Nursing is one of the most selfless and compassionate careers one can devote themselves to. The sacrifices a nurse makes on a daily basis, even on an hourly basis, are seen in few other occupations. The nurses of the nursing field are the ones who’ve inspired me to pursue this career, as their job to save lives and help others day in and day out is extremely noble and respectable. My need to help others combined with my fascination of the medical field highlighted a clear occupation in which both could be practiced. The aspect of providing care to those in need, along with the high degree of education brought upon, creates a synergy of fulfillment in one's soul. When I was fourteen, the world ceased to operate as normal. We are all familiar with what happened, and the level of dysfunction and chaos Covid-19 brought in its wake. The world’s medical system arguably felt it the hardest, overrun, and unprepared for a global pandemic. But what I saw from the medical system, and more importantly, from it’s nurses, is what inspired me to pursue this career. The nurses who put their lives on the line daily, working mandated overtime with extremely high patient ratios and a shortage of just about everything. I saw the bruised rings around their faces from wearing masks and watched as they stood at the front of the unknown day after day. Today I see a healthcare system that still hasn’t recovered, many of whom had to leave the field from the mental anguish it caused them. Nurses who saw so much death and helplessness that they will relive those moments for the rest of their lives. Those frontline heroes of my generation are what inspired me, as I watched them every day for what felt like an eternity, gown up and fight an invisible enemy. Maybe it’s my way of saying thank you, or maybe it’s my way of trying to rebuild what I can, I am not sure, but the respect I gained for this profession grew immensely because of their sacrifices. This profession not only comes with respect and nobility but also strong job security and career mobility. At the end of the day, a job is there to pay your bills, and nursing is a very safe bet when it comes to financial security. The endless ability to advance or specialize, secure a job in another state, and even incorporate entrepreneurship into your career are all very attractive factors. I was born into a family of entrepreneurs, growing up in my dad’s restaurant and the back of my grandma’s hair salon. Since I was little, my entrepreneurship endeavors have been persistent. Learning that Nurse Practitioners could open their own practice was also a driving force in my decision to become a nurse, as ever since I could remember, I have dreamed of working for myself, of creating something bigger. Nursing will allow me to do that, to innovate, create, and help my community. The three things I dream about regularly.

I want to start by saying reading about Jake's interests and personality created a moment of shock for myself. I grew up with a fascination of the wilderness and the means to survive off the land, spending many hours in hammocks and kayaks in Kentucky's wilderness. Furthermore, I also have had a fascination of entrepreneurship and fiscal self-reliance - and sneakers. I grew up in the back of my fathers restaurant, my grandmothers hair salon and my mom's art studio. My family of small business entrepreneurs passed along their philosophy of working for themselves and creating something bigger to me, which I have practiced before I knew what entrepreneurship was. During my time at Meyzeek Middle School, my interest into streetwear fashion and memorabilia outgrew the financial capabilities of me or my family. It was then I practiced what I saw my family do my entire life; hustle and create opportunities to afford my interests. I started slow and small, often times losing money, but slowly learning the game of sneaker reselling and entrepreneurship. Over the three years of middle school, I sold as many sneakers, t-shirts, and stickers as I could and often times did sneaker cleanings and restorations. At the end of my 8th grade year, Covid-19 shut down America, leaving me with infinite time to grow and perfect my business. I went from maybe a couple hundred dollars in sales over a few month period, to growing to six figures in revenue over the course of the shutdown. The entrepreneurship journey taught me more than anything else in my life, and it came with plenty of ups and downs that matured me and gave me a level of wisdom that many of my peers do not have. Looking back, this entrepreneurial endeavor was the single most important thing I have done, and has benefited me in a complex and multifaceted way. Not only did it teach me about business and finances, but it honed and defined much of my philosophical ideas, especially surrounding money and what it means to be a good and honest person. Due to my fascination and small business venture, I ended up being accepted into the Governor's School for Entrepreneurs (GSE), where I stayed on NKU's campus for three weeks learning how to be a better entrepreneur and building a business to present to a group of judges. This was also a defining moment in my life, as the hard work and success was being recognized for the first time outside of my family. It was an incredibly validating experience, filled with once in a life time learning moments, most importantly being comfortable with "failing without fear." The most important philosophical idea defined by my entrepreneurship was the need to help others. I plan graduating college with a nursing degree, then sometime in my future becoming a Nurse Practitioner. Becoming an NP would allow me to open my own practice and run my own healthcare business, something that I am very interested in doing. I believe through the route of nursing I can fulfill my need to help others while simultaneously practicing entrepreneurship. I have no doubt in my mind Jake and I would've been friends, and maybe we have even crossed paths at a sneaker event or over our instagram businesses. I will keep him in my thoughts, and I want to thank you for reading my submitted application.

The driving factor for me pursuing nursing is to be fulfilled in my career and in my life. More than anything, I want to provide help and service to those in need, and I believe I can do that through the pursuit of nursing. The opportunities to provide a high-level of respect and health care to patients, coupled with the opportunity to volunteer locally makes the career very attractive to myself. I specifically want to help underserved demographics within my city (Louisville, KY) and provide care to those struggling with mental health and addictions. I would absolutely take up volunteering and donate my time to help those who need it. I hope to contribute to my community in several ways, including the donation of my time and medical expertise. I plan on providing wound care and other vital health care to the houseless population or those struggling with addiction. I would be very interested in working with harm-reduction organizations to reduce the amount of death and harm caused by drug epidemics in America. I also would love to be an educator, and help educate patients on a variety of topics. I grew up, and attended school in the West End of Louisville, a part of Louisville struggling with poverty and addiction. Throughout my childhood I was exposed to many people too poor to afford necessary medical care, or receive help for their addictions, and that is where I draw most of my inspiration for helping others from. I have completed a 4 year Biomedical Pathway through my high school, where I predominately focused and completed projects on education of addiction and other health issues that stem from poverty. For example, I created a website detailing a full-picture story about a fast growing drug epidemic caused by the veterinary sedative xylazine. This in-depth guide has many view points, including information beneficial to the drug users, average citizens and medical professionals. I also created a detailed powerpoint presentation that showcased the geographic differences in health care disparities, caused by environmental factors and poverty within my city. I would love to continue working to solve and bring attention to health disparities within my community, such as advocating and making changes surrounding lead poisoning which is a very prominent issue that the West End is facing. It is more than a dream to help others, but a necessity to use the gift and resources I was given in life to build a better Louisville and make other's lives better. I look forward to seeing the change I bring to others lives, and having a fulfilled future of selflessness and aid.