In 2020, my youngest brother, Mason, was brought into the world. He was a goofy, sweet, and rambunctious baby. At 1.5 years old, Mason went to get a physical exam and he underwent blood work. I got the call while away at college that he had been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. I was in complete shock. I was terrified of what his future would be like and of the rigorous treatments he would endure. Over the next five months, Mason underwent several rounds of chemotherapy and seemed to be in good spirits. I would go home to see him on school breaks and both in the hospital and at home, he was still his goofy self. He still loved to play with his toys, quiz me on the superheroes in his comic books, and sit with me while he watched YouTube. Over time, however, this would change as his cancer progressed. He lost his liveliness due to his constant pain and it was very difficult to watch him lose his personality. I also observed something else while visiting Mason in the hospital: his wonderful nurses. They were so skilled at their jobs and it was very impressive. They were always making him laugh by playing with him and joking with him. They always helped him to feel as comfortable as possible despite constantly being poked and prodded. They also always did a good job of trying to explain his procedures to him using toys and language that a toddler could understand. These nurses were not simply caretakers, but like family, and we continue to see many of them at events held in Mason’s honor despite his passing in 2022. From a very young age, I have been drawn to science. As I grew up, I learned more about health professions and visited various types of medical offices. I was drawn to the clinical environment because of the problem-solving, quick thinking, and patient interaction but I wasn’t sure what kind of role I wanted to play within this setting. I have considered many different professions in healthcare but my brother’s experience confirmed my desire to be a nurse. I want to change patients’ experiences by going above and beyond my job requirements as Mason’s nurses did. I want to make the difficult times in their lives more bearable and comfortable while supporting the patient and their families like my brother’s nurses did for my family. This incredible career would also be a great way to honor my late brother and keep his legacy alive by making a difference in children’s lives. Over the past year, I have taken several steps to reach my goal of becoming a nurse including volunteering at a hospital and applying to nursing schools. Over the past 3 months, I have dedicated about 65 hours of service to Good Samaritan Hospital in San Jose as a volunteer in patient services, the emergency room and the oncology department nurses station. The experiences I have had as a volunteer at Good Samaritan have been extremely educational and getting to observe the clinical environment, especially the role the nurses play within in, has confirmed that this is the career path I want to pursue. I have also applied to accelerated nursing programs to attend next year and have been admitted to 2 programs. I will either be attending an ABSN program at Mount St. Mary's University or Creighton University in the coming year. I am so excited to begin my journey as a student nurse and eventually change the lives of others.