While I might not have decisively picked a specific career in nursing, I have fallen in love with the field of nursing. Nursing provides a wide variety of education levels to pursue, as well as versatility within the workstyle itself. I am certain that the experience I will gain on my way to becoming a registered nurse will guide me towards my perfect path in nursing. Beginning in high school, I knew I was passionate about medicine. While learning about the human body, diseases, and healing measures, there was never a class I wanted to miss. When the moment arrived to decide my college major, I was at a standstill. Having only dipped my toes into the huge world of the medical field, I wasn’t sure how to decide on a major or knew what every job entailed. My parents helped me discover nursing, and my grandma, a retired labor and delivery nurse, provided firsthand insight into what being a nurse could be like. Now, returning to college as a junior, soon to enter nursing school, I am so grateful to have been put on this path. I’ve been doing a lot of investigating into what options are available in nursing by observing at a hospital and working at a pain management clinic. Working alongside a nurse practitioner at the pain clinic has helped me learn more about myself and my interests. I love the idea of building on my education to have a career where I will assess and explain firsthand to patients their diagnosis and treatments options. I want to shine a light on them during their darkest times by being compassionate and making the complicated world of medicine not seem so scary. Not only would the work be satisfying, but I can also have goals outside of work in this field. There are hospital and clinic settings that allow nurses to have diverse lifestyle choices. When I start my job as a nurse, being in the hustle and bustle of a hospital seems like an exciting and challenging way to begin my career. I want, someday, to settle down, have a family and be a mom. I want to be involved in my kids’ lives the way my parents were, for example by being their sports coach or volunteering to chaperone school field trips. Working in a clinic setting would give me better hours for spending time with my family, there would be holidays off, and overall, it would be more of the right space for me at that point in my life. I think the flexibility of nursing is suitable for the dream I have for my life. Even though I definitely did not jump the gun to pick nursing, much consideration has helped me decide that this is the right journey for me. I am excited to work hard to make this dream become a reality.

I deserve this scholarship because I am hard worker, community driven and responsible. I am a nursing major and exercise science minor at Hardin-Simmons University. There I am also a student-athlete on the softball team as well as involved in many extracurriculars. This semester I will be taking on my second year in Student Government Association (SGA) as the executive administrator. As a board official, I oversee that SGA is striving to improve our already beautiful campus. I am also secretary of the pre-nursing club at HSU. This club is a convention of students working together to pioneer first cohort into the nursing program at HSU. I enjoy taking part in community service/volunteer events sponsored by HSU such as Serve Like Simmons, High Five Fridays at elementary schools and donation drives. I am so grateful to my parents for their efforts in paying off some of my tuition, but I know majority of this burden will be carried on my shoulders. I am taking out my first loan this semester, and know I will continue to do the same for my next 5 semesters as my families savings to pay for my college has already been depleted. I work a job part-time in the summers to fund my daily expenses during the school year, but my main "job" while at school is the responsibility I have towards my collegiate softball team. Softball has always been my passion growing up; I love competing, celebrating victories with my teammates, and pushing myself to new limits. Unfortunately, I had a season-ending injury last semester that resulted in surgery and 6 months of rigorous physical therapy. I was provided the opportunity to extend my degree plan for another year in order to use my extra year eligibility in sports. I am so excited have this opportunity but the downside is racking up another $20,000 in student loans. The ability and skills to play collegiate sports typically only comes around once in a lifetime, and I do not want to regret not taking advantage of this thrilling adventure because of financial need. When I finally graduate, a bachelor in science of nursing degree will allow me to get a job as a registered nurse while I continue my education in nursing at a higher level. As a nurse, I understand the duty I have to my patients to provide them with quality care and comfort, emotionally and physically. I hope to use my education to become a nurse practitioner, where I will explain firsthand to patients their diagnosis and treatments options. I want to shine light on them during their darkest times in the form of compassion and making sure that complicated world of medicine doesn't seem so scary.