Social media and television programs have always played a prominent role in influencing my activities from a young age. During elementary school, a surge in healthy eating and lifestyles were promoted on my favorite networks, social media apps, and in political campaigns. Being young and impressionable, I embarked on a journey to become healthy. However, I quickly faced the reality that the healthy lifestyles I saw through a screen were often unattainable. My local corner store didn’t have fresh food, my parents prioritized cost over health, and being a child in a household that didn’t practice healthy habits made it even more difficult. After finding ways to improve my health and seeing its results in all aspects of my life, my initial interest in health care was sparked. Throughout high school, I expanded my career interest by joining organizations like HOSA, where I learned more about healthcare professions and gained health-related knowledge. During this time, I also discovered the harsh realities of the healthcare system for Black women. This included the maternal mortality rate of Black women being three times higher than any other race, the lack of representation evident in every doctor’s office I visited, and the undeniable amount of cultural incompetence and negative clinical experiences I encountered. Moving forward, I decided I wanted to play a role in improving the inequalities people of color face in medicine. This heavily influenced my post-secondary decision to become a Health Sciences major, where I could learn more in-depth about healthcare roles. Choosing a healthcare profession became increasingly difficult as the experiences offered by my institution expanded my interests. Luckily, I was introduced to the pathway of nursing. During this time, I shadowed three Nurse Practitioners specializing in Women’s Health, Psychiatry, and Oncology. I also shadowed registered nurses and worked under them as a temporary nurse aide during the pandemic, as well as nurses who worked in non-traditional settings and conducted research. These valuable clinical experiences, coupled with educational sessions hosted by my home institution and other nursing schools where I could see nurses making an impact in all areas of health, helped me realize that a career in nursing was perfect for me. I want to use my nursing career to make an impact on more than just the clinical experiences of people of color but also the systems that prohibit them from being able to live healthy lives. I will educate groups on combating health disparities, improve community health and safety, and develop processes to increase healthcare access. After graduating from Emory University with a Master of Nursing (MN) and obtaining my RN licensure, I will begin working as a Labor and Delivery Nurse or Midwife. In this role, I plan to utilize evidence-based practices to enhance patient care experiences and reduce morbidity and mortality rates for all women, focusing on women of color. After gaining adequate experience, I will return to school for my Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner (WHNP) certification. I plan to use my advanced nursing degree to continue to produce research in women’s health and use my non-profit to help disadvantaged communities become more informed through workshops and other interactive health events. With my training, education, and passion for my future career, I will surely achieve all my goals and more.

Before attending Spelman College, all that I was sure of was that I wanted to improve patient care experiences for people of color and combat morbidity and mortality rates for black women. So, I was admitted as a Biology major on the pre-medicine track, hoping to become a Doctor. After shadowing and career consulting, I quickly realized I didn’t want to become a doctor. They didn’t have as much patient interaction time as I thought; they didn’t engage in the clinical activities I was interested in, and with my many interests and passions, I was interested in a more fluid career with many options.   I switched my major three times and finally landed on Health Sciences. Through this major, I could explore many healthcare options, from MD to Epidemiology, but most importantly, I was introduced to Nursing. Before I gained this in-depth knowledge of the career, I only knew that a person could become a registered nurse and work at a hospital or doctor’s office. I learned about the many levels of nursing; I saw nurses conducting research, improving hospital processes, owning and operating non-profit and for-profit organizations, and much more, but most importantly, they were there with the patients every step of the way from intake to discharge, and that’s how involved I wanted to be in the patient care experience.  After learning more about the profession, I intertwined it with my interests and career goals. I set my sights on becoming a Labor and Delivery Nurse to help combat the extremely high death rate women of color face through clinical practice and research. With a profession full of opportunities, I knew I didn’t want to stop at the Registered Nurse level. Eventually, I did want to become an Advanced Practice Nurse. Through my love of maternal and reproductive health, which I had the opportunity to learn more about through clinical experiences at Covenant House Shelter and research projects with Morehouse School of Medicine Center for Maternal Health  Equity and Emory University Urban Health  Initiatives, I learned more about my own body and health. The female body is intricate but amazing, and I realized, like myself, that a lot of women were either uninformed or misinformed when it came to their health. After gaining adequate experience as a Labor and Delivery Nurse, I aspire to become a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner to help educate women on sexual and reproductive health through a non-profit organization focused on health, wellness, and education. With Scholarships like the  Dashanna K. McNeil Memorial Scholarship, I am one step closer to reaching my goals of helping African American women improve their sexual, reproductive, and maternal health and lead happy, healthy lives.

Social media and television programs have always played a prominent role in influencing my activities from a young age. During elementary school, a surge in healthy eating and lifestyles was promoted on my favorite networks, social media apps, and even in political campaigns. Being young and impressionable, I embarked on a journey to become healthy. However, I quickly faced the reality that the healthy lifestyles I saw through a screen were often unattainable. My local corner store didn’t have fresh food, my parents prioritized cost over health, and being a child in a household that didn’t practice healthy habits made it even more difficult. After finding ways to improve my health and seeing its results in all aspects of my life, my initial interest in health care was sparked. Throughout high school, I expanded my career interest by joining organizations like HOSA, where I learned more about healthcare professions and gained health-related knowledge. During this time, I also discovered the harsh realities of the healthcare system for Black women. This included the maternal mortality rate of Black women being three times higher than any other race, the lack of representation evident in every doctor’s office I visited, and the undeniable amount of cultural incompetence and negative clinical experiences I encountered. Moving forward, I decided I wanted to play a role in improving the inequalities people of color face in medicine. This heavily influenced my post-secondary decision to become a Health Sciences major, where I could learn more in-depth about the different roles within healthcare. Choosing a healthcare profession became increasingly difficult as the experiences offered by my institution expanded my interests. Luckily, I was introduced to the pathway of nursing. During this time, I shadowed three Nurse Practitioners specializing in Women’s Health, Psychiatry, and Oncology. I also shadowed Registered Nurses and worked under them as a Temporary Nurse Aid during the pandemic and Nurses who worked in non-traditional settings and conducted research. These valuable clinical experiences, coupled with educational sessions hosted by my home institution and other nursing schools where I could see nurses making an impact in all areas of the hospital and conducting research, helped me realize that a career in nursing was perfect for me. I want to use my nursing career to make an impact on more than just the clinical experiences of people of color but also the systems that prohibit them from being able to live healthy lives. I will educate groups on combating health disparities, improve community health and safety, and develop processes to increase healthcare access. After graduating from Emory University with a Master of Nursing (MN) and obtaining my RN licensure, I will begin working as a Labor and Delivery Nurse or Midwife. In this role, I plan to utilize evidence-based practices to enhance patient care experiences and reduce morbidity and mortality rates for all women, with a special focus on women of color. After gaining an adequate amount of experience, I will return to school to obtain my Women's Health Nurse Practitioner (WHNP) certification. With my training, education, and passion for my future career, I am sure I will achieve all my goals and more. Companies like Wieland make this possible by extending opportunities to help fund nursing students' education, so students like myself can focus more on learning and helping their future patients.

Social media and television programs have always played a prominent role in influencing my activities from a young age. During my elementary years, a surge in healthy eating and lifestyles were being promoted on my favorite networks, social media apps, and even in political campaigns. Young and impressionable, I was now on a journey to become healthy. Unfortunately, I was quickly met with the reality that the healthy lifestyles I saw through a screen were unattainable. My local corner store didn't have fresh food. My parents prioritized cost over health and being a child in a household that didn't practice healthy habits made it even more difficult. After finding ways to improve my health and seeing its results in all aspects of my life, I knew my purpose was to promote health and wellness in communities of color. My overall goal in my future career is to help others. As a Health Science major on the Pre-Nursing track, I get to partake in my love for science, research, and curiosity of the human body. At the same time, I am cultivating my knowledge of social and structural determinants of health to drive positive changes in today's healthcare system and prepare for my career as a Nurse Practitioner. Inspired by alumna like Chanell Huff-Cox, I would like to use my nursing career to make an impact on more than people of color's clinical experiences but the systems that prohibit them from being able to live healthy lives. Using the resources and opportunities provided to me through Spelman, I was introduced to the pathways of nursing and learned how I could integrate my passion for social change and a clinical career into a Public health Nursing career. Through Public Health Nursing, I will educate groups on combating health disparities, improve community health and safety, and developing processes to increase healthcare access. I would like to specifically focus on the lack of sexual education, mental health resources, and dietary options in communities of color. On my journey to obtaining my bachelor's degree and becoming a competitive applicant for nursing school, I have assumed many leadership positions through clinical roles and academic opportunities. All of which have required me to apply critical thinking skills, use time management skills, apply empathy, and gain direct patient care experience, skills that are vital to my career as a nurse. During my time in the Summer Health Professionals Education Program, I was given the role of group leader in a clinical simulation. I was tasked with providing a homeless patient with the most cost efficient and accessible treatment possible. Task like these become difficult with limited resources and negative impacts on the patients’ social determinants of health, but through inter-professional education, and an extensive knowledge of Government assistance programs and Non-profit organizations, the patient was able to receive an accessible treatment. After graduating from Spelman college, I plan to enter our pipeline program at Emory School of Nursing, where I will obtain a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) to practice as a Registered Nurse. After gaining adequate experience in my field, I will apply to a Nurse Practitioner Public Health program to enhance my knowledge on the ways I can improve communities and be more involved in the care of patients I encounter. I am confident that with my training, education, and passion for my future career, I will achieve all my goals and more.

In my senior year of high school, I applied to every program as a biology major on the pre-medicine track. I just wanted to help others, especially people of color, live healthy lives. Quickly after arriving at Spelman college, I learned that so much more goes into an individual's health before they even visit a health facility. This realization helped sway my decision to become a Health sciences major, “a major which provides an interdisciplinary approach to recognizing, evaluating, and understanding key theories and concepts associated with individual health, wellness, and various pathophysiologic conditions and their global impact on society. This major also gives a comprehensive overview of the career options available in the health sciences.”Throughout the semesters, I have used the resources and Education provided to me, specifically through my major’s advisors and office, to work on public health research projects such as recognizing implicit racial bias in maternal care, A research project to understand why HBCU students are facing food insecurity and how to Combat it, and health-related internships, which led me to choose Public health Nursing as a career. Inspired by Spelman alumna like Chanell Huff-Cox, I would like to use my nursing career to make an impact on more than people of color's clinical experiences but the systems that prohibit them from being able to live healthy lives. Through Public Health Nursing, I will educate groups on combating health disparities, improving community health and safety, and developing processes to increase healthcare access. I want to focus on the lack of sexual education, mental health resources, and dietary options in communities of color. Although I am not in my career yet, I use the knowledge I’ve accumulated to make an impact within my college campus, from promoting mental health activities and resources as Spelman Colleges Secretary of Academic Affairs to promoting safe sex practices as Co-President of the Spelman College Nursing Organization. Every day I work hard toward accomplishing my dreams. Still, as a first-generation college student, financial hardship becomes a daily battle from not knowing if I’ll have enough scholarship money to complete my degree and having to worry about rent, gas, and parking expenses throughout the semester. Scholarships like the She rose in health scholarship help to alleviate these problems for me so that I can focus on getting my health sciences degree that will prepare me for my future career and achieving my goals.

“You just needed a day off from school, huh?” My nurse chuckled as I sat on the examination table, feeling like my stomach was turning in knots. I couldn’t have been older than nine years old. My mom could always tell when I was faking a stomach ache to get out of school, but today was not one of those days. Why did she think I was lying? Could she not see I was in severe pain? At such a young age, I had my first experience with a stereotype that was practiced way too often and often lead people of color and children to a death or prolonged health issues that could have been prevented or cured if only someone listened and took their symptoms and pain seriously. This negligence or just lack of true concern made me uncomfortable, which was disheartening because doctor visits had always been my absolute favorite. I was fascinated with everything the nurses did and always asked one million questions. At such a very young age, I decided that’s what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Unfortunately, I didn’t feel heard in that moment, and sadly it wasn’t the last time I encountered something like this, from having ulcers on my uterus and it being taken too lightly until I had to be rushed to an emergency room, to being in a horrific car accident and sitting in a waiting room crying for hours because my tears were obviously fake. After coming across a Twitter thread disclosing information about other people’s experiences with medical racism and how many people have lost their lives, I went ahead and did my own research. The results were heartbreaking, from black women having a mortality rate four times higher than any other group in hospitals, to healthcare professionals saying that they were trained to believe that black people exaggerate their symptoms. Although the information was disheartening, it did not deter me from wanting to becoming a nurse but instead motivated me even more. On my journey to becoming a pediatric nurse practitioner and ensuring that each patient feels heard and is offered every resource available to combat medical racism, I am following a four-year plan carefully constructed by my health care advisor and I. During my summers, I will participate in programs like the one I am in now, SHPEP, to prepare me for the workforce and graduate school. I am also plan to obtain my CNA certificate to get a job during undergraduate school that will allow me to get gain clinical experiencec. Lastly, I am involved in a plethora of healthcare-related organizations with my institutions to network, raise awareness about health disparities and how people can make choices to live healthier lives, and gain knowledge about the healthcare system and health in general. I am doing everything in my power to achieve my goals. No matter how hard I have to work or what obstacles I have to face, I will become a pediatric nurse practitioner, hopefully changing the healthcare system one patient at a time.

“Baby, I was born tired Getting more tired As time passes me by I'ma need more fire Way, way more fire So pass that thing my way Ayy, I'm tired, but I'm fired up Tired, but I'm fired up” are the lyrics that brought me to tears but kept me motivated through these troubling times we’re all facing. This pandemic has brought many obstacles into my life such as death and total life plan changes where I felt like I couldn’t make it through. But this song has truly pushed me through it and even brought spirituality into my life which has also had a huge positive impact on my life. After listening to this song nearly every day like it was the cure to all of my problems, I felt like there was a deeper connection. After I did some research on the album, I found out that Jhene used healing sounds while creating the album. I wanted to try something knew and began to meditate to healing sounds on YouTube whenever I felt overwhelmed, and it really helped clear my mind. Soon enough I began my spiritual journey and gained most of my knowledge from YouTube where my timeline and suggestions were flooded with all things spirituality. One video recommended to me was Gscroyalty's "How to manifest money fast" and "How to win any scholarship" video. I took the advice from the video and implemented the 3-6-9 method for a week and the following week, I was awarded my first external scholarship for $250. I read the email with tears of joy in my eyes as I had been relentlessly applying for scholarships for over a year now, and it finally felt like my hard work was paying off. Some people told me it was only $250 and reminded me of Spelman's sky-high cost of attendance, but I was grateful because I finally did it and anything was better than nothing. The song “Born Tired” will forever hold a special place in my heart because it was the start of a beautiful domino effect that has me meditating, manifesting, doing my shadow work , and overall having better days.