I take care of everyone around me for as long as I can remember. Many times feeling unappreciated and unfulfilled. I plan to take the care, the understanding, the love, and the knowledge into the healthcare field as a nurse. I plan to give the care to all Those mothers, grandmothers, sisters, brothers, nephews, nieces, etc through a lens that only we can decipher. I plan to Use my discernment to help them learn how to accept care from those who love them and understand that their sickness, their health care needs are not a burden but a blessing that they have people around them to be willing to do so. I plan to educate them on things they can do to improve their quality of life and actually give them tools that are within their reach. I want to empower people to live through the tension that life gives us all because we have to go through it and not around it. As a nurse I want to be the reason someone believes in the healthcare system again, the reason that someone can say I went there and I loved it, the reason someone can say I changed my mind. I believe a lot of nurses go into the field for the wrong reasons or maybe the right reasons for them but not for fulfillment, not for purpose. I want to be the nurse that brings out the best in other nurses and the nurse that learns from all those who come before me and after me. I want to make a difference. I want to change minds, lives, and purpose. These scholarships will help me do that. They will provide the means for me to focus on my purpose, for me to continue to tread ahead on the path that I for so long convinced myself was out of reach. I want to show my children that no matter the weeds planted where my seed grows we will grow stronger than those weeds trying to overpower what’s about to grow from that seed. Nursing is more to me than a job, it is my purpose and it’s time that I elevate and take this further than just those around me, it’s times that I reach further into the crowds and begin to take care of those with no one else or those without the empowerment to care for themselves.

My journey into nursing began long before I ever enrolled in a program. It started in the most personal way possible; inside my father’s home, where I became a full-time caregiver to both him and my 96-year-old grandmother. When my father was diagnosed with late-stage lung cancer, I moved into his home without hesitation. My family rallied around me and supported me every step of the way. At the same time, my grandmother, who he had been caring for himself, needed ongoing support and attention. She had dementia and other health conditions that required attention. Suddenly, I was managing medications, coordinating appointments, handling hospice care, and offering emotional support for two people I loved deeply, all under the same roof- while still being a mother, student, employee, and finding time for my own self-care. This period of my life was incredibly challenging, but it also opened my eyes to the depth of care, patience, and compassion that the nursing profession requires. It was in those quiet, sacred moments of helping my father with daily tasks, comforting my grandmother through confusion and grief that I felt something click inside me. I realized I wasn’t just filling a need;I was stepping into a role that felt natural and meaningful. At the same time, I was balancing the demands of full-time work, maintaining a 3.244 GPA, and raising a blended family of six children; two biological and four stepchildren. It was a test of endurance, time management, and emotional strength. And yet, rather than pushing me away from healthcare, it solidified my decision. I learned that I could thrive under pressure, lead with empathy, and advocate fiercely for those who couldn’t advocate for themselves. Nursing, to me, isn’t just a profession; it’s a reflection of who I am. It represents resilience, service, and heart. I want to be the kind of nurse who meets people where they are, especially during their most vulnerable moments. My experiences have shaped me into someone who can handle both the clinical demands and emotional weight of this field with grace. These life events didn’t just influence my decision to pursue nursing—they defined it. They gave me purpose, direction, and a deeply personal connection to the kind of healing and support nurses provide every day. I’m ready to bring that same level of commitment to my education, to the patients I will one day care for, and to the nursing community as a whole.