At twelve, I spent a week in the hospital after a seven hour surgery. At the time, my family was in shambles and I was caught in the middle. My one saving grace at the time was a nurse at my hospital that made me feel safe and cared for, despite the fear, anxiety, and turmoil within my hospital room. Going through major spinal surgery and a parents divorce at the same time is not an easy feet for a preteen. My nurses, however, made me feel safe and comfortable. They truly put me first and made sure that I felt safe, even when that meant kicking my dad out of the hospital and hanging around for a few extra minutes in the middle of the night to talk to me when I couldn't sleep. The nurses that helped through some of the worst times of my life are reason that I want to become a pediatric nurse in a hospital. I can't wait until it is my time to inspire people in the way that I have been inspired.

Growing up in a dog friendly household nurtured my growing love for dogs, but the first time a dog had a real impact on my life was when I got my puppy at 12 years old. In second grade, I was diagnosed with scoliosis and over the years, as I grew, the curvature in my spine continued to worsen. Growing up, I was constantly told the intense surgery to fix my spine could result in paralyzation or death, which was really difficult for me as a child. Finally, in 2013, the time had come for me to undergo the knife. The surgery to correct my scoliosis was an intense seven hour procedure that would hospitalize me for a week, keep me home from school for seven weeks, and out of sports or any physical activity for seven months. As an active preteen that was very involved in volleyball and basketball at my school, being rendered unable to move for so long was hard for me to accept. My surgery was scheduled for November of 2013, and it was a rigorous process to prepare for surgery. Everything from my heart, to lungs, to blood was tested in order to make sure I was fit for such an intense procedure. During this time, I was struggling constantly with the idea that I may not be able to walk afterwards. While the chance of being paralyzed was very slim, it was still all I could think about. My family saw the change in my behavior during this time. I became easily frustrated and constantly anxious during the months before surgery. That is, until, my grandma came up with the idea to finally get me the puppy that I had always wanted in order to be sort of an unverified emotional support animal form me during this hard time. During June of 2013, my grandma told me to start looking for puppies, with the permission of my mom. That is when I stumbled upon an ad online for a woman selling puppies that her dogs had in an "oopsie" litter. I sent the pictures to my grandma and one puppy in particular stuck out to both of us. Ace, as he would come to be known, was a tiny little yorkie mix with bright eyes and dark fur. He was absolutely adorable. That night, my grandma put down a payment on him and the owner of the mother dog started calling that puppy by the name that I chose for him. I waited for months to meet that puppy, and when August finally came, I was so excited to take the drive four hours each way in order to meet my best friend. When I met him, I instantly fell in love. He was not as hyper as his siblings, but he still had puppy energy and a big personality for a little dog. Ace was very obviously the sweetest of the litter as well as the smallest. Ace helped me stay positive throughout my surgery with constant pictures from family while I was in the hospital to cuddles and playing when I got home. Now, almost nine years later, Ace continues to be my best friend and gives me relief from the stresses of life. Ace lives on campus with me as my registered emotional support animal for depression and anxiety, and he makes everything a little easier. He has lost his puppy energy now, but his playful attitude, fun personality and constant cuddles make every day brighter.