At the tender age of eight, my family and I were hospitalized after a devastating motor accident. The professionalism and compassion a particular nurse showed inspired me to become a nurse myself, despite knowing very little about the profession then. My mother's spinal cord injury also motivated me to become a nurse. Weeks after my discharge from the hospital, I would see the doctors and their medical students surround my mother's hospital bed, and I would hang around the corner peeping and listening to the medical jargon and terminologies that made no sense to me. Over the years, I knew more than an average person about the management and treatment of spinal cord injuries. As I cared for her, I took note of the symptoms and complications that came with her condition, such as pressure ulcers and chronic pain. Attending every hospital visit and medical procedure provided me with opportunities to engage in conversations with neurosurgeons and plastic surgeons. This deepened my understanding of my mother's medical condition and helped me develop critical thinking skills that will eventually serve me well in my future career. Although my initial pursuit for nursing stemmed from childhood tragedy, I am now more convinced about my calling to the nursing profession. I am driven by the desire to provide care for patients like I have done for my mother all these years. To me, being a nurse demands a profound dedication to overlooking biases and being a pillar of support for vulnerable patients. Embracing this role, I aim to advocate for patients who encounter challenges expressing their health concerns and ensuring they are addressed. My goal is to use my nursing degree to provide excellent patient-centered care. This is often challenging with older adults due to biases against them, leading to assumptions about their values and preferences while providing care. My career goal is to overlook these biases, fostering open discussions to make a meaningful difference in their health through nursing. Furthermore, my commitment extends to advocating for vulnerable populations in my community. Recent studies show that Black and Hispanic women face more high-risk pregnancies and breast cancer mortalities. It is important for me to practice culturally competent care, to create an inclusive environment and to provide a safe space for them to voice their health concerns. Overall, my goal is to become a beacon of hope in the lives of the people I have the privilege to care for. As I reflect on the journey from that fateful motor accident to my pursuit of a nursing degree, I am reminded of the resilience that has guided me to this point. With this scholarship’s support, my nursing studies would have my undivided focus. And I will remain committed to holding high the standards of nursing practice and eventually leaving a lasting legacy like Mary Alice Kramer.

I am writing to express my interest in applying for the Cindy J. Visser Memorial Nursing Scholarship. Her life and legacy are inspiring, and I am honored to share how similar our aspirations and passion for nursing are. At the tender age of eight, my family and I were hospitalized following a devastating motor accident. My siblings and I sustained multiple injuries, from which we could recover, but it was nothing compared to my mother's spinal cord injury. In the long run, this became my primary reason for choosing a nursing career. Although my initial pursuit for nursing stemmed from childhood tragedy, I am now more convinced about my calling to the nursing profession. I am driven by the desire to provide care for patients like I have done for my mother all these years. To me, being a nurse demands a profound dedication to overlooking biases and being a pillar of support for vulnerable patients. Embracing this role, I aim to advocate for patients who encounter challenges expressing their health concerns and ensuring they are addressed. My goal is to use my nursing degree to provide excellent patient-centered care. This is often challenging with older adults due to biases against them, leading to assumptions about their values and preferences while providing care. My career goal is to overlook these biases, fostering open discussions to make a meaningful difference in their health through nursing. Furthermore, my commitment extends to advocating for vulnerable populations in my community. Recent studies show that Black and Hispanic women face more high-risk pregnancies and breast cancer mortalities. It is important for me to practice culturally competent care, to create an inclusive environment and to provide a safe space for them to voice their health concerns. As I reflect on the journey from that fateful motor accident to my pursuit of a nursing degree, I am reminded of the resilience that has guided me to this point. Throughout my nursing career, I aspire to mirror Cindy’s high degree of professionalism while also being intentional about my patients. I have already started doing this in the medical surgical and behavioral health units during my clinical rotations. My love for nursing has taught me that assisting the nursing assistants with patient positioning and bed baths is just as integral to patient care as administering medications and checking vital signs with the registered nurses. And I plan to carry on my dedication to patient care into my role as a patient care technician this summer. In addition, I am also passionate about my campus community engagement. Like Cindy, I am an active member of my community which has allowed me to hold multiple leadership positions in various clubs and organizations. This act of service has also imbibed in me effective communication, organizational, and leadership skills that are transferrable to my nursing career. In conclusion, being considered for the Cindy J. Visser Memorial Nursing Scholarship would not only be a form of financial support but also a source of inspiration as I pursue my dreams of being a registered nurse. Cindy’s life was a remarkable one that deserves to be cherished and replicated, especially within the walls of hospitals and nursing homes.

At the tender age of eight, my family and I were hospitalized following a devastating motor accident. My siblings and I sustained multiple injuries from which we could recover, but it was nothing compared to my mother's spinal cord injury. In the long run, this became my primary reason for choosing a nursing career. However, the professionalism and compassion shown by a particular nurse inspired me to become a nurse myself, despite knowing very little about the profession at that time. Weeks after my discharge from the hospital, I would often see doctors and their medical students surrounding my mother's hospital bed, and I would hang around the corner, peeping and listening to the medical jargon that made no sense to me. Over the years, I learned more than an average person about caring for patients with spinal cord injuries. As I cared for her, I took note of the symptoms and complications that came with her condition, such as pressure ulcers. Being present at every hospital visit and medical procedure allowed me to converse with neurosurgeons and plastic surgeons, which deepened my understanding of my mother's medical condition and helped me develop critical thinking skills that will eventually serve me well in my intended career. On many occasions, I left them amazed at how much I knew about pressure ulcers and spinal cord injuries. After her last surgery, I was with my mother, providing bedside care despite lacking formal training. The head nurse at the hospital was grateful for my presence and encouraged me to study nursing after seeing potential in me. Driven by my desire to learn, I am now pursuing a nursing career beyond the shores of my home country, Nigeria. My initial pursuit stemmed from childhood tragedy. However, core nursing classes and experiencing my first clinical rotation solidified my commitment to patient-centered care and advocating for vulnerable populations. For nurses, patient-centered care is a top priority, but this is often an issue when the patients are older adults. This is because of stereotypes that older adults are unable to understand and learn new information. Some consider their knowledge and experience too outdated to have any current value. All these can lead to assumptions about their values and preferences which could be in the way of providing quality care to them. It is one of my career goals to overlook those biases and have open discussions with older patients in order to make a meaningful difference in their lives through nursing. Aside that, I am committed to advocating for women of color as a nurse. This is based on a recent study that noted Black and Hispanic women are at least twice as likely as white women to die from pregnancy-related complications. Additionally, Black women are more likely to die from breast cancer than their counterparts. It is important for me to practice culturally competent care and create an inclusive environment so that there is a safe space for them to voice their health concerns. Growing up in Africa, I have overcome challenges that have contributed to my personal and academic growth. But surviving that motor accident as a kid left an indelible mark on my life. The nurse that attended to me opened my eyes to the caring art of nursing. Her dedication and kindness showed me that the nurses who care for us can have an impact. She was my Florence Nightingale before I read about The Lady with the Lamp. When I face challenges in my career, I will reflect on my inspiration to provide the best possible care to all my patients.

I vaguely remember a conversation I had with my father when I was younger where he said that the greatest gift, he can ever give me is the best education. Growing up in Nigeria, my father instilled in me the value of higher education. However, the opportunities to attain higher education in Nigeria are limited. In 2016, my father moved to the United States in search of greener pastures. I remember our video calls, he looked older than he was due to stress. My father’s experience inspired me to pursue my dreams outside the shores of my country. As a result, I was fortunate enough to begin chasing my American dream two years ago. Early in my move to the US, I began to face huge disparities. I was asked to repeat everything I said because my accent set me apart. Making friends in college was a very difficult task for me. I experienced a lot of culture shocks. These challenges affected my self-esteem, but in all my struggles, I maintained excellent grades understanding the sacrifices my family made for my future. I look back at the huge sacrifices that my father made for my family, and I am more motivated to keep pushing on. My dream is to become the first in your family to get a nursing degree from the US, creating a positive change and impacting the lives of others for the better. Gradually, I developed a growth mindset and overlooked the imperfections people saw in me. I refused to let go of my heritage, the one aspect that shaped me into who I have become. I believe that to whom much is given, much is expected so I will continue to push through nursing school to better the lives of me and my family.

The desire to learn and discover has been my driving force in choosing my career path, gaining general knowledge, and acquiring academic excellence. At the tender age of eight, my family and I were hospitalized after a devastating motor accident. The professionalism and compassion a particular nurse showed inspired me to become a nurse myself, despite knowing very little about the profession then. My mother's spinal cord injury also motivated me to become a nurse. Weeks after my discharge from the hospital, I would often see doctors and their medical students surrounding my mother's hospital bed, and I would hang around the corner, peeping and listening to the medical jargon and terminologies that made no sense to me. Over the years, I knew more than an average person about managing and treating spinal cord injuries. As I cared for her, I took note of her symptoms and complications that came with her condition, such as pressure ulcers. Being present at every hospital visit and medical procedure allowed me to converse with neurosurgeons and plastic surgeons, which deepened my understanding of my mother's medical condition and helped me develop critical thinking skills that will eventually serve me well in my future career. On many occasions, I left them amazed at how much I knew about pressure ulcers and spinal cord injuries. After her last surgery, I was with my mother, providing bedside care without formal training. The head nurse at the hospital was grateful for my presence and encouraged me to study nursing after seeing potential in me. As a result of this desire to learn, I am now on a career path in nursing outside the shores of my home country, Nigeria. While taking my pre-requisites, I became interested in the science of what influences our behaviors so I will be studying nursing with a minor in psychology. As a nursing student, if I were to create a fun activity to make the world better, my first opinion would be mood-lifting activities. I will call it the Nature Walk 150 because it involves walking under trees for 30 minutes/5 days per week. Fun is subjective because it evokes different feelings in different people. This idea of fun was inspired by Florence William's The Nature Fix. The book widened my knowledge of the benefits of nature indoors and outdoors. Generally, Williams highlights reasons why people are hesitant to spend quality time outdoors, the benefits of such practices, the disadvantages of not indulging in these practices, and ways to reconnect with nature. This simple mood-lifting activity can be done anywhere, anytime, and with anyone. Research shows that nature walks significantly decrease stress/anxiety, improve memory, and encourage physical activity, all of which cause positive outcomes in people. This exercise is both fun and therapeutic for everyone whether convalescent or healthy, young or old, infant or adult. Being a nurse is an agelong dream that I have hoped to accomplish since I was eight. However, understanding the intricacies of such a calling was beyond the thinking capacity of my eight-year-old self. I have come to understand that one of the reasons I want this career is that it allows me to improve the lives of many based on experimental research. Additionally, unlike some careers, nursing allows me to earn more advanced degrees as well as gain expertise in a specialized discipline within nursing. As I carry on in my journey toward a bachelor's degree in nursing at a prestigious academic establishment like Elmhurst University, I still need financial assistance, which the Mighty Memorial Scholarship could help offset.

The desire to learn and discover has been my driving force in choosing my career path, gaining general knowledge, and acquiring academic excellence. At the tender age of eight, my family and I were hospitalized after a devastating motor accident. The professionalism and compassion a particular nurse showed inspired me to become a nurse myself, despite knowing very little about the profession then. My mother's spinal cord injury also motivated me to become a nurse. Weeks after my discharge from the hospital, I would see the doctors and their medical students surround my mother's hospital bed, and I would hang around the corner peeping and listening to the medical jargon and terminologies that made no sense to me. Over the years, I knew more than an average person about managing and treating spinal cord injuries. As I cared for her, I took note of her symptoms and complications that came with her condition, such as pressure ulcers. Being present at every hospital visit and medical procedure allowed me to converse with neurosurgeons and plastic surgeons, which deepened my understanding of my mother's medical condition and helped me develop critical thinking skills that will eventually serve me well in my future career. On many occasions, I left them amazed at how much I knew about pressure ulcers and spinal cord injuries. After her last surgery, I was with my mother, providing bedside care without formal training. The head nurse at the hospital was grateful for my presence and encouraged me to study nursing after seeing potential in me. As a result of this desire to learn, I am now on a career path in nursing. While taking my pre-requisites, I became interested in the science of what influences our behaviors so I will be studying nursing with a minor in psychology. However, with my time caring for my mother, I might become a home health nurse or long-term care nurse. However, I am still open to new experiences during my clinicals, which will start in the Fall. As a prerequisite for nursing school, I had to take classes from various disciplines that have helped me understand human behavior and how the human body works. I am also CPR certified, which has helped me acquire skills and knowledge to save lives. In addition to all the steps I have taken on my nursing school journey, learning and unlearning have been pivotal to gaining knowledge about the nursing practice. Reading nursing books has helped me understand the importance of the profession. One of my firsts was “The Lady with the Lamp”. I have also volunteered at food pantries and worked with children to help improve personal qualities like empathy, critical thinking, and communication skills. Being a nurse is an agelong dream that I have hoped to accomplish since I was eight. However, understanding the intricacies of such a calling was beyond the thinking capacity of my eight-year-old self. I have come to understand that one of the reasons I want this career is that it allows me to improve my life based on experimental research. Additionally, it experiences a higher-than-average growth rate in terms of demand. Last but not least, unlike some careers, nursing allows me to earn more advanced degrees as well as gain expertise in a specialized discipline within nursing. However, as I carry on in my journey for a bachelor's degree in nursing in a prestigious academic establishment like Elmhurst University, I still need financial assistance, which the Wieland Nurse Appreciation Scholarship could help offset.

The desire to learn and discover has been my driving force in choosing my career path, gaining general knowledge, and acquiring academic excellence. At the tender age of eight, my family and I were hospitalized after a devastating motor accident. The professionalism and compassion a particular nurse showed inspired me to become a nurse myself, despite knowing very little about the profession then. My mother's spinal cord injury also motivated me to become a nurse. Weeks after my discharge from the hospital, I would see the doctors and their medical students surround my mother's hospital bed, and I would hang around the corner peeping and listening to the medical jargon and terminologies that made no sense to me. Over the years, I knew more than an average person about managing and treating spinal cord injuries. As I cared for her, I took note of her symptoms and complications that came with her condition, such as pressure ulcers. Being present at every hospital visit and medical procedure allowed me to converse with neurosurgeons and plastic surgeons, which deepened my understanding of my mother's medical condition and helped me develop critical thinking skills that will eventually serve me well in my future career. On many occasions, I left them amazed at how much I knew about pressure ulcers and spinal cord injuries. After her last surgery, I was with my mother, providing bedside care without formal training. The head nurse at the hospital was grateful for my presence and encouraged me to study nursing after seeing potential in me. As a result of this desire to learn, I am now on a career path in nursing. While taking my pre-requisites, I became interested in the science of what influences our behaviors so I will be studying nursing with a minor in psychology. However, with my time caring for my mother, I might become a home health nurse or long-term care nurse. However, I am still open to new experiences during my clinicals, which will start in the Fall. As a prerequisite for nursing school, I had to take classes from various disciplines that have helped me understand human behavior and how the human body works. I am also CPR certified, which has helped me acquire skills and knowledge to save lives. In addition to all the steps I have taken on my nursing school journey, learning and unlearning have been pivotal to gaining knowledge about the nursing practice. Reading nursing books has helped me understand the importance of the profession. One of my firsts was “The Lady with the Lamp”. I have also volunteered at food pantries and worked with children to help improve personal qualities like empathy, critical thinking, and communication skills. Being a nurse is an agelong dream that I have hoped to accomplish since I was eight. However, understanding the intricacies of such a calling was beyond the thinking capacity of my eight-year-old self. I have come to understand that one of the reasons I want this career is that it allows me to improve my life based on experimental research. Additionally, it experiences a higher-than-average growth rate in terms of demand. Last but not least, unlike some careers, nursing allows me to earn more advanced degrees as well as gain expertise in a specialized discipline within nursing. However, as I carry on in my journey for a bachelor's degree in nursing in a prestigious academic establishment like Elmhurst University, I still need financial assistance, which this scholarship could help offset.