“Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without.” The Confucius quote from The Book of Rites perfectly explains just why my hobbies mean so much to me. I simply cannot do without. Music has been important to me for as long as I can remember. For my seventh birthday, I got a karaoke machine and my dad made me a pink glitter microphone stand out of PVC pipes. But my love for music spans way beyond seven-year-old Faith’s dreams of being the next Hannah Montana. Over the years I taught myself to play piano; first, I started playing a little bit by ear, and then that morphed into me learning chords and being able to play virtually any song. I then taught myself to play my dad’s guitar. When my parents realized that was something I really enjoyed, they splurged to surprise me with a guitar for Christmas. The thing about music is that it is so versatile; it can be happy or sad or angry. Music has become my words when I have none. And when I cannot find a song that captures exactly how I feel, I write my own. My notes app on my phone is filled with random chord progressions and scraps of lyrics to prove it. When my mom’s best friend died, I wrote her a song. When I was so excited about my first boyfriend, I wrote a song. And when I lost my friends, I wrote a song. Music has continued to be my outlet for everything in my life. A lyric I once wrote says “I’ve lost friends, and organs, boyfriends, and loved ones” and through all of it music has been there. When I had cancer, I would daily sit at my piano and sing “Even When It Hurts”. Even when I was going through my hardest trial, I was able to use music to praise my God -- even when it hurt. So I will continue to come home from school every day and play my guitar and sing my heart out. So what I’m just singing in my bedroom? The music is for me.

After a stressful day with school, work, chores, and everything in between, there is nothing like getting lost in a rom-com movie. Some might say it is unhealthy, that romantic comedies foster unrealistic expectations of relationships. I have to disagree. There is absolutely nothing more relaxing than cuddling up under your favorite blanket and turning on a romantic comedy. For approximately 120 minutes, all of your worries are melted away. And just like any other movie or book, there is always a lesson to be learned. I have learned to never take a man to a Celine Dion concert instead of a basketball game, and that it is okay if he is vegetarian and I come from a big Greek family. Yet, more importantly, rom-coms teach us to stay true to ourselves, and to never chase after someone that does not realize our worth! For 120 minutes, there is no need to worry about what your boss said last week, the assignment you have coming up, the fight you and your friend got into, or whether or not you need gas the next time you leave your house. For 120 minutes, you only have to worry about “will the guy get the girl?” and you can rest assured that they will always end up together. The moral of the story, take a self-care day when you need it and watch all the rom-soms that you can!

I grew up going to church every single Sunday and Wednesday. I was taught from an early age to love Jesus because He first loved me. As I got older, I learned what it really meant. I knew without a doubt that Jesus was my source of joy in times of affliction. Yet, I always thought my “hardships” would be disagreements with my friends. I never imagined the major obstacle in my life would be cancer. At the age of 16, I was told I had cancer. These were not words I thought I would ever hear, especially not as a teenager. The only thing that kept my head above the water was my faith in Jesus. Because I trust in the Lord, I knew that no matter what, God is good. I knew that in the end God would get the glory and I would be able to share my testimony with others. I shared my story of how I was going to continue to worship God even through the hardship and I was encouraged by how many people reached out to me to say my faith inspired them. Even when my faith felt so weak, I was able to share the love of Jesus with others. After my recovery, I raised almost $2,000 for cancer organizations. This money helped fund research and support the families of cancer patients. I shared my story once again and showed how God was with me through it all. Even still, I have family members message me on Facebook and tell me about how my story encouraged them to lean on Jesus when they’ve faced scary situations. I know where my hope, joy, and strength come from -- Jesus. Now anytime I have a bad day, I know to Whom I run.

After a stressful day with school, work, chores, and everything in between, there is nothing like getting lost in a rom-com movie. Some might say it is unhealthy, that romantic comedies foster unrealistic expectations of relationships. I have to disagree. There is absolutely nothing more relaxing than cuddling up under your favorite blanket and turning on a romantic comedy. For approximately 120 minutes, all of your worries have melted away. And just like any other movie or book, there is always a lesson to be learned. I have learned to never take a man to a Celine Dion concert instead of a basketball game, and that it is okay if he is vegetarian and I come from a big Greek family. Yet, more importantly, rom-coms teach us to stay true to ourselves, and to never chase after someone that does not realize our worth! For 120 minutes, there is no need to worry about what your boss said last week, the assignment you have coming up, the fight you and your friend got into, or whether or not you need gas the next time you leave your house. For 120 minutes, you only have to worry about “will the guy get the girl?” and you can rest assured that they will always end up together. Plus, more rom-coms pass the Bechdel Test than Marvel movies, so you can watch all the rom-coms you want knowing you are still a feminist. The moral of the story, take a self-care day when you need it and watch all the rom-coms that you can!

At the age of 16, I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. It is the most difficult thing I have ever experienced. Even the word cancer is scary, but to hear a doctor say it in regards to you is downright terrifying. No one should ever have to hear those words. As hard as the treatment of cancer is, the mental component is even harder. I was angry, sad, upset, scared, and confused. Some days, I refused to leave my room. No one understood how I felt. No matter how hard things got, I knew I could handle it minute by minute; when minutes were too hard, I took it second by second. I learned a lot about myself through this obstacle. I learned I am stronger than I ever thought I could be. I know now that healing is not a linear process and that is okay. Knowing I was strong enough to beat cancer gave me the strength to push myself to be better in other areas of life. I pushed myself to step out of my comfort zone to share my story and make a difference; I created a fundraiser. I told my story and sold bracelets to raise money and awareness for ovarian and childhood cancer. I raised over $1,600 for the Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance and the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation. No one should have to experience cancer in any capacity. The funds sent to these organizations help finance research and support patients and their families. This is one of my biggest accomplishments. It took leadership and courage. Because of cancer, I am stronger.

My mom frantically called 911. I was only three, so I may not remember all the details, but I vividly recall sitting in my mom’s lap on the kitchen floor and not being able to breathe. I choked on a peppermint. By the time the paramedics arrived, I was completely okay. I do not remember this part, but my mom says I gagged it up while she was talking to the operator. The paramedics were very kind and let me listen to their stethoscope. I was already fascinated with everything about doctors. It was then I decided I wanted to go into the medical field. After that, I had a doctor themed birthday party, and always checked out the same three books on doctors, nurses, and surgeons from the library. I had them practically memorized. I thought I would use the peppermint story one day to relate to my young patients. Perhaps I still will, but the story that has taught me the most is my cancer story. I beat cancer. At the age of 16, I beat ovarian cancer. It is the most difficult thing I have ever experienced. Even the word cancer is scary, but to hear a doctor say it in regards to you is downright terrifying. No kid should ever have to hear those words. As hard as the treatment of cancer is, the mental component is even harder. I was angry, sad, upset, scared, and confused. Some days, I refused to leave my room. No one understood how I felt. On the day of surgery, I was terrified, having no clue what to expect. But, I had the sweetest nurse who talked to me. As a teenager, so often people talk over you to your parents. They forget you can understand and answer for yourself. She did not talk down to me; when I spoke to her, she truly listened. I told my mom I hoped to be that kind of nurse one day. My journey with cancer was difficult, but I would not take it back. It has shaped me into who I am today, as well as taught me the type of nurse I wish to be. In the future, I am going to be able to connect with patients and their families, because I understand things in a way no one else can. I experienced it firsthand. Going through cancer gave me the courage to reach out, share my experience, and help others. A few months after my recovery, I created a fundraiser. I made and sold teal and gold bracelets to raise money and awareness for ovarian and childhood cancer. What I initially thought would be a small project became something immense. I was overwhelmed with orders for over 400 bracelets. I raised over $1,600 for the Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance and the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation. No one should have to experience cancer in any capacity. The funds sent to these organizations help finance research and support patients and their families. I am proud of myself for opening up and using my story to create this fundraiser. I created a Google order form, kept track of each order, collected the money, made the bracelets, and mailed them to each of the recipients. This is one of my biggest accomplishments. It took leadership and courage. The two major experiences I’ve had with medical professionals, first at the age of three and then at the age of sixteen, impacted me greatly. My experiences as a patient have given me compassion and empathy. My experiences with medical professionals have inspired what kind of nurse I want to be. These things cannot be taught in a classroom. I want to be the kind of nurse that inspires someone else to become a nurse.

This year we adopted a new family member, a baby beagle! Her name is Dixie Belle, but we call her Dixie. However, she is more than just a cute puppy. About a month before we got her, I was diagnosed with cancer. There were days that I refused to leave my room, and I would not talk to anyone. Yet, I would always ask for my puppy. Just one touch and all the worry seemed to fade away. So our new furry family member is extra special to me. Dixie makes many appearances on my Instagram (@faithalexxandra_)!