 4 in the morning. I never made it the full night. Before that, I used to be able to have sleepovers but then one day it all changed, my anxiety took over and that was the end of that. It's hard to create relationships with people when they don't truly understand the struggles that I face with anxiety on a daily. However, having a long-lasting debate with anxiety has led me to see the world in a different light. I always see the positive and the negative in anything I do. I have never been able to turn off the negative thoughts that anxiety creates in my head. Having this happen to me daily makes it clear to me that I don't truly know what is going on in someone's life. Many people don't know about my constant struggle, so it makes me sympathetic to others. You never fully know someone's story, so I chose to never judge. I think that everyone in the world has their own story to share and they may choose to never share that story meaning that you can't judge them since we truly don't know anyone in life.

My favorite Disney character would have to be Eeyore. He is my favorite character now that I am a teenager because I feel like I can relate most to him. He would not have been my answer if I was asked this question when I was a little girl. When I was younger, I was all about Disney princesses. I was so obsessed with them that I wanted to be a Disney princess, I even used to dress up and spin around the living room in my pretty princess dress. I thought that to be a princess you always had to look your best, have the best makeup, the prettiest dress, and the handsome prince charming but as I grew older, I began to understand that I was never going to be a princess. And that I didn't ever want to be. Eeyore became my favorite character over time. As I grew up there was just something about him that I loved. In the show, he is a depressed moody character whereas all the other characters around him are hyper and fun. This makes him stick out on his own. I love the fact that even though he is depressed and doesn't do much in the show he still has the best of friends in Winnie the pooh and Tigger who still include him in everything and makes sure that he is okay. As a kid, you don't realize the importance of this friendship and the importance of how Eeyore is being portrayed but as an adult, I think this is an extremely important thing that the author did when creating the relationship of the characters and creating Eeyore's character. I think that it was very important that Disney kept Eeyore's character the same as in the book because there are not many Disney characters who act as he does. I think that this is showing kids from a young age it is okay to be sad and it is okay to have mental illnesses like depression. I think that it also shows young kids that you can still be friends with those who struggle with sadness. I love the fact that there aren't many other Disney characters who are like Eeyore. I also like that he represents something important even in a little kid's show. Eeyore is without a doubt my favorite Disney character now.

My name is Brook Blausey. I am a 17-year-old senior who attends Spring Lake High School which is located in Western Michigan. I attended a year of high school during my junior year at the county's career line tech center where I spent every day studying to become a certified Patient Care Technician. While I was here, I learned basic medical terminology, became a well-trained phlebotomist, learned basic patient care, learned how to read EKG, and was able to complete many more basic skills in the healthcare field. I took this class to advance my education in the nursing field and prepare myself for nursing school. One of the benefits of taking this class was that I was able to receive 2 days of an 8-hour clinical experience in an assisted living home. This truly was the best experience I could have asked for because it truly showed me that I loved helping and caring for people and wanted to do this as my future career. When I was a little girl, I was always getting injured, always prone to a new injury. Several events in my life have led me to choose the field of nursing as a career. When I was a younger kid, I had broken my arm and when my mom took me to the emergency room the x-ray techs and nurses were not very nice to me. They were constantly in and out of the room, moving my arm in all different directions to get a good picture of the X-rays. All I can remember from that night was how much pain I was in and how the nurses were doing nothing to comfort me but the next day when we went to a children's hospital it was a completely different experience. They were beyond nice to me and made sure that I felt safe. They made me feel like I was special even though there were hundreds of other kids in the hospital. It made me feel way more comfortable than I was the night before. I was inspired to become a nurse because when I was 15 years old, I had severe problems with my feet. Then there was this one nurse that I had, and she is someone I will remember forever. I had received some news about my feet issue that had made me super upset but she sat with me and made me realize that this wasn't the worst thing to happen. She made me feel like it was okay to be upset. She made me feel so much better about the situation that I was going through. So, one day, when I am finished with nursing school and make my decision on where to be a nurse, I hope to be just like her, making a difference with my patients and being someone that my patients remember that I made a difference in their experience. I want to make a difference in people's lives and be someone whom they remember and are thankful for.

I want to see more volunteer work in my community. As someone who volunteers at my church's nursery, I know the benefits of volunteering in the community. Every Sunday when I leave my church I am always in a good mood. I love the idea that I helped someone that day. I watched some kids so that their parents were able to listen to the church service in peace. It also makes me feel good that the parents of the kids trusted me enough to watch them. I think that volunteering in the community is extremely important even if it is doing something small. As a senior at Spring Lake High School, we are required to receive 18 hours of community service hours to graduate. I think that this is important because it is showing us that it is important to give back to the community and help in any way that we can. Participating in volunteer hours have given all of us seniors a small sense of accomplishment as we help out the community. We might not be helping those in need but providing people with a tiny bit of help can go a long way. Volunteering in the community has been proven to reduce stress, lower depression rates, and provide people with a sense of purpose. I think that if everyone spent a little bit of time each month to give back to the community, we would be able to see real changes. This is also a great way to get to know people in your community and truly feel connected to those who you share a community with.

Growing up with mental illnesses has affected everything in my life without me even knowing it. It has ultimately shaped me into the person I am today. Mental disorders have caused me to feel constantly drained and not have much energy to do anything. It has affected me from opening up to my friends and putting myself out into the world. This has damaging results on relationships in my life. I have a hard time leaving my house which leads to my friend's doing things without me. I don't get invited to much because my friends know that I'm not likely to go. I feel safe at my house with my mom so leaving never seems appealing. It is always an internal battle. I have noticed my mental illnesses changing the things my boyfriend and I do. We stay home and watch movies and tv most of the time because it is easier for me to do. Mental illnesses that I face daily have become another thing in my life that I have to constantly fight to be more social and to maintain positive relationships with those around me. I have noticed that the more I tune into my faith the easier it is to push my anxiety to the side. I have grown up Christian my whole life but during covid, it was hard for me to stay on the path and turn to God in those rough times. But as churches reopened, I was able to rekindle my faith and see that there were so many benefits spiritually that was helping me fight my anxiety. Having a strong spiritual faith can help a person lower depression rate, and anxiety, and even help a person with physical health. Now just because I have a strong relationship with God, and I try to turn my mental illnesses to him doesn't mean that it is going to be an easy road from here on out. I still face daily struggles and will always have to but with God by my side I am prepared to put in the hard work and overcome the daily struggles that I know I will face in the future. I believe that my mental illnesses have definitely led me to choose nursing as my career path. I have always loved the idea of helping others and choosing to become a nurse is a way for me to do so. I look forward to the day where I can make a difference in other people's lives. It has been studied that someone with a mental health illness is less likely to receive a job or stay employed as long because their disorder can have serious effects in the workforce. This doesn't scare me but makes me want to work harder to perform in my chosen career path. I want to prove the studies wrong and put in the hard work that is needed in the nursing field. I am beyond excited to start my journey into adulthood and not let my anxiety to hold me back from my dream job.

Learning has always been important to me. I loved to learn new things and become educated in different topics. I always enjoyed working on new projects in school and I enjoyed knowing that school was preparing me for the real world. I wasn't always a fan of going to school but once I was there, I enjoyed learning new lessons. I am beyond excited to go to college and learn new things about the medical field. I have always enjoyed getting good grades. It wasn't even a question for me. I worked hard in every subject to receive A’s and B’s, never once having below a C on one of my report cards. I always gave my best in class and worked hard on any new assignments. Learning is important because it helps develop the mind and create important skills in everyday life, like critical thinking skills. Learning is important to being able to make logical decisions and learning how to properly interact with others. I learned new things whenever I received a new job and was always willing to learn new things to be the best I could be. Having an education to me is important because it will further my dream career of becoming a Nurse and potentially lead me to earn more money in the field. Also having a high education level could be the deciding factor between two candidates for a job. It will put me farther ahead in life. I plan on continuing my education after high school by going to a four-year college to receive my RN degree and eventually get a job in the healthcare field. I will be continuing to learn constantly in the healthcare field because it is always changing. Nothing is always the same and there is always new techniques and tools being invented for the healthcare field. There is always going to be a new way of doing something and there is always going to be a need for nurses. As a future nurse, I want to be as educated as I possibly can be so that I can continue to be the best possible nurse I can be. In doing so I am willing to learn any new aspects that are thrown my way in the field and will be willing to work hard to be on top of my game. In my profession, I will constantly be learning new things.

Mental health is important because it affects day-to-day living. As someone who has struggled with mental illnesses, I understand how hard it is to have a good day. I struggle with feelings of anxiety about everyday events in my life and this causes many issues in my social life. I have trouble going out with my friends or going to school. I think that protecting our mental health and focusing on the good can help prevent hard days. Growing up with mental illnesses you don’t understand the importance of working towards good mental health. Now that I have some experience with mental health struggles, I have found a way to help calm my anxiety and improve my days such as music, walking the outdoors, planning events ahead of time, and focusing on my breathing. Taking time out of your day to find things to help you relax is one of the most important ways to maintain positive mental health. Coloring, writing stories, relaxing on the couch, and playing with my animals all help remind me that the little things in life matter. Mental health affects all aspects of our life such as what we think, how we feel, and how we act. I have discovered that with my mental illnesses I can become very angry and upset very quickly and that causes me to have irrational reactions to normal situations. Mental health is important in every stage of life. As it is something that society talks more and more about the more normal it has become to talk about our feelings in situations and to understand that we don’t always know what someone else is going through. Mental illnesses don’t always have signs and with most people, you can’t even tell that they are struggling with a disorder every day. Taking breaks in life and making sure that it’s okay to feel a certain way is one of the biggest ways to stay positive. Mental health is essential to living a happy life and without talking/working through our problems we will continue to struggle in silence. Letting people in to help you work through things in life is a great way to lift some of the weight off your shoulders and have someone to help guide you along the way. Mental health is one of the most important things in life but maintaining that mental health isn’t always the easiest thing. Working through hard times and continuing to push through life is the key to fighting mental health battles. Find what you like to do and do it when you need a break from the exhausting pressures of this world.

Owning dogs is no walk in the park. You have to clean up poop, feed them, take them to the vet and groomer, make sure they are happy, take them on walks, and provide a safe living space for them. They are practically like newborn babies. One of the biggest struggles that I have faced being the owner of two dogs is not being with them all the time. I have two dogs, Peppa the pug and Rocky the pit bull and they live with my boyfriend for the majority of the time. Only seeing them for a short amount of time makes it harder and harder to leave them. I helped buy the two dogs, making them both half mine. I also bought essentials for them to survive at my boyfriend's house. I have given money for vet and groomer visits. Sharing custody of the dogs is the biggest struggle that I face because I am not there for all the care even when I want to be. Working two jobs on top of being a dog mom is exhausting. I don’t get to see them very much but when I do see the two, I take them on walks, make sure they have been fed that day, and help clean up any messes that they have made that day. Being a dog owner is hard in the first place but then when you have two teenagers doing it, it becomes even harder. Yet it is something that I am beyond grateful for. I wouldn't trade them for anything in the world despite how bad they can be sometimes. One of the main things that being a dog parent has taught me is responsibility and patience. Every time I see my puppies, I feel a sense of pride and ownership of the animals. I get to help keep these little creatures alive. They depend on me to survive in the world. I am always concerned about how they are doing and what they are up to. They also bring so much joy into my life. I make sure that they are safe and loved. I constantly worry when they come over, even if they are in the same room as me. They are my babies, and I would do anything to protect them from the world. I love cuddling with them at night and chasing them around the living room. They have taught me unconditional love. I feel like a true parent, and I couldn’t imagine my life without my furry best friends.

I have decided to become a nurse because I love helping people. I am not sure what field of nursing I want to do yet, but I am thinking about possibly being a labor and delivery nurse. I love working with others and I love the idea of making an impact on people’s lives. When I was a junior in high school, I had the opportunity to attend my local tech center and I had the chance to be in the Patient Care Technician class. I learned basic skills of health care such as making beds, doing blood draws and finger pokes, reading an EKG, and many more important skills in the healthcare field. I learned how to communicate with patients and work side by side with other healthcare professionals. Later in the year we went to clinicals at an assisted living home and were able to have hands-on experience with real patients. After finishing the class, I took the PCT (Patient Care Technician) exam where I became a certified PCT. While I was at my clinical trials, I loved to see the smile on the resident's faces whenever I walked into the room, it made me feel like I was making an impact on their day. When I was a younger kid, I had broken my arm and when my mom took me to the emergency room the x-ray techs and nurses were not very nice to me. They were constantly in and out of the room, moving my arm in all different directions to get a good picture of the X-rays. All I can remember from that night was how much pain I was in and how the nurses were doing nothing to comfort me but the next day when we went to a children's hospital it was a completely different experience. They were beyond nice to me and made sure that I felt safe. They made me feel like I was special even though there were hundreds of other kids in the hospital. It made me feel way more comfortable than I was the night before. I was inspired to become a nurse because when I was 15 years old, I had severe problems with my feet and there was this one nurse that I had, and she is someone I will remember forever. I had received some news about my feet issue that had made me super upset but she sat with me and made me realize that this wasn't the worst thing to happen. She made me feel like it was okay to be upset. She made me feel so much better about the situation that I was going through. So, one day, when I am finished with nursing school and make my decision on where to be a nurse, I hope to be just like her, making a difference with my patients and being someone that my patients remember that I made a difference in their experience. I want to make a difference in people's lives and be someone that they remember and are thankful for.

I want to become a registered nurse and the only way to do it is to get a college degree. I love working hard and getting good grades so the thought of continuing my education has always been in the back of my mind. Going to college to get a degree would mean that I am educating myself further, but I am also working towards my goal of being able to help others through the nursing program. If I wanted to do it the quick way, I could become an LPN but then the opportunities are limited. I want to go the full four years so that I am more qualified for the job position and more likely to receive a job of my interest in the future. A college degree is becoming more and more important to gain success in today's world. Not only will a college degree allow me to gain more skills and knowledge in my field, but it will also provide a better opportunity of receiving a job in a healthcare facility. When I earn my college degree and have the chance to put my skills into action at a future job, I will have the chance to also have the chance to receive higher pay with the college degree. Receiving a college degree is not something that I have thought about, it is something that I have planned on doing since I was old enough to know what college is. It has been a lifelong goal of mine to go to college and receive a higher education along with a degree in the field. I decided during my freshman year of high school that I wanted to go into the medical field and help others. Receiving my RN degree in the next few years not only will kick-start my plans but would begin the start of my life as an adult. I think that receiving a college degree is extremely important in today's world, college degrees are becoming more and more important to every job in most fields. Now, of course, I know that there are great job opportunities out there for those who decide that they don't feel they need a college degree but that is just not for me. To become the best RN, I can be I will pursue four years of college and plan to receive my RN degree at the end of my college career.

I want to become a registered nurse and the only way to do it is to get a college degree. I love working hard and getting good grades so the thought of continuing my education has always been in the back of my mind. Going to college to get a degree would mean that I am educating myself further, but I am also working towards my goal of being able to help others through the nursing program. If I wanted to do it the quick way, I could become an LPN but then the opportunities are limited. I want to go the full four years so that I am more qualified for the job position and more likely to receive a job of my interest in the future. A college degree is becoming more and more important to gain success in today's world. Not only will a college degree allow me to gain more skills and knowledge in my field, but it will also provide a better opportunity of receiving a job in a healthcare facility. When I earn my college degree and have the chance to put my skills into action at a future job, I will have the chance to also have the chance to receive higher pay with the college degree. Receiving a college degree is not something that I have thought about, it is something that I have planned on doing since I was old enough to know what college is. It has been a lifelong goal of mine to go to college and receive a higher education along with a degree in the field. I decided during my freshman year of high school that I wanted to go into the medical field and help others. Receiving my RN degree in the next few years not only will kick-start my plans but would begin the start of my life as an adult. I think that receiving a college degree is extremely important in today's world, college degrees are becoming more and more important to every job in most fields. Now, of course, I know that there are great job opportunities out there for those who decide that they don't feel they need a college degree but that is just not for me. To become the best RN I can be I will pursue four years of college and plan to receive my RN degree at the end of my college career.

My anxiety has controlled my life for as long as I could remember. It would keep me from putting myself out there and cause me to miss out on important events in my life. I have always been a shy girl with just a couple of friends, but this senior year has been my change. I have decided to put my anxiety to the side and do things that are completely out of my comfort zone. Most recently I have been going to school events and talking to everyone, trying to get to know everyone. I have come out of my shell and have done things that my anxiety stopped me from doing last year like hanging out with my friends, having sleepovers, and even participating in my school's powder puff game. Since it is my last year of high school, I feel that it is very important to be a part of the school community. In my past high school years, I had severe social anxiety which led to isolation. I closed a lot of people out and only really hung out at home with my parents. I have grown in the fact that I am willing to put myself in situations that would have scared me to death last year. I feel like my quality of life has improved and that I enjoy things I never thought I could. Ever since I was a little girl the thought of leaving for college stressed me out to the point that I would get sick just thinking about it. I thought I had decided on going to community college so that I could live at home. But then all of a sudden when I started applying to colleges something in me changed. I got excited and the thought of leaving for college wasn't as scary anymore. I began adding more and more colleges to my list and got excited at the thought of going away for college. Everyone in my life was beyond shocked by the fact that I had changed my plan and decided to go away to college. I think that I have grown a lot in the past year. I have decided not to let my anxiety control my life and the change is that I will be going away for college. I feel like college is very important for the growing-up process and I am super excited about going away to college and living on my own. And while I am away at college my goal is to not be shut off and stuck in my shell, I want to enjoy my college experience and put myself out there to enjoy my time and make new friends.

I plan to make a positive impact on the world by giving my time to helping others. I have always worked hard on things that make me happy and helping other people makes me happy. In my junior year of high school, I was able to take a tech center class that was called Patient Care Technician, and later in the year became a certified PCT. During the class, I had the opportunity to learn basic healthcare skills and even get out in the community and work in an assisted living home for a few days. Even though I don't think working in geriatrics is for me, I loved every minute of my clinical experience. Seeing the smile on the resident's faces as they saw a new worker they didn't know, they were so happy to see me. It just made my day when they would ask for me to do stuff with them or help them do something. I'm not sure what kind of nurse I want to specialize in but I know for a fact that I want to become a nurse. I want to make a difference in people's lives every day and know that my job is meaningful to someone, even if it is just one person. When I was growing up I had several broken bones or serious injuries that I had to go to the ER or a pediatrics office. Some nurses made me feel comfortable and made me smile while I was in uncontrollable pain but some nurses caused the pain to be worse and made my stay at the hospital feel unbearably long. In my experience, you always remember the good and the bad nurses. I plan on making a positive impact in the healthcare community by being the kind of nurse that brings smiles to people's faces despite what they are going through. I want to be the kind of nurse that people get excited to see. The kind of nurse that patients know they can open up to and trust. I remember feeling so safe whenever I would see this one nurse, she made me smile even though I was scared out of my mind. I want to be like her. I want to inspire other people to go into healthcare as she did with me. My goal in healthcare is to make a difference with all my patients. Becoming a nurse means that I am going to be providing care to all patients, I am going to educate and advocate for all communities and patients, and as a nurse, I will be a resource to my patients. When I become a nurse after nursing school I plan to work side by side with my coworkers to help the people of our community.

My best characteristic in life would be time management. I enjoy planning out when all my events in life are happening and I also need to know when something is going to happen. Details are very important to my life so that I can be organized and on time for everything. I enjoy filling out a planner and having calendars filled with information. I think that this is a very important quality to have in life because you can keep yourself structured and punctual. Having time management being one of my stronger characteristics will benefit me in the nursing field by allowing me to stay on top of my patient's needs and allow for me to have a better work and life balance. In the nursing field, I will be able to have good planning skills which will allow me to analyze a set of tasks and develop a good day-to-day schedule. Having good-time management will help reduce work-related stress. To be a good nurse I will need to be able to prioritize and routinization in the field and these are all skills that fall under the category of time management. To be a good nurse you need to be able to make time to communicate with your patients and their family to make sure that they are understanding what is going on. I will also need to make time to perform skills on my patients that are necessary to keep them healthy. Time management is probably one of the most important skills to have in the nursing field and having this skill will benefit me greatly in the long run. Not only will these characteristics help me when I become a nurse, but they will also help me while I am in college. Having good time management will allow me to get my assignments done in time and arrive early to all my classes. This will help me in college by allowing me to not overschedule myself but let me work to my fullest potential while still getting good grades. Being a college student having time management will help me schedule time to eat, sleep, exercise and study. It allows me to meet deadlines on time and teaches self-discipline. The main part of being a college student is walking the campus and learning how to manage life on your own. I think that this quality will help ease me into college life and make the college experience a little less stressful.

I have decided to become a nurse because I love helping people. I am not sure what field of nursing I want to do yet, but I am thinking about possibly being a labor and delivery nurse. I love working with others and I love the idea of making an impact on people’s lives. When I was a junior in high school, I had the opportunity to attend my local tech center and I had the chance to be in the Patient Care Technician class. I learned basic skills of health care such as making beds, doing blood draws and finger pokes, reading an EKG, and many more important skills in the healthcare field. I learned how to communicate with patients and work side by side with other healthcare professionals. Later in the year we went to clinicals at an assisted living home and were able to have hands-on experience with real patients. After finishing the class, I took the PCT exam where I became a certified PCT. While I was at my clinical trials, I loved to see the smile on the resident's faces whenever I walked into the room, it made me feel like I was making an impact on their day. When I was a younger kid, I had broken my arm and when my mom took me to the emergency room the x-ray techs and nurses were not very nice to me. They were constantly in and out of the room, moving my arm in all different directions to get a good picture of the X-rays. All I can remember from that night was how much pain I was in and how the nurses were doing nothing to comfort me but the next day when we went to a children's hospital it was a completely different experience. They were beyond nice to me and made sure that I felt safe. They made me feel like I was special even though there were hundreds of other kids in the hospital. It made me feel way more comfortable than I was the night before. I was inspired to become a nurse because when I was 15 years old, I had severe problems with my feet and there was this one nurse that I had, and she is someone I will remember forever. I had received some news about my feet issue that had made me super upset but she sat with me and made me realize that this wasn't the worst thing to happen. She made me feel like it was okay to be upset. She made me feel so much better about the situation that I was going through. So, one day, when I am finished with nursing school and make my decision on where to be a nurse, I hope to be just like her, making a difference with my patients and being someone that my patients remember that I made a difference in their experience. I want to make a difference in people's lives and be someone that they remember and are thankful for.

I plan to make a positive impact on the world by giving my time to helping others. I have always worked hard on things that make me happy and helping other people makes me happy. In my junior year of high school, I was able to take a tech center class that was called Patient Care Technician, and later in the year became a certified PCT. During the class, I had the opportunity to learn basic healthcare skills and even get out in the community and work in an assisted living home for a few days. Even though I don't think working in geriatrics is for me, I loved every minute of my clinical experience. Seeing the smile on the resident's faces as they saw a new worker they didn't know, they were so happy to see me. It just made my day when they would ask for me to do stuff with them or help them do something. I'm not sure what kind of nurse I want to specialize in but I know for a fact that I want to become a nurse. I want to make a difference in people's lives every day and know that my job is meaningful to someone, even if it is just one person. When I was growing up I had several broken bones or serious injuries that I had to go to the ER or a pediatrics office. Some nurses made me feel comfortable and made me smile while I was in uncontrollable pain but some nurses caused the pain to be worse and made my stay at the hospital feel unbearably long. In my experience, you always remember the good and the bad nurses. I plan on making a positive impact in the healthcare community by being the kind of nurse that brings smiles to people's faces despite what they are going through. I want to be the kind of nurse that people get excited to see. The kind of nurse that patients know they can open up to and trust. I remember feeling so safe whenever I would see this one nurse, she made me smile even though I was scared out of my mind. I want to be like her. I want to inspire other people to go into healthcare as she did with me. My goal in healthcare is to make a difference with all my patients. Becoming a nurse means that I am going to be providing care to all patients, I am going to educate and advocate for all communities and patients, and as a nurse, I will be a resource to my patients. When I become a nurse after nursing school I plan to work side by side with my coworkers to help the people of our community.