What twelve-year-old asks for medical books for her birthday? I still remember waving around my nursing mnemonic book and thanking my parents. Before I turned ten, I had all the major bones and muscles of the body committed to memory. By eleven, I knew how to check blood pressure, blood sugar, and heart rate. By age twelve, I was constantly dreaming about giving someone CPR or performing the Heimlich maneuver. Was I weird? Or passionate? Maybe both? Becoming a nurse has always been my dream, but beyond my obsessive childhood aspirations, there are many reasons why this vocation has caught my eye. First, pay is very high. A nurse’s median wage is $45 an hour or $93,600 a year. Another motivator is job security. There is a constant demand for employees in the health care field, so working in this industry can provide job security in good times and bad. There are even many instances of people basically quitting their jobs to become nurses. The third reason for my interest is the vast opportunities that nursing offers. Joana Ladson, a family friend and personal mentor who is a registered nurse, discussed these possibilities with me. She said that I could be a traveling nurse and see the world, a pediatric nurse and work with children, or what excites me the most: a nurse practitioner. According to Victor Zondoga, a nurse practitioner who is basically my uncle, nursing education is basically comparable to a ladder. Once I complete one degree, I can advance to specialization to improve my wages and credentials. The last reason I have taken an interest in nursing is both the encouragement of family and friends and the idea of making a difference for God’s glory. In my life, there is an abundance of medical professionals who are constantly urging me toward the field. All the nurses I personally know are remarkable individuals, proficient in medical knowledge and always ready to serve. It is my dream to be just like them. Also, I believe that God is calling me to nursing so that I can be like the Proverbs 31 woman: “She stretches out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.” Whether I am stationed in a clinic or hospital, I will have the opportunity to serve others who are in need, thereby serving the Lord. Overall, because of pay, security, opportunities, encouragement from others, and guidance from the Lord, I have developed a deep passion for becoming a nurse. After extensive research of articles, a handful of memorable interviews, and a dangerous amount of time in informational books, I now understand the job of nursing: the motivating factors, the purpose and expectations, and education. Now, I am more confident than ever that nursing is the right path for me. Being a nurse will benefit me in many ways, as Victor Zondoga said, “Nursing is where the big bucks are. You’ll never be without a job.” These benefits are good, but they are not why I am choosing this job. It all started with an obsessive little girl practicing CPR on her pillow, but now I completely understand the future challenges and am ready. With all this knowledge backing me up, I am done dreaming about nursing and am ready to conquer the challenges of college and medical training to get to where I know the Lord wants me to be. All I'm asking for is a chance. Thanks!

I kinda started by accident, but then I took lead. I'm a half-half kid. Half American. Half Filipino. This means I get to experience both worlds, both the good stuff and the bad. Last trip, when I finally figured out how to communicate in my mom's dialect (even though I sound like a caveman), I met tons of kids who live in the streets. They were so happy and optimistic, all because they had no idea what they were missing out on. One time, without thinking too much, I brought out some lollipops for the kids. Their faces lit up, and they were like, "American kendi! Oh my goli!" They enjoyed every lick. It was hilarious and heartbreaking. So many people in the Philippines don't have half the stuff we do here in the U.S. No shoes. No toothbrushes. No soap. Basic stuff like that. When I got back to the U.S., I couldn't stop thinking about the street kids. I knew their names, their faces, their personalities. All so young and underprivileged. It felt unfair and wrong. At my church, I started talking to people about what I saw in the Philippines. I'm a passionate person, and when I talk about things I tend to go overboard, but thankfully the individuals I spoke with felt the same way. Then boom. Overnight, my church started collecting stuff to send to the street kids in the Philippines. This was around three years ago, and I remember feeling like I was dreaming when the project was announced before the sermon. One of my mentors gave me the idea to make gospel tracts in my mom's dialect. It took ages, but I did (they are beautiful by the way). Now, every year my church collects items like toiletries, candy, food, and other things to send to the Philippines. This year we made over 400 bags. Just think! That's enough supplies to help over 400 street kids! This is how I am a positive force right now. I'm using my voice and passion to connect two communities and get people involved in something bigger than themselves. When I grow up, I want to start a ministry there. One bag of supplies might make a kid happy for a day, but when that stuff is gone, what are they supposed to do? I think having someone there would be life‑changing. Someone passionate enough to get a church hyped enough to send stuff over. I would teach the kids about economics and how to save money. I would encourage them to go to college so they can better their lives without needing tons of support, so they can support other people in need instead. This is how I see myself being a positive force in the future. Not just giving temporary help, but doing something that helps kids change their own lives. A lot of this comes from the social norms I grew up with. Filipino culture taught me everything about community and taking care of each other even when you don’t got much. It's just a dream right now. Seems impossible. But I'm going to fight with all I’ve got to make this real. Thank you for this opportunity. If you choose me, I'll use every bit of it to build something real for these kids. All I'm asking for is a chance.

What twelve-year-old asks for medical books for her birthday? I still remember waving around my nursing mnemonic book and fervently thanking my parents. Before I turned ten, I had all the major bones and muscles of the body committed to memory. By eleven, I knew how to check blood pressure, blood sugar, and heart rate. By age twelve, I was constantly dreaming about giving someone CPR or performing the Heimlich maneuver. Was I weird? Or passionate? Maybe both? Becoming a nurse has always been my dream, but beyond my obsessive childhood dreams, there are many reasons why this vocation has caught my eye. First, pay is very high. A nurse’s median wage is $45 an hour or $93,600 a year. Another motivator is job security. There is a constant demand for employees in the health care field, so working in this industry can provide job security in good times and bad. There are even many instances of people literally quitting their jobs to become nurses. The third reason for my interest is the vast opportunities that nursing offers. Joana Ladson, a registered nurse who I have interviewed, discussed these possibilities with me. She said that I could be a traveling nurse and see the world, a pediatric nurse and work with children, or what excites me the most: a nurse practitioner. According to Victor Zondoga, a nurse practitioner whom I have interviewed through a questionnaire, nursing education is basically comparable to a ladder. Once I complete one degree, I can advance to specialization to improve my wages and credentials. The last reason I have taken an interest in nursing is both the encouragement of family and friends and the idea of making a difference for God’s glory. In my life, there is an abundance of medical professionals who are constantly urging me toward the field. All the nurses I personally know are remarkable individuals, proficient in medical knowledge and always ready to serve. It is my dream to be just like them. Also, I believe that God is calling me to nursing so that I can be like the Proverbs 31 woman: “She stretches out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.” Whether I am stationed in a clinic or hospital, I will have the opportunity to serve others who are in need in my community, thereby serving the Lord. Overall, because of pay, security, opportunities, encouragement from others, and guidance from the Lord, I have developed a deep passion for becoming a nurse. After extensive research of articles, a handful of memorable interviews, and many hours in informational books, I now understand the job of nursing: the motivating factors, the purpose and expectations, and education. Now, I am more confident than ever that nursing is the right path for me. Being a nurse will benefit me in many ways, as Victor Zondoga said, “Nursing is where the big bucks are. You’ll never be without a job.” These benefits are good, but they are not why I am choosing this job. It all started with an obsessive little girl practicing CPR on her pillow, but now I completely understand the future challenges and am ready. With all this knowledge backing me up, I am done dreaming about nursing and am ready to conquer the challenges of college and medical training to get to where I know the Lord wants me to be. I promise I won't let you down. All I'm asking for is a chance. Thanks!

It kinda started by accident, but then I took lead. I'm a half-half kid. Half American. Half Filipino. This means I get to experience both worlds. Both the good stuff and the bad. Last trip, when I finally figured out how to communicate in my mom's dialect (even though I sound like a caveman), I got to meet tons of kids that live in the streets. It's weird because they're so happy and optimistic, all because they got no idea what they are missing out on. One time, without thinking about it too much, I brought out some lolipops for the kids. Their faces lit up, and they were like, "American kendi! Oh my goli! American kendi!" They enjoyed every lick. It was both hilarious and kinda heartbreaking. So many people in the Philippines don't have half the stuff we do here in the U.S. No shoes. No toothbrushes. No soap. Basic stuff like that. When I got back to the U.S., I couldn't stop thinking about the street kids. Stayed up late at night staring at the cracks in the ceiling. I knew their names, their faces, their personalities. All so young and underprivileged. This felt so unfair and wrong to me. At my church, I started talking to tons of people about the things I saw in the Philippines. I'm a really passionate person, and when I talk about things I tend to go a little overboard and annoy them, but thankfully certain people I talked to seem to feel the same way. Then boom. Like, overnight, my church started collecting stuff to send to the street kids in the Philippines. This was around 3 years ago, and I remember feeling like I was dreaming when the project was announced before the sermon to the entire congregation. One of my mentors gave me the idea to make made gospel tracts in my mom's dialect. It took ages, but I did (and the art is beautiful, by the way). Now, every year my church collects items like toiletries, candy, food, and other things to send to the Philippines. This year we made over 400 bags. Just think! That's enough supplies to help over 400 street kids! When I grow up, I want to start up a ministry there. One bag of supplies and treats might make a kid happy for a day, but when that stuff is up, what are they supposed to do? I think having someone there would be lifechanging. Some weirdo like me who's passionate enough to get a church hyped enough to send stuff over. I would teach the kids there about economics and how to save money. I would encourage them to go to college so that they can better thier lives without needing tons of support, so they can support other people in need instead. I would cry with them, laugh with them, explore different towns, and maybe make my way up into the mountains where those more withdrawn native guys (bajau) live. It's just... it's just a dream right now. Seems impossible. But I'm gonna fight with all I got to make this real. This dream will fuel me through college. Yeah, it's a little project I started up when I was thirteen years old, but it's really evolved into so much more. Thank you, scholarship guys, for this opportunity. Please consider me. If you choose me, I'll use every bit of this opportunity to built something real for these kids. I promise I won't let you down. All I'm asking for is a chance.