1. During my freshman year of high school, I was admitted to the hospital due to a traumatic incident that led me to the ICU. During my stay, I quickly took notice of the fast pace and high demand for care that was evident throughout the unit. I was drawn to the direct care, comfort, and dignity the nurses in my room provided to me as a patient. I could not be more grateful for the high level of care I was provided. At that moment, I knew I wanted to experience not only the dedication to improving and healing the lives of others I had experienced while being under their care, but the direct connection between a patient and a health care worker. This specific point in my life led me to the idea of pursuing a career in healthcare. Now, as a senior in high school, I am beginning to live out my goal of helping those in their most vulnerable state. I am able to do this through my position at Lourdes-Guthrie Hospital as a Youth Apprentice working directly with patients and in patient care. This has already, in my short time, taught me so much about how to care for people in the most compassionate and nurturing way. Not only this, but I feel as though being a CRNA is the right career choice for me because I have a strong aptitude for math and science, which are essential in anesthesia, particularly for dosage calculations and understanding drug interactions. I am very interested in chemistry, specifically due to its relevance to how drugs interact with and work in the body. Along with chemistry, I also enjoy biology, anatomy, and psychology thoroughly because of their relation to the human body and its functions. 2. To me, the phrase "human touch" means more than just physical contact. It represents empathy, presence, and a genuine connection between a patient and their healthcare worker. It is the actual ability to comfort someone, make them feel loved, appreciated, and safe at their most vulnerable time. When someone is admitted to the hospital, there are several emotions they might feel. They could feel afraid, powerless, overwhelmed, and so many more. "Human touch", however, is how we can keep people oriented or even regulated. It can be as simple as holding a patient's hand when they're anxious, sitting with them when they have no one else, or just listening to them when they need a set of ears. These kind gestures can seem so insignificant, but to someone in the hospital who might not have anyone else, they can mean the world. My understanding of human touch comes from both sides of the hospital bed, though. Being stuck in the ICU for so long, I first-hand experienced how scary it is to put all of your trust and faith into someone, and put your life in that strangers hands. What stayed with me the most wasn't just the trauma and medical treatment I received, it was the nurture and compassion shown to me during the most difficult part of my life. Even though I was only fourteen and not in charge of my own medical decisions, the nurses never failed to explain to me what was happening and why they were doing what they were. They comforted me when I was nervous, and even the sitters who had to spend all day and night with me never made me feel like a burden. Now, as a Youth Apprentice at Lourdes-Guthrie Hospital, I see how impactful the concept of human touch is. I have watched Nurses listen to patients' stories and comfort them as much as they can, spending as much time as possible with them. I have seen how much helping a patient to go on a walk around the unit can boost their spirits and make them even more motivated to take care of themselves. Unfortunately, I have also seen the opposite side of this. When a patient has no one to visit them, and the people taking care of the patient don't spend time with their patient, their spirits drop dramatically. This is why human touch directly affects patient outcomes.

I have chosen to study nursing in college in the fall of 2026 and eventually become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. I've chosen this path for myself due to my personal and academic history. During my freshman year of high school, I was admitted to the hospital due to a traumatic incident that led me to the ICU. During my stay, I quickly took notice of the fast pace and high demand for care that was evident throughout the unit. I was drawn to the direct care, comfort, and dignity the nurses in my room provided to me as a patient. The nurses in my unit poured all of their effort into me, and I felt their true passion. I could not be more grateful for the high level of care I was provided. At that moment, I knew I wanted to experience not only the dedication to improving and healing the lives of others I had experienced while being under their care, but the direct connection between a patient and a health care worker. This specific point in my life led me to the idea of pursuing a career in healthcare. Now, as a senior in high school, I am beginning to live out my goal of helping those in their most vulnerable state. I am able to do this through my position at Lourdes-Guthrie Hospital as a Youth Apprentice working directly with patients and in patient care. This has already, in my short time, taught me so much about how to care for people in the most compassionate and nurturing way. Not only this, but I feel as though being a CRNA is the right career choice for me because I have a strong aptitude for math and science, which are essential in anesthesia, particularly for dosage calculations and understanding drug interactions. I am very interested in chemistry, specifically due to its relevance to how drugs interact with and work in the body. Along with chemistry, I also enjoy biology, anatomy, and psychology thoroughly because of their relation to the human body and its functions. I plan on pursuing an undergraduate degree, majoring in nursing, in order to become a registered nurse. This would put me on a path to working in an Intensive Care Unit, where I will be able to gain hands-on, real experience. After working in the ICU for one to two years, I will be able to apply to join an anesthesia program where I can become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist.

I have chosen to study nursing in college in the fall of 2026 and eventually become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. I've chosen this path for myself due to both my personal and academic history and the opportunities I now have to care for others. During my freshman year of high school, I was admitted to the hospital due to a traumatic incident that led me to the ICU. During my stay, I quickly took notice of the fast pace and high demand for care that was evident throughout the unit. I was drawn to the direct care, comfort, and dignity the nurses in my room provided to me as a patient. The nurses in my unit poured all of their effort into me, and I felt their true passion. I could not be more grateful for the high level of care I was provided. At that moment, I knew I wanted to experience not only the dedication to improving and healing the lives of others I had experienced while being under their care, but the direct connection between a patient and a health care worker. This specific point in my life led me to the idea of pursuing a career in healthcare. Now, as a senior in high school, I am beginning to live out my goal of helping those in their most vulnerable state. I am able to do this through my position at Lourdes-Guthrie Hospital as a Youth Apprentice working directly with patients and in patient care. This has already, in my short time, taught me so much about how to care for people in the most compassionate and nurturing way. Not only this, but I feel as though being a CRNA is the right career choice for me because I have a strong aptitude for math and science, which are essential in anesthesia, particularly for dosage calculations and understanding drug interactions. I am very interested in chemistry, specifically due to its relevance to how drugs interact with and work in the body. Along with chemistry, I also enjoy biology, anatomy, and psychology thoroughly because of their relation to the human body and its functions. I plan on pursuing an undergraduate degree, majoring in nursing, in order to become a registered nurse. This would put me on a path to working in an Intensive Care Unit, where I will be able to gain hands-on, real experience. After working in the ICU for one to two years, I will be able to apply to join an anesthesia program where I can become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. As someone who has a passion for this line of work, just like Maureen, I would be honored to help carry on the values and traits exemplified by her character. As I work to become a nurse, I will use my experience and history to embody Nurse Maureen's values in patient care. I am inspired by her leadership and her willingness to go beyond traditional roles to actively meet the needs of others. If I can become half the nurse Maureen C. Pace was, I believe I will have succeeded in my work and life's purpose.