His fingers were so pale, they were almost blue. I could see each vein under his paper thin skin as his hand rested gently on the spoon. He was supposed to be using the spoon to eat the partially pureed food in front of him, but instead, he was sitting completely still when I approached the table. This was not uncommon; this was usually how I found him when we came at dinner time. My great-grandfather, Papa, had fallen victim to Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia. I remember him fondly as a little girl. We would dance and he would tell funny jokes and stories with his raspy voice. I delighted in his attention. As I got older, so did he and age and disease took his mind. With his mind, went the ability to care for himself and this once dancing, laughing firefighter became still. It was in his stillness and in me holding the spoon that his fingers could no longer hold, that I learned of my desire to help people. I observed every attendant and nurse in his care facility as most of them gently cared for the residents. I also observed some who were not so gentle. I was in awe of those who made it their mission to provide excellent medical care to people who could no longer speak and advocate for themselves. I was the first one of our family to bee-line to his side at every visit and attend to his needs. I was always the one who picked up the spoon. It was in these visits and observations that I found my calling to go into nursing and be the gentle hand for those in need. Taking the step to become a nurse means being able to invest in people, and at my core, I believe that is how I was designed. I have a deep love for caring for those in need and I believe it is my purpose to do so through a career in medicine. I have done many things throughout high school to prepare for this goal, including focusing on a medical pathway that has resulted in graduating as a Certified Clinical Medical Assistant and a Patient Care Technician. During my senior year of high school, I served as an intern at a local physician's office, and also shadowed nurses and emergency technicians at our local hospital. The next step is to continue my education to obtain a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. I plan to continue to an advanced nursing degree and would ultimately like to focus on elder care in a private practice setting.

I would buy a new pair of athletic shoes to replace mine, as the sole is currently glued on!

His fingers were so pale, they were almost blue. I could see each vein under his paper-thin skin as he sat completely still with his hand resting on the spoon. It was in my great-grandfather's stillness and in me holding the spoon that he could no longer hold, that I learned of my desire to help people and began my quest to become a nurse. The funding of college is my responsibility, so I have been working diligently to save as much as I can to put towards tuition and living expenses. Given the competitive nature of nursing school admission, I know the importance of working or interning in the field of medicine to demonstrate my commitment and capabilities. If I were to be awarded this scholarship, it would go toward my tuition and fees. I would use this as a way to allow me to find volunteer or intern opportunities where I could leverage my CCMA designation to shadow or intern at the local hospital or clinic. Scholarships such as these will allow me to focus on the type of work and volunteer service that will further my education and career in medicine, rather than what job will allow me to make the most money to meet my financial obligations. My ultimate goal is to obtain a Doctor of Nurse Practitioner, and offsetting the cost of my undergraduate education is paramount to being able to further my education and career with a graduate degree in medicine.

His fingers were so pale, they were almost blue. I could see each vein under his paper thin skin as his hand rested gently on the spoon. He was supposed to be using the spoon to eat the partially pureed food in front of him, but instead, he was sitting completely still when I approached the table. This was not uncommon; this was usually how I found him when we came at dinner time. My great-grandfather, Papa, had fallen victim to Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia. I remember him fondly as a little girl. We would dance and he would tell funny jokes and stories with his raspy voice. I delighted in his attention. As I got older, so did he and age and disease took his mind. With his mind, went the ability to care for himself and this once dancing, laughing firefighter became still. It was in his stillness and in me holding the spoon that his fingers could no longer hold, that I learned of my desire to help people. I observed every attendant and nurse in his care facility as most of them gently cared for the residents. I also observed some who were not so gentle. I was in awe of those who made it their mission to provide excellent medical care to people who could no longer speak and advocate for themselves. I was the first one of our family to bee-line to his side at every visit and attend to his needs. I was always the one who picked up the spoon. It was in these visits and observations that I found my calling to go into nursing and be the gentle hand for those in need. Taking the step to become a nurse means being able to invest in people, and at my core, I believe that is how I was designed. I have a deep love for caring for those in need and I believe it is my purpose to do so through a career in medicine. I have done many things throughout high school to prepare for this goal, including focusing on a medical pathway that has resulted in graduating as a Certified Clinical Medical Assistant and a Patient Care Technician. During my senior year of high school, I served as an intern at a local physician's office, and also shadowed nurses and emergency technicians at our local hospital. The next step is to continue my education to obtain a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. I plan to continue to an advanced nursing degree and would ultimately like to focus on elder care in a private practice setting. Having dedicated over 800 hours of service to my community during high school, service is very important to me. My goal is to offer medical care to those in need by volunteering for local foundations/organizations and continuing mission work, by volunteering as a medical resource. I am excited to see all the ways I can give to others through nursing.

His fingers were so pale, they were almost blue. I could see each vein under his paper thin skin as his hand rested gently on the spoon. He was supposed to be using the spoon to eat the partially pureed food in front of him, but instead, he was sitting completely still when I approached the table. This was not uncommon; this was usually how I found him when we came at dinner time. My great-grandfather, Papa, had fallen victim to Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia. I remember him fondly as a little girl. We would dance and he would tell funny jokes and stories with his raspy voice. I delighted in his attention. As I got older, so did he and age and disease took his mind. With his mind, went the ability to care for himself and this once dancing, laughing firefighter became still. It was in his stillness and in me holding the spoon that his fingers could no longer hold, that I learned of my desire to help people. I observed every attendant and nurse in his care facility as most of them gently cared for the residents. I also observed some who were not so gentle. I was in awe of those who made it their mission to provide excellent medical care to people who could no longer speak and advocate for themselves. I was the first one of our family to bee-line to his side at every visit and attend to his needs. I was always the one who picked up the spoon. It was in these visits and observations that I found my calling to go into nursing and be the gentle hand for those in need. Taking the step to become a nurse means being able to invest in people, and at my core, I believe that is how I was designed. I have a deep love for caring for those in need and I believe it is my purpose to do so through a career in medicine. I have done many things throughout high school to prepare for this goal, including focusing on a medical pathway that has resulted in graduating as a Certified Clinical Medical Assistant and a Patient Care Technician. During my senior year of high school, I served as an intern at a local physician's office, and also shadowed nurses and emergency technicians at our local hospital. The next step is to continue my education to obtain a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. I plan to continue to an advanced nursing degree and would ultimately like to focus on elder care in a private practice setting.

The cheers of the spectators became more of a buzz as I drowned out the yelling of my teammates and the shouts from the stands. I owned that barbell and focused on what I had to do to keep my 1st place position in the powerlifting meet. I pulled the 235 pound weight onto my shoulders and focused in on the lead judge, who prompted my movements. Weighing all of 111 pounds myself, I slowly and methodically squatted to the level needed, listening intently for the clap of my coach's hands, indicating I should rise back up. As I replaced the bar on the rack, I could hear my parents and friends cheering. A personal record, and first place secured, I got ready for the next event. I became a member of the Varsity Powerlifting team as a freshman. Being known as the lead actress since junior high, many were surprised when they learned that not only had I made the team, but I had been placed on Varsity and was ranked number 1 in the 105 pound category. Determined to be successful, I quickly learned that I would need to manage my time across competitive theatre, powerlifting, school and volunteer service. While powerlifting is an individual sport, it is very much a team effort. You cannot lift alone, as you need someone to spot you and ensure safety. Mentally, you work with your teammates to keep each other motivated and drive each other to accomplish extraordinary feats. In the locker room and on the competition floor, your team becomes the backbone that lifts you up in the face of victory and the sting of defeat. Powerlifting takes an immense amount of focus and commitment. This balance goes far beyond lifting practices and into sleeping and eating habits. Juggling powerlifting with theatre taught me how to manage my time in a way that was meaningful. I learned to take care of my "have-to-do" tasks so that my "want-to-do" tasks were enjoyable without the weight of school work or chores hanging over my head. I think more important than the balance was learning how to rise from defeat. While I achieved many medals, I also experienced many defeats over my four years of competing. There were many times that I could have walked away from powerlifting due to a meet not going my way. Instead, I faced the challenges head on and learned where I needed to improve. I sought out areas of weakness and turned them into strengths. Walking into each weight room, each meet and each competition, I became stronger and more resilient. Through powerlifting, I learned that my strength is more than just the amount of weight I can lift. My strength comes from within and fuels my desire to look a challenge in the eye and conquer it. I know that I can do hard things, which translates into how I carry and conduct myself in all areas of my life. This may be a male dominated world, but powerlifting has shown me that I can hold my own in any room. Girls run the world.

His fingers were so pale, they were almost blue. I could see each vein under his paper thin skin as his hand rested gently on the spoon. He was supposed to be using the spoon to eat the partially pureed food in front of him, but instead, he was sitting completely still when I approached the table. This was not uncommon; this was usually how I found him when we came at dinner time. My great-grandfather, Papa, had fallen victim to Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia. I remember him fondly as a little girl. I am pretty certain that I was his favorite of all six great-grandchildren. We would dance and he would tell funny jokes and stories with his raspy voice. I was delighted by his attention. As I got older, so did he and age and disease took his mind. With his mind, went the ability to care for himself and this once active, dancing, laughing firefighter became still. It was in his stillness and in me holding the spoon that his blue fingers could no longer hold, that I learned of my desire to help people. I observed every attendant and nurse in the care facility where he lived, as most of them gently talked to and cared for the residents. I also observed some who were not so gentle. I was in awe of those who made it their mission to provide excellent medical care to people who could no longer speak and advocate for themselves. I was the first one of our family to bee-line to his side at every visit, and attend to his needs. I was always the one who picked up the spoon. Taking the step to become a nurse means being able to invest in people, and at my core, I believe that is how I was designed. I have a deep love for caring for those in need and I believe it is my purpose to do so through a career in medicine. I have done many things throughout high school to prepare for this goal, including focusing on a medical pathway that has resulted in graduating as a Certified Clinical Medical Assistant and a Patient Care Technician. For the last year, I have been employed at a health spa, providing patient care and treatment. Additionally, I interned at our local hospital and at a family clinic, where I was able to take patient information, vitals and perform other tasks under the supervision of a nurse. The next step is to continue my education to obtain a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Once I complete the required number of clinical hours, I plan to go back to school in pursuit of a Doctor of Nurse Practitioner. My goal is to provide care in a family practice that is focused on elder care. Having dedicated over 800 hours of my time in community service during high school, I am also committed to dedicating time to providing care to those in need through philanthropic involvement, be it missions or direct community support. I am looking forward to all of the ways that I can give to others through nursing.

His fingers were so pale, they were almost blue. I could see each vein under his paper thin skin as his hand rested gently on the spoon. He was supposed to be using the spoon to eat the partially pureed food in front of him, but instead, he was sitting completely still when I approached the table. This was not uncommon; this was usually how I found him when we came at dinner time. My great-grandfather, Papa, had fallen victim to Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia. I remember him fondly as a little girl. We would dance and he would tell funny jokes and stories with his raspy voice. I delighted in his attention. As I got older, so did he and age and disease took his mind. With his mind, went the ability to care for himself and this once dancing, laughing firefighter became still. It was in his stillness and in me holding the spoon that his fingers could no longer hold, that I learned of my desire to help people. I observed every attendant and nurse in his care facility as most of them gently cared for the residents. I also observed some who were not so gentle. I was in awe of those who made it their mission to provide excellent medical care to people who could no longer speak and advocate for themselves. I was the first one of our family to bee-line to his side at every visit and attend to his needs. I was always the one who picked up the spoon. It was in these visits and observations that I found my calling to go into nursing and be the gentle hand for those in need. Taking the step to become a nurse means being able to invest in people, and at my core, I believe that is how I was designed. I have a deep love for caring for those in need and I believe it is my purpose to do so through a career in medicine. I have done many things throughout high school to prepare for this goal, including focusing on a medical pathway that has resulted in graduating as a Certified Clinical Medical Assistant and a Patient Care Technician. During my senior year of high school, I served as an intern at a local physician's office, and also shadowed nurses and emergency technicians at our local hospital. The next step is to continue my education to obtain a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. I plan to continue to an advanced nursing degree and would ultimately like to focus on elder care in a private practice setting. As a member of Bold.org, this scholarship was highlighted for me due to my focus of becoming a nurse.

His fingers were so pale, they were almost blue. I could see each vein under his paper thin skin as his hand rested gently on the spoon. He was supposed to be using the spoon to eat the partially pureed food in front of him, but instead, he was sitting completely still when I approached the table. This was not uncommon; this was usually how I found him when we came at dinner time. My great-grandfather, Papa, had fallen victim to Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia. I remember him fondly as a little girl. I am pretty certain that I was his favorite of all six great-grandchildren. We would dance and he would tell funny jokes and stories with his raspy voice. I was delighted by his attention. As I got older, so did he and age and disease took his mind. With his mind, went the ability to care for himself and this once active, dancing, laughing firefighter became still. It was in his stillness and in me holding the spoon that his blue fingers could no longer hold, that I learned of my desire to help people. I observed every attendant and nurse in the care facility where he lived, as most of them gently talked to and cared for the residents. I also observed some who were not so gentle. I was in awe of those who made it their mission to provide excellent medical care to people who could no longer speak and advocate for themselves. I was the first one of our family to bee-line to his side at every visit, and attend to his needs. I was always the one who picked up the spoon. Taking the step to become a nurse means being able to invest in people, and at my core, I believe that is how God made me. He instilled in me a love for caring for those in need and I believe it is my purpose to do so through a career in medicine. I have done many things throughout high school to prepare for this goal, including focusing on a medical pathway that will result in graduating as a Certified Clinical Medical Assistant and a Patient Care Technician. The next step would be continuing my education to obtain a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. After working in the field, and completing the required clinical hours, it is my goal to become a Doctor Nurse Practitioner. With this degree, I will be able to work in general practice, serving the elderly. My hope is to also continue in service by providing no-cost medical care to those in need, A college education is the next step in fulfilling the calling for my life. I will need to invest my time and energy in learning what is needed to serve people through medicine. I am excited about the journey ahead and look forward to a long, fulfilling career in nursing!