Growing up with family members in the nursing field I was exposed to the admirable profession. From nurse anaesthetists, to flight nurses, to home health nurses I was able to see a multitude of scopes of practice at an early age. However, it wasn't until high school when I obtained my EMT certification and began working with the local ambulance company that I decided nursing would suit me. Answering 911 calls and transporting the patients to the hospital has always been so fulfilling. Caring for people and hearing their stories has always made me proud to be in the healthcare profession. One aspect of care that always intrigued me was the continuation after the patient was transferred to the hospital. I wanted to stay and help the patients and figure out what was wrong and how to help them, but as an EMT my scope is limited. I knew nursing was the next step if I wanted to be involved in the continuation of care. In addition, if I am being transparent I have already taken care of some patients that have had bad outcomes. I also have experienced instances where I didn't know what was going on with the patient because I had limited medical knowledge. I felt that if maybe I had known more, or had a greater scope I could have helped them have a better outcome. I knew then that the only way to offer better care to my patients and to be more knowledgeable was to continue my studies. By continuing to learn I can offer better care and in turn help more people. I am currently halfway through my nursing school program through the University of Arizona BSN and I am realizing the actual extent of nursing specialties that are available are greater than I thought before. I personally believe that when people look for a profession there will always be something to suit their strengths. I feel it can also be specifically applied to all nursing students. The goal of nursing school is to not only grow in medical knowledge, but also find where your talents are best utilized. I, like many others, like to keep an open mind as I investigate the multiple specialties in nursing through our clinicals. I was surprised to find how much psychiatric nursing resonated with me. Mental health is so important, and yet people still feel alone in their battles. A nursing mission of mine is to provide a safe space and a way for these patients to communicate openly. There is something very special about nurses who care for patients experiencing psychiatric illnesses. They have learned through years of dedication how best to approach these patients about sensitive topics. Another thing to note is how well they handle these hard stories themselves. Nurses are people just the same, and their mental health is equally as important. While observing I have seen that they rely on each other for support and ask for help when they need it. Their strong will and hard working spirit reflect core values I wish to uphold in my life as well. Overall, I consider my mission in the healthcare industry is to provide the best care to patients experiencing traumatic events. My mission is to help those who need help even if they don't know how to ask for help. I want to be a resource for emotional support and medical knowledge for all my patients.

Growing up with family members in the nursing field I was exposed to the admirable profession. From nurse anesthetists, to flight nurses, to home health nurses I was able to see a multitude of scopes of practice at an early age. However, it wasn't until high school when I obtained my EMT certification and began working with the local ambulance company that I decided nursing would suit me. Answering 911 calls and transporting the patients to the hospital has always been so fulfilling. Caring for people and hearing their stories has always made me proud to be in the healthcare profession. One aspect of care that always intrigued me was the continuation after the patient was transferred to the hospital. I wanted to stay and help the patients and figure out what was wrong and how to help them, but as an EMT my scope is limited. I knew nursing was the next step if I wanted to be involved in the continuation of care. In addition, if I am being transparent I have already taken care of some patients that have had bad outcomes. I also have experienced instances where I didn't know what was going on with the patient because I had limited medical knowledge. I felt that if maybe I had known more, or had a greater scope I could have helped them have a better outcome. I knew then that the only way to offer better care to my patients and to be more knowledgable was to continue my studies. By continuing to learn I can offer better care and in turn help more people. There is something very special about nurses who care for patients experiencing the worst days of their lives and providing compassionate and resourceful nursing care. While working as an EMT I have been strongly influenced by the inspirational emergency nurses. This specifically includes the ER nurses, flight nurses, and ambulance nurses. They have told me many stories and kindly answered my millions of questions about their schooling and job. Their strong will and hard working spirit reflect core values I wish to uphold in my life as well. A wish I have as a nurse would be to extend care to lower income populations. I would start this by providing Spanish lessons to health care providers. Through AMR the ambulance company I work for I have been talking to the educational director about how to provide language classes to the employees. when communication is a healthcare workers most important asset, it is essential they can communicate with patients, especially distressed patients. I have minimal knowledge in both Spanish and ASL; however, any attempt I make to communicate with my patients they are exponentially calmer and feel more cared for. It is the job of the nurse to communicate with the patients and offer evidence based, resourceful medical care. Overall, I wish to be pursue a career in nursing because I have a strong desire to better care for people in my community, and I want to make a positive influence on the future nurses.

Growing up with family members in the nursing field I was exposed to the admirable profession. From nurse anesthetists, to flight nurses, to home health nurses I was able to see a multitude of scopes of practice at an early age. However, it wasn't until high school when I obtained my EMT certification and began working with the local ambulance company that I decided nursing would suit me. Answering 911 calls and transporting the patients to the hospital has always been so fulfilling. Caring for people and hearing their stories has always made me proud to be in the healthcare profession. One aspect of care that always intrigued me was the continuation after the patient was transferred to the hospital. I wanted to stay and help the patients and figure out what was wrong and how to help them, but as an EMT my scope is limited. I knew nursing was the next step if I wanted to be involved in the continuation of care. In addition, if I am being transparent I have already taken care of some patients that have had bad outcomes. I also have experienced instances where I didn't know what was going on with the patient because I had limited medical knowledge. I felt that if maybe I had known more, or had a greater scope I could have helped them have a better outcome. I knew then that the only way to offer better care to my patients and to be more knowledgable was to continue my studies. By continuing to learn I can offer better care and in turn help more people. I am currently halfway through my nursing school program through the University of Arizona BSN and I am realizing the actual extent of nursing specialties that are available are greater than I thought before. I personally believe that when people look for a profession there will always be something to suit their strengths. I feel it can also be specifically applied to all nursing students. The goal of nursing school it to not only grow in medical knowledge, but also find where you talents are best utilized. I, like many other, like to keep an open mind as I investigate the multiple specialties in nursing through our clinicals. But, I continue to find my heart resonates most with emergency care. There is something very special about nurses who care for patients experiencing the worst days of their lives and providing compassionate and resourceful nursing care. While working as an EMT I have been strongly influenced by the inspirational emergency nurses. This specifically includes the ER nurses, flight nurses, and ambulance nurses. They have told me many stories and kindly answered my millions of questions about their schooling and job. Their strong will and hard working spirit reflect core values I wish to uphold in my life as well. Overall, I consider nursing to be the right fit for me because of the fulfillment I find in caring for patients and hearing their stories. I also feel that nursing fuels my hunger for continued learning. And I love the versatility of a nursing career where you can work in any number of specialties throughout your career, and switch if you need a change.

Being an American is having a can do attitude no matter what adversities you face. I am a member of a family of six. I believe my character development has benefitted from growing up in a large family. In particular, I have always been aware of limited resources and budget constraints, but have been taught from an early age that with creativity and determination, my dreams are reachable. Although I have not been afforded the privilege of participating in costly classes and clubs, I have enhanced my skills in many areas through hours of hard work, valuing and implementing changes from constructive criticism, online tutorials (YouTube), and surrounding myself with others who are successful in the area of pursuit. In middle school, I wanted to participate in cheer, however, we did not have the means for formal training in tumbling and cheer. Over the summer, before tryouts, I spent many hours learning different jumps, dance, tumbling skills, flexibility exercises, etc. from YouTube. Not only did I make the team, but by eighth grade, I was designated captain and was the Victory with Honors award recipient. In high school, I had similar experiences in dance and track, specifically, hurdles. Without formal training, and with the use of homemade PVC pipe hurdles, online tutorials, and a TON of blood, sweat, and tears, not only was I able to compete, but I excelled as a varsity student athlete. My extracurricular interests are not limited to sports, but music and art as well. I have become proficient in sewing and the ukulele through the use of online content. My resourcefulness and development of a can-do attitude has served me well in my pursuit of many endeavors, and I know it will continue to contribute to my success as I embark on the next chapter of secondary education and my continued passion for life-long learning. I plan to pursue a carrer as an Emergency Medical Technician and I will complete this at the East Valley Institute of Technology, which is a trade school. Being an American means making things happen and not just sitting by while opportunities pass. That is why I am taking charge and actively perusing my goals.

A ballet is an art that not only takes tremendous grace, but physical and mental strength as well. Overall, Misty Copeland is the embodiment of pursuing a passion no matter the status quo. Furthermore, she proved this by becoming the first African-American ballerina to be promoted to principal dancer in the American Ballet Theater. In the world of dance it is common knowledge that to amount to any greatness in the industry you have to start young. Tons of dancers begin their training from the ages of 4 to 6 years old. However, Copeland also refused to accept the status quo of needing to start your dance career early. In fact, she started her dance training when she was 13 years old; to become a professional dancer after starting at the age of 13 is almost unheard. This is what inspires me most about her. I found my love of dance when I was around 13, and at that point any dancer I knew had been put in classes by their parents since they were little. Additionally, due to my 3 other siblings dance classes were a luxury we couldn’t afford. Copeland also has five siblings and grew up with a single mother which resulted in financial instability. Rather than letting the financial issues end her dreams, she simply worked harder and took advantage of every opportunity she found herself perusing. In the end her perseverance resulted in Success in the dance industry. Her inspiration also can be felt by that of African-American dancers wanting to succeed in the Dance industry. All in all, as she pursues her passion of dance, She also uses her platform to inspire girls, who had similar situations to hers, to do what they love. Never enough. Those were the words that defined my dance career until recently. I never had enough training, technique, strength, flexibility, and I was just never good enough. However, no one can ever say I never had enough passion. By no means am I considered gifted or a natural dancer, and there are various videos of my younger self that can prove it. But I never stopped trying, and I never gave up. There were late nights where I was sore and in pain; especially then I would go into the garage and work on my technique and my power to match that of the girls I wanted to dance like. A teacher told me that there are two types of dancers: ones that see others that are better than you, and get jealous, or you see then and get mad. By getting mad it pushes you to work harder, be better, and surround yourself with those who are at the level you want to be at. I had the passion and the drive to achieve my goals and I never stopped. To illustrate, when I had achieved my right leg splits, I could have been satisfied and ceased there. On the contrary, I took it as a mini success and it pushed me to stretch more and get my left leg splits, middle splits, and right leg over splits. Overall, I continued following my ardent passion for dance and turned my feelings of never being enough into a decision that I was enough. As a result of this decision, my challenges began to transform into opportunities. This year I am now the captain of the Junior Company Dance team, president of the Vibe hip hop and step team, and a candidate for the University of Arizona pomline. These are all positions I would never be able to achieve without the adversity I faced, and the decision I made that I was enough. Overall, dance is a predominately women’s sport. However, it is easily written off as “not a sport” and “easy”. The struggle to be beautiful, perfect, skinny, and have flawless technique is constant. It is easy to become stuck into a deep hole of depression by comparing yourself to others. But, if I were to make any change I would want to help others come out of that rut faster than I did. All in all, I can only dream that one day not only will I as a dancer will be respected for my athletic aptitude but the entire sport in general to be more esteemed.

In the collection of photos you see our Lily, a Maltese poodle, who is heavily pregnant. Not too long after photos were taken, she gave birth to 5 sweet little puppies. The oldest puppy is Leroy (posing with his crown), followed by Levi (with some Levi’s jeans), then the third boy to come was Linus (posing with the peanuts character Linus). Then our girls came out, starting with Lemon, and the last little surprise was Lavender. When Lily had her dog ultrasound, which is as weird as it sounds, they only saw 4 pups. We’re thankful for little lavender though.

Never enough. Those were the words that defined my dance career until recently. I never had enough training, technique, strength, flexibility, and I was just never good enough. However, no one can ever say I never had enough passion. By no means am I considered gifted or a natural dancer, and there are various videos of my younger self that can prove it. But I never stopped trying, and I never gave up. There were late nights where I was sore and in pain; especially then I would go into the garage and work on my technique and my power to match that of the girls I wanted to dance like. A teacher I had told me that there are two types of dancers ones that see others that are better than you, and get jealous, or you see then and get mad. By getting mad it pushes you to work harder, be better, and surround yourself with those who are at the level you want to be at. I had the passion and the drive to achieve my goals and I never stopped. To illustrate, when I had achieved my right leg splits, I could have been satisfied and ceased there. On the contrary, I took it as a mini success and it pushed me to stretch more and get my left leg splits, middle splits, and right leg over splits. All of these goals didn’t come within a day, a week, a month, or even a year. I started dance way later then the average girl, but I was already matching their level by putting in the work. My perspective wasn’t always so confident. The moment that changed my perspective from I will never be skilled enough to be a good dancer, to I have made so much progress and I’m still going, was with one simple text. My dance teacher, Daniel Milbauer, had said “You deserve the best Brook. I am so proud of you for making the choice to be the best you can be!”. When I received that text I had recently been selected out of my peers to be the captain of our school’s Junior Company dance team, and he nominated me to be a member of the National Honors Society for Dance Arts (NHSDA). I had thanked him for nominating me to become a member because he exclusively selects girls from his pedigree team, but he had recommended me along with them. When I read that text I burst into tears. It feels a certain way to see yourself progress, but it feels extraordinarily different to have someone you look up to recognize your progress and commend you for it. Furthermore, this changed my perspective on life because I assumed for so long that I needed affirmation in order to be proud of myself. Consequently, through this experience I found out that I am the one who determines what good enough truly means. Through this newfound realization and perception about life I can benefit in a multitude of ways. For instance, when dealing with personal mental health issues, I can now effectively determine what a “good enough”state of mind is. Additionally, when I consider my life‘s purpose I can determine what is fulfilling enough for me through my vocation, my volunteer work, my relationships, and my overall definition of success in life. For me and many others, dance is a form of ardent expression. Dance can express my thoughts and emotions in ways words cannot. The rigorous training I have endured has not only made me physically strong, but mentally strong too. Overall, my ultimate goal in life is to feel fulfillment and that I served my purpose with perseverance, kindness, and candor. By allowing myself to determine what I consider success, I have now changed the way I go about achieving any goal I choose to strive for. Consequently, I have decided that I am enough.

The society we live in today is poisonous. This can be observed through society's unrealistic expectations for everything and everyone. The song I chose that inspires me is Catie Turner's "21st Century Machine". She truly brings light the corruption in Americans' expectations of how life is supposed to be lived. Overall, I created this playlist to encapsulate the thoughts and emotions of creators who recognize the corruption of our society; however, they don't let it control their lives. Instead these creators have found a way to inspire those who take the issues society placed on them personally. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYCKh14vvmNlMJXEN92Yq2dzjSTSVy8lW

Freshman year I decided to be bold by trying out for my school's dance team. It's known that in order to be a dancer you have to start young in order to achieve greatness. However, I decided to step out of my comfort zone, and try to be the best dancer I could. I'm now the Captain of the Junior Company dance team, and President of the Vibe Dance club. I continue to learn from every experience and pursue any dance endeavor that comes my way. The countless hours i've spent push me to be even bolder in the future.

The material world grows more everyday. I made this piece to bring attention to the wrongs we make by letting what we have define us. Having new things in this world won’t bring us happiness. The song used in the video is “wings” by Macklemore.