As a future nurse, I believe one of the most meaningful ways I can improve people's overall health is by helping them understand the powerful connection between nutrition and wellness. Many of the health conditions that affect individuals and families today, including diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, obesity, and certain cancers, can be prevented or better managed through healthy lifestyle choices. While nurses play an important role in treating illness, we also have a responsibility to educate, encourage, and empower people to make choices that improve their long term health. Through patient education, advocacy, and community outreach, I hope to help individuals develop healthier eating habits that lead to better health outcomes. My passion for promoting health and wellness comes from both personal and professional experiences. Throughout my healthcare career and nursing education, I have seen how poor nutrition can contribute to chronic disease, delayed healing, and preventable hospitalizations. I have also witnessed the challenges many families face when trying to access healthy foods, particularly in underserved communities. As a Baltimore native, I understand that barriers such as limited access to grocery stores, financial constraints, and lack of nutrition education can make healthy eating difficult. These experiences have strengthened my commitment to helping people overcome those barriers and make informed decisions about their health. As a nurse, I plan to encourage healthier eating habits by first building trust with my patients. I believe education is most effective when people feel respected, supported, and understood. I will take the time to learn about each patient's lifestyle, culture, and individual needs before making recommendations. Rather than promoting unrealistic diets, I will focus on practical, achievable changes such as increasing fruits and vegetables, choosing lean proteins, reducing sugary drinks, reading nutrition labels, and practicing portion control. Small, sustainable changes often lead to long term success. I also plan to collaborate with dietitians, healthcare providers, schools, and community organizations to connect patients with valuable nutrition resources. I hope to participate in community health fairs, wellness programs, and educational workshops that teach families how to prepare healthy meals on a budget and make healthier food choices. By providing education and access to resources, I can help individuals feel more confident in managing their health. Ultimately, my nursing career will allow me to make a positive impact beyond the bedside. By promoting proper nutrition, preventive care, and healthy lifestyle habits, I hope to reduce chronic disease, improve quality of life, and create healthier communities. Through compassion, education, and advocacy, I want to help people take control of their health and build a stronger foundation for future generations.

My decision to pursue a degree in nursing is deeply rooted in both personal experiences and a lifelong desire to serve others. Throughout my life, I have witnessed firsthand the impact that compassionate, knowledgeable nurses can have during some of the most difficult moments a person or family can face. Those experiences inspired me to pursue a career where I can make a meaningful difference in the lives of others while advocating for quality healthcare, patient education, and positive health outcomes. One of the most significant influences on my decision to become a nurse was serving as a caregiver for my mother after she suffered a hemorrhagic stroke and multiple brain aneurysms. During that time, I observed the physical, emotional, and psychological challenges that patients and families experience while navigating complex healthcare systems. I saw how nurses not only provided skilled medical care but also offered comfort, encouragement, and support during moments of fear and uncertainty. Their ability to care for the whole person, not just the illness, left a lasting impression on me and reinforced my desire to join the profession. My personal experiences as a mother have also strengthened my passion for nursing. As the parent of a son with special needs and a history of significant health challenges during childhood, I spent many years advocating for his healthcare needs and coordinating services to ensure he received appropriate care. These experiences taught me the importance of patience, empathy, effective communication, and advocacy, all qualities that are essential in nursing. As a nontraditional student, single mother, and full-time healthcare professional, returning to school to earn my Bachelor of Science in Nursing has required resilience, determination, and sacrifice. Balancing work, family responsibilities, and a rigorous nursing curriculum has not been easy, but it has strengthened my commitment to achieving my goals. Each challenge I have overcome has reinforced my belief that nursing is where I am meant to be. As a nurse, I hope to contribute to my community by providing compassionate, patient-centered care while serving as an advocate for health education, prevention, and access to quality healthcare services. As a Baltimore native, I am especially passionate about addressing health disparities that disproportionately affect underserved communities. I want to empower patients and families with the knowledge, resources, and support they need to make informed decisions about their health and improve their overall quality of life. Ultimately, nursing is more than a career for me; it is a calling. I hope to use my education, professional experience, and life journey to improve the lives of individuals and families while helping to build healthier, stronger communities for future generations.

Nursing is the result of life experiences that have shaped who I am and strengthened my desire to help others during some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives. Throughout my life, I have witnessed firsthand the impact that compassionate, knowledgeable nurses can have on patients and families. These experiences inspired me to pursue nursing and dedicate myself to making a meaningful difference in the lives of others. One of the greatest influences on my decision to become a nurse has been my role as a mother. My son has faced numerous health challenges during pregnancy, infancy, and childhood, including recurrent illnesses. Navigating the healthcare system as a parent allowed me to see the critical role nurses play in providing not only medical care but also comfort, education, and support to families. During stressful and uncertain times, the nurses who cared for my son made a lasting impression on me through their compassion, patience, and advocacy. In addition to caring for my son, I have also served as a caregiver for my mother following a hemorrhagic stroke and multiple brain aneurysms. Supporting a loved one through recovery gave me a deeper appreciation for the physical, emotional, and psychological challenges patients and families experience. These experiences strengthened my commitment to becoming a nurse who treats every patient with empathy, dignity, and respect. My interest in pediatric nursing stems from my passion for helping children and supporting families during critical stages of growth and development. Children are resilient, but they often require specialized care that addresses not only their physical needs but also their emotional well being. I am drawn to the unique opportunity pediatric nurses have to build trust with children, educate parents, and positively influence lifelong health outcomes. As a pediatric nurse, I hope to combine my personal experiences, healthcare knowledge, and genuine compassion to advocate for children and their families. I understand the fears, concerns, and uncertainties that parents face when their child is ill because I have lived those experiences myself. My goal is to provide the same level of support, encouragement, and exceptional care that meant so much to my family during difficult times. Nursing offers the opportunity to serve others, promote healing, and make a lasting impact. Pediatric nursing, in particular, allows me to fulfill my passion for helping children thrive while supporting families through some of their most challenging moments. It is a career that aligns perfectly with my values, experiences, and commitment to making a difference.

As a young girl, I was drawn to helping others. I always found and continue to find myself wanting to exuberate kindness, comfort and help strangers, classmates, friends, family, etc. Acts of service fulfill me with a sense of purpose. Over time, this innate compassion matured into a focused ambition, to become a nurse. For me, nursing is not just a career; it’s a calling. It’s the daily practice of empathy, science, and resilience. I want to seize the chances to make lasting differences in people’s lives. As a returning student and professional balancing motherhood, work, education, care giving, and family, I am deeply committed to making positive impacts on our youth including my own son. I have encountered many setbacks and challenges along my journey, but each obstacle only provided me with extra layers of armor and experience fueling my desire to pursue nursing. Rather than deter me, my life occurrences and experiences have cultivated resilience and a profound sense of empathy. My future goals are centered on serving minority communities by educating and mentoring the next generation of healthcare providers. I am particularly passionate about guiding minority males, whose representation in nursing remains critically low. Coming from a similar background, I understand the barriers they face and am committed to supporting them through hardships, academic challenges, and their professional development. My broader professional and educational ambitions focus on preparing future nurses to deliver compassionate, intentional, and exceptional patient care. A commitment to excellence is integral to my personal and professional growth. I view learning as a lifelong journey and actively seek opportunities for development, whether through mastering complex medical knowledge, refining clinical skills, or embracing new technologies. In my view, excellence in nursing extends beyond technical proficiency; it involves being present, listening with empathy, and advocating fiercely for patients. Over the past decade, I have dedicated my career to upholding the quality and integrity of patient care as a Medical Auditor and Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialist. Ensuring that medical records accurately reflect the care provided has been a vital contribution to improving healthcare outcomes. These roles, along with my earlier experiences as a CNA/GNA, Phlebotomist, Laboratory Technician, and Coding Auditor, have been essential steppingstones in my nursing journey. Each day, I strive to exemplify and display character fitting to serve our youth. My daily efforts are to walk paths not measured by accolades, but by the consistent, quiet efforts to care for and uplift others. As I continue my nursing education and career, I carry the spirit of the young bright eyed young girl within me. My aspiration is to be a nurse who not only delivers exceptional clinical care but also uplifts the human spirit through dedication, empathy, and an unwavering pursuit of excellence. In doing so, I hope to honor Barbara Rhomberg’s legacy and make a meaningful impact on the lives of those I serve.

Exactly fifteen years and 11 months ago, in February of 2009, was the beginning of my faith keeping, testing, and loudly speaking to me and my new life than I ever could have imagined. I had recently turned twenty-five years old just two months before, in December. I was truly having a great time in life as a young adult, and then two months later I fell devastatingly ill. To my surprise I was informed that I was expecting, which was a complete shock to twenty-five-year-old me, who by the way had decided long ago, not to have children. My on and again, off again ex was informed and was thrilled to my surprise. We decided to give our family a chance. Well, that was what I thought anyway. The devastatingly illness never eased, turns out I was one of the lucky 0.3 – 3% of pregnant women diagnosed with hyperemesis gravidarum. The non-stop nausea, vomiting, over salivating, dizziness, unbalanced equilibrium, and weight loss, were just the beginning of faith being my keeper. I lost twenty pounds by the time I reached two moths pregnant. Which was very dangerous for me and baby. I began around the clock medication administration and nursing care. I cried day in and out, constantly in pain and agony. I constantly thought over and over I am twenty-five years old, why is God punishing me so, what I have I don’t to deserve this. I soon also realized that my ex’s intentions were to be a dad when the baby was born and did not sign up for being supportive while baby was in utero. I was unable to return to work, and with no income had to surrender my apartment, that I absolutely adored. I moved back home with my mom in Baltimore, to occupy her living room and sofa bed/futon. At four months gestation I was told that I was 1cm dilated, and that my baby was not expected to make it. My choices were to have a Cervical cerclage procedure that stitches your cervix closed to prevent premature birth due to a weakened cervix. Which came with a 40-50% chance of infection which would lead to miscarrying, which increased by 10% by me being prone to infection and immune compromised. My other choice was to be on strict bedrest for the remained of the pregnancy. I chose bedrest even though that meant not being able to work at all for nine straight months, without any income and bills not disappearing. Even though my faith was tested over and over, Faith also kept me. Any decision that I had to make for the baby I carried was made within seconds each time. It wasn’t till I thought about writing this essay that I remembered how much God spoke to me during my pregnancy. I honestly though it was my maternal instinct, it definitely was not. He spoke to me loudly over and over telling exactly what to do and what not to do. He even told me that it was a boy before sonograms. My entire pregnancy, I had a front row seat of my life being completely dismantled and unrecognizable, but I wasn’t worried at all. The only job I had was to focus on our health, which is what I did. Toward the end of my pregnancy I received long and short term insurance payouts and was able to pay all bills, prepare for baby, move into a larger apartment, and welcomed my little angel here on earth that introduced me to my new life and purpose.