Oftentimes our purpose in the world may seem unclear, but nursing has allowed me to see life through a different lens. From a young age, I knew I wanted to make an impact on our world, but I was never certain how I would accomplish this. That is until I turned 16 and a pulmonary embolism put my then-girlfriend in the hospital. I watched passionately and curiously as the nurses used medical jargon with one another. They created an atmosphere most would consider impossible, given the circumstances. I felt welcomed and taken care of even though I was only a visitor. Not only was I filled with a deep urge to know more, but I was also struck with a stark sense of self. I saw myself in them—compassionate, curious, hardworking, and above all else, heart-led. Finally, my prayers had been answered: a profession where I am fueled with knowledge and perseverance to make a difference in others' lives. It was here that I knew my fate had been sealed to the nursing career. From here I immediately began creating a plan for myself. I enrolled in a certified nurse assistant (CNA) program through my high school's integrated trade school. There, I obtained 62 clinical hours, including 22 voluntary hours, and built valuable lifelong connections with patients. All the while, I maintained a 4.2 GPA, was involved in three clubs, earned over 45 community volunteering hours, and worked a part-time job. Managing this was not easy, but I was able to create a balance. My engagement and work ethic have allowed me to navigate nursing school efficiently and helped me become a better student nurse. As I began working as a young CNA, I was quickly met with an abundance of genuine connections between my patients and me. It was everything I had ever hoped for and more. I got to go to work, learn something new each day, and come home knowing I had made an impact on multiple lives. For example, a resident and I would converse regularly about her sons and grandchildren, and she once said, “I haven't had a listening ear in ages.” This meant the world to me—the fact that I was able to make her feel heard simply by taking time to talk about the people she loves. It left a lasting impression on my will to always provide a listening ear to my patients. It’s moments like these that fuel both my passion and my purpose in pursuing nursing. Although this profession has many remarkable attributes, its hardships do not go unnoticed. Behind every compassionate act and clinical skill lies a person who is often running on little sleep, carrying emotional weight, and navigating a high-stakes environment. Amidst holding the hands of the dying and absorbing the pain of families, nurses continue to show up with strength and grace, even on the hardest days. This is something I strive to embody every day as a CNA, student nurse, and human being. All in all, if the nursing career has taught me anything, it’s that no matter what, you show up for those around you. You become that listening ear, their hand to hold, and most importantly, the heart behind the healing. This is something I want to be a part of forever—not because it’s easy, but because the heart of nursing is built on resilience, compassion, and relentless dedication to others.

My hands start to feel clammy as I stand over the frail and emaciated woman. Gospel plays softly off a CD in the background. She uses all of her strength to fill her lungs with air, each one appearing as if it will be her last. It's drear, I know, but it's reality. All I could think of in the moment was what she was thinking, or dreaming, or nothing. Nobody really knows what one experiences on the brink of death. Do a flood of life moments appear before your eyes as if you're in a roaring thunderstorm, each depiction becoming more and more vivid? Do you think about all the things you wish you had done, or things you wish you hadn't? Some would say you'd meet God or loved ones who have passed. Maybe even dreams filled with your favorite candy, petting puppies, and watching your favorite nightly sitcom. I have learned a lot during my journey to becoming a nurse, but nothing could have prepared me to look at death through the eyes of another person. On that day my urge to become the best nurse that I could possibly be was strengthened further than I could have ever imagined possible. We may never truly understand what happens cognitively in those final moments, but as nurses we can create an environment that is nurturing and atmospherically positive for our patients to spend their final moments. My mission as a future nurse is to always foster warm, supportive, and relaxing conditions for all patients, but especially those who spend their final moments in my presence. Oftentimes our purpose in the world may seem unclear but nursing has allowed me to see life through a different lens. From a young age, I knew I wanted to make an impact on our world, but I was never certain how I would accomplish this. That is until I turned 16 and a pulmonary embolism put my then girlfriend in the hospital. I watched passionately and curiously as the nurses used medical jargon with one another. They created an atmosphere most would consider impossible once taking the circumstances into account. I felt welcomed and taken care of even though I was only but a visitor. Not only was I filled with a deep urge to know more, but I was also struck with a stark sense of self. I saw myself in them. Compassionate, curious, hardworking, and above all else, heart led. Finally, my prayers had been answered. A profession where I am fueled with knowledge and perseverance to make a difference in others' lives. It was here that I knew my fate had been sealed to the nursing career. From here I immediately began creating a plan for myself. I enrolled in a certified nurse assistant (CNA) program through my high school's integrated trade school. Here I would obtain 62 clinical hours, including 22 voluntary hours and build valuable lifelong connections with patients. All the while, I was able to maintain a 4.2 GPA, be involved in three different clubs, earn over 45 community volunteering hours, and work a part-time job. Managing this was not easy, though I was able to create a balance. My active engagement and work ethic has allowed me to efficiently navigate through my nursing degree and has helped me become a better student nurse. As I began working as a young CNA I was quickly met with an abundance of genuine connections between my patients and me. It was everything I had ever hoped for and more. I got to go to work, learn something new each day, and come home knowing I made an impact on multiple people's lives. For example, a resident and I would converse regularly about her sons and grandchildren, in which she stated, " I haven't had a listening ear in ages”. This meant the world to me. The fact that I was able to make a resident feel like she was being heard by simply taking the time out of my day to talk about the people she loves. This put an everlasting stain on my will to forever provide a listening ear to all of my patients. It is moments like these that not only fuel my passion, but my purpose in pursuing nursing. Although this profession has many remarkable attributes, its formidable hardships do not go unnoticed. Behind every compassionate act and clinical skill lies a person who is often running on little sleep, carrying emotional weight, and navigating the demands of a high-stakes environment. Amidst holding the hands of the dying and absorbing the pain of families, nurses continue to show up with strength and grace, even on the hardest days. This stands as something I attempt to represent in every moment as a CNA, student nurse, and human being. All in all, if the nursing career has taught me anything, it's that no matter what, you show up for those around you. You become that listening ear, you become their hand to hold, and most importantly you become the heart behind the healing. This is something I want to be a part of forever. Not because it’s easy, but because the heart of nursing is built on resilience, compassion, and a relentless dedication to others.

My entire life I’ve always had an interest in medicine, but when my ex-girlfriend was put in the hospital, I knew it was what I wanted to pursue. After watching the PICU nurses give incredible care, I recognized something very familiar in their actions. That would be the same compassion and abundant curiosity in the nurses that I saw in myself. They then allowed me to administer a blood thinner injection, which I would continue to administer daily for months after the hospitalization. I was extremely fascinated by patient care and inspired by the nurses' friendliness. They went out of their way to build a genuine connection with not only my ex-girlfriend but also me. Experiencing the kindness and compassion of the nurses contributed to me being able to provide that for someone else. One of the most amazing things about the nursing profession is the sheer number of genuine connections you are able to build with your patients. In the time that I have worked as a CNA, I have been fortunate enough to come across hundreds of beautiful souls that have motivated me to be the student and CNA I am today. With that being said, I have also been able to make an impact in my patients' lives. For example, a resident and I would converse regularly about her sons and grandchildren, in which she stated that she, "hasn’t had a listening ear in ages”. This made me feel so special. The fact that I was able to make a resident feel like she was being heard by simply taking the time out of my day to talk about the people she loves. These experiences will help me with my future career in the nursing profession because it allows for my patients to be more comfortable with me and provides an increased satisfaction in patient care. Now that I am finishing up my second year as a nursing student, I can confidently say that this is my calling. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time learning about healthcare's unique atmosphere and all of the intricate details that come with it. I am incredibly passionate and excited to continue my professional career in nursing. Each time that I get to go into work or clinical I get reminded of why I chose to go down this path. Experiencing the bond that I have created with my patients is like no other, and I have a hard time imagining myself in another profession. Although I have had lots of past experiences, I am always looking forward to new ones. For this reason, I have already begun engaging myself in healthcare clubs, workshops, and involving myself in the community by volunteering. Overall, my compassion, work ethic, and abundant curiosity will take me extremely far in my nursing career and I am immensely excited to be able to apply these characteristics to make a difference in lives.

My entire life I’ve always had an interest in medicine, but when my ex-girlfriend was put in the hospital, I knew it was what I wanted to pursue. After watching the PICU nurses give incredible care, I recognized something very familiar in their actions. That would be the same compassion and abundant curiosity in the nurses that I saw in myself. They then allowed me to administer a blood thinner injection, which I would continue to administer daily for months after the hospitalization. I was extremely fascinated by patient care and inspired by the nurses' friendliness. They went out of their way to build a genuine connection with not only my ex-girlfriend but also me. Experiencing the kindness and compassion of the nurses contributed to me being able to provide that for someone else. I began my nursing journey by first completing a nine-month CNA course. During my highschool CNA program I was able to obtain 62 clinical hours (22 of which were voluntary) and build valuable lifelong connections with patients. All the while, I was able to maintain a 4.2 GPA, be involved in three different clubs, earn over 45 community volunteering hours, and work a part-time job. Managing this was not easy, though I was able to create a balance. My active engagement and work ethic has allowed me to efficiently navigate through my nursing degree and will help me be a better nurse. One of the most amazing things about the nursing profession is the sheer number of genuine connections you are able to build with your patients. In the time that I have worked as a CNA, I have been fortunate enough to come across hundreds of beautiful souls that have motivated me to be the student and CNA I am today. With that being said, I have also been able to make an impact in my patients' lives. For example, a resident and I would converse regularly about her sons and grandchildren, in which she stated that she, "hasn’t had a listening ear in ages”. This made me feel so special. The fact that I was able to make a resident feel like she was being heard by simply taking the time out of my day to talk about the people she loves. These experiences will help me with my future career in the nursing profession because it allows for my patients to be more comfortable with me and provides an increased satisfaction in patient care. Now that I am finishing up my second year as a nursing student, I can confidently say that this is my calling. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time learning about healthcare's unique atmosphere and all of the intricate details that come with it. I am incredibly passionate and excited to continue my professional career in nursing. Each time that I get to go into work or clinical I get reminded of why I chose to go down this path. Experiencing the bond that I have created with my patients is like no other, and I have a hard time imagining myself in another profession. I believe that I have been called to this profession for many reasons. To start, I am a very compassionate person. I care about each and every one of my patients and go above and beyond to ensure that they are properly cared for. For example, I have picked up hours when we were short-staffed to ensure that my residents were taken care of accordingly. Constantly checking up on my residents to make sure they were comfortable was one of many things I was complimented on by visiting family. Secondly, I am enthusiastic and full of charisma. One of the best feelings is when you get a nurse, or anyone for that matter that brings a positive attitude to the plate and brightens your day. I face all my patients with a positive and uplifting attitude. This can be very beneficial in both direct patient care and leadership roles. Charisma enhances communication, mood, and overall environmental status. Lastly, I have good decision-making skills. All nursing have the responsibility of making good decisions when it comes to their patients, time management, and self-management. I can weigh out options, plan them out, and effectively implement them if needed. These are just a couple reasons why I know I was, “made” to be a nurse. This scholarship would allow me to finish school and continue chasing my dream of being a nurse. Growing up with my parents being Brazilian immigrants, I have watched them sacrifice everything they could to give me a good life. Even still, we are struggling to give me the education that I want and need. This scholarship would allow me to better focus on my studies and relieve some of the financial pressure that comes with schooling. I will be able to devote more of my time and energy to my coursework and extracurricular activities, which would benefit me greatly. Being able to stay involved in extracurricular activities will allow me to develop new skills and make valuable connections. Without the financial burden, I will develop a deeper understanding of the nursing career. Although I have had lots of past experiences, I am always looking forward to new ones. For this reason, I have already begun engaging myself in healthcare clubs, workshops, and involving myself in the community by volunteering. Overall, my compassion, work ethic, and abundant curiosity will take me extremely far in my nursing career and I am immensely excited to be able to apply these characteristics to make a difference in lives.