For the entire duration of my nursing school career, I'm required to participate in a public health rotation sponsored and put together by my school called the Mason and Partners Clinic. At the clinic we do vaccinations, work in conjunction with INOVA and their program, INOVA cares, assess patients from all ages and genders, and work with social work students and professionals to assist with issues outside of health: housing, food, domestic violence, mental health, and immigrant assistance. However, on this particular day, I was assessing a middle-aged woman who had come to the U.S. about 6 years ago. She was doing well for herself and had just come in to do a physical. She's been with us before, so we usually recommend those who aren't able to get their own health care to come back once a year for a physical. After the physical had been done by the physician, the physician asked her if anything else had been going on in her life that she may need some assistance with. The woman immediately started crying and began to explain how she's been struggling with keeping her home and getting her husband and her son to come to the U.S. with her. After speaking with her social work immediately began to work with her and find resources to help her with her finances and issues with immigration status regarding her son and husband. The moment the student nurses, social work students, and physician students came together to help this woman, I realized that this is why I want to be a nurse. We are the door that opens for those who've had doors closed on them. People come to us when they have no one else to turn to. We are their healing, their happiness, and their opportunity at healthy lives. That's why I want to be a nurse. I want to give be able to give back to my community and open doors for them that haven't been open before. I want to contribute to immigrant community who often come here with nothing and no opportunities. I could make a difference by offering my resources and educating my patients not just about health care. My name is Daria De Caul. I want to be a nurse because I want to feel rewarded for offering my healing hands and showcasing the need to give to those in need of it most.

hello, my name is Daria De Caul. I live in the rural area of Bealeton, VA located in Fauquier County. though my volunteering was limited to my senior year of high school, I did start helping my community by working at my local Dairy Queen. I began working there when I was 16 years old. From there I began to work long hours for about four days a week. Dairy Queen opened a door to many opportunities and also showed me the importance of giving back to the community, not just by doing things for others, but just by simply being kind. I remember a time where I was working a closing shift and saw a returning customer from a few days back. The customer always had his two children with him and only came on Friday's because those were his pay days. I knew the man wasn't the wealthiest, he was doing the best he could. Walking up to the counter, I greet him and begin taking his order. After taking his order, it's time for him to pay, but when he swipes his card, the screen tells me he has insufficient funds. He swipes one more time with hope that the pay system was just malfunctioning, but it doesn't work. So, without a second thought I looked at those two kids and told the man that I would pay for his order. I'm most proud of that day because I helped someone when they genuinely needed it, and if the man didn't need it, it made me feel good knowing his children were happy and had their bellies full because I haven't been in a situation such as that before and I'm so grateful that. After that, I joined a few clubs so that I can start helping the people of my community outside of work. I joined the Music Honors Society, HOSA Future health leaders, and was picked to join my school's National Honors Society. After joining these clubs, I began to volunteer more. In Music Honors Society, I used my passion for music and playing my viola as a way to educate the younger generation which also helped me give back to my community. Every year my high school puts together a Halloween Night for the elementary students. At this event children are able to have fun while also being educated by the different classes and clubs available at my school, Liberty High School. At this event, the MHS sets up an instrument petting zoo which allows the elementary students to play and learn about all the different instruments they can play when they're in high school. In HOSA, I was able to set aside a whole school day to shadow a person in my dream career field at the Fauquier Hospital. At the hospital I shadowed an ICU nurse and a CNA. While shadowing I assisted the nurses in caring for their patients, I even had real conversations with the patients on their floor. In the National Honors Society, I helped set up and run events for my school. I helped design posters for Womans History Month to help educate students in woman's history and I helped the elderly register for the "Get Healthy Fauquier" event in Remington VA. Though I've done a lot of volunteering, it has taught me patience, the ability to understand people's backgrounds, and the willingness to help others when no one else will. We don't always know what other people are going through, but we can always let them know that there is always someone here to help them.