Nursing has been a career path that I have only become more passionate about throughout my time in college, and I look forward to graduating and being able to fulfill my lifelong dream to become a nurse and make a difference in my community. My passion for nursing developed for me in high school when my grandfather had a traumatic brain injury that led to his death when I was a sophomore in high school. Through my visits to the hospital and nursing home, I could not help but admire the nurses that worked tirelessly to ensure that my grandfather was as comfortable and happy as one can be in those circumstances. I realized that this career path was something that I was greatly interested in and wanted to learn as much as possible about. When the Covid-19 pandemic began, I was caught between nursing and another career path that I was also interested in. Seeing how nurses around the world not only worked endlessly to help their patients even when they were exhausted and sick themselves but also helped each other on a global level, finalized my decision to become a nurse. I was challenged by their strength, and I knew that I wanted to help and make even a portion of an impact that those nurses did. Since beginning nursing school, I have had the most difficult struggles, and the highest moments of success I believe I've ever had. I have learned so much about myself as a person, student, and professional, and I am more driven to follow my dreams than I ever have been before. As for the impact I hope to leave, I hope to work not only as a nurse and an advanced practice nurse, but also as an advocate for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for both the patients I serve and also the employees of whichever hospital or workplace I make my home. I hope to stay in Pennsylvania and make a difference as a nurse here in Philadelphia, but also work to volunteer and help wherever I can to fill community needs. Overall, I am so grateful for the experiences that pushed me to major in Nursing, and I can't wait to see where this track takes me.

Being a part of several marginalized communities, the protections of the US Constitution are a symbol of hope for me, but also a source of anxiety, as those same guaranteed protections must be fought for daily. Being a disabled and chronically ill woman has shown me the harsh reality of the United States and its stance on the disabled. From being discriminated against by employers and having to fight for every accommodation given in the workplace and standing strong and asserting myself with professors that refuse to honor the accommodations I have through my school's Office of Disability Resources, to having to listen to friends, family, and community members make fun of and minimize the issues of the disabled community, every day has become a battle for my space in these communities. When I first came to college, I tried to hide my identity as a disabled person, which only led to isolation and further issues with my grades, social life, and workplace experience. Through therapy and finding communities on campus that accept me for who I am, I was able to branch out and begin to live in confidence, asserting myself and proudly living my identity as a disabled person. Since then, I have been inspired by the work of my sorority, Delta Gamma, to make Greek Life spaces more inclusive and cognisant of civil rights, ensuring that marginalized people, like myself, are included in the conversation and have a seat at the table. I have taken on multiple leadership positions in my chapter and have advocated for more accessible and equitable housing policies within our sorority, attended conferences with other DG members from all over the country to discuss how we can be more equitable and inclusive to people of all backgrounds, and am in the process of trying to share those ideas with the Panhellenic community at large. These experiences may only seem applicable at the collegiate level, but I intend on continuing to use the skills I have learned and am currently learning to use in my career as a nurse. At the hospital where I am currently doing an internship, I have learned about various committees to become involved in focused on achieving equity, diversity, and inclusion for the employees that work there. I would love to become involved in endeavors similar to this, and hopefully utilize the skills I have gained throughout my college experience to make an impactful change as a professional in the Healthcare Industry. Overall, living with disabilities and chronic illness is an exhausting endeavor just to live for, and it does not help when the odds are stacked against you due to injustice and inequity toward the disabled community in the United States. Once I gained confidence in myself and began to find my voice, I have become an unstoppable force for advocating for Disability rights, as well as other Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Rights on my campus, and I will bring these skills into my work as a nurse in the Healthcare Industry after graduation.