Most children dread the sight of hospitals, the smell of antiseptics, the eerie beeping of machines, the needles! But not me. I found the environment to be exhilarating and I watched the medical staff with the same fascination and admiration typically reserved for athletes or celebrities. Even as my friends and I would play with our dolls, while they were fixing their hair and arranging tea parties, I was placing mine in casts, bandaging pretend scrapes, and consoling them through their medical emergency of the day. That’s right, their dolls came with gowns, fashion accessories, and even ponies, whereas, I asked for wheelchairs, bandages, and casts for mine. One year I even asked for a real set of crutches for my birthday so I could treat my brother’s pretend injuries; he’s a good sport! As a competitive athlete, I soon faced medical challenges of my own. I became a frequent visitor to Nemours Children’s Hospital and developed bonds with the incredible professionals who treated me. From broken bones to scoliosis which landed me in a back brace for several years, to numerous concussions leading to a diagnosis of post-concussion syndrome which almost ended my cheerleading career and resulted in debilitating chronic migraines throughout my early teens, I experienced both the physical and emotional toll of injury. And yet, I always felt fortunate. I couldn’t help but feel empathy and compassion for the other children who were there facing far tougher battles, and I truly admired those helping them. In fact, I wanted to be just like them. Dr. Emanuele, my sports medicine doctor, noticed my curiosity and encouraged me to volunteer at Nemours. I jumped at the opportunity! In my first year, I routinely visited most of the units in the hospital, organizing fun entertaining activities for the patients and brightening their days. In my second year, I became a nurse’s assistant getting a firsthand look at the responsibilities and compassion nurses bring to every shift. These experiences didn’t just confirm my interest, they clarified it. I want to be a nurse. My journey, from patient to volunteer, transformed a childhood fascination into a deep, unshakable passion. I feel fortunate, while many of my peers are unsure of their paths, I am certain of mine. I’m going to care for people. I want to listen, to comfort, and to serve, and I will do so as a nurse. I know the path won’t be easy, and it will surely come with many hardships and heartbreaks. But I can’t imagine a more honorable, fulfilling, and meaningful way to spend my life. Nursing is not just what I want to do, it's who I’ve always been, even when I was bandaging dolls and prescribing crutches to my brother.