In sixth grade, I remember my teacher quietly pulling me out of class and telling me that my sister was really hurt and that they needed me to comfort her. I entered the nurse’s office, and she had a splint tied to her arm. I will never forget hearing her desperate screams and feeling helpless. She was only five years old and had just started kindergarten. My sister had fallen out of the monkey bars and had two serious fractures that required immediate surgery. I remember how attentive and helpful each nurse was to her and my family. They walked me over to get food when my parents had to stay with my sister and kept me distracted when I was worried. They educated my parents on the surgery and home care for her cast. After her surgery, one of the nurses made my sister smile for the first time. He got her a little juice box that brightened her up. I realized at that moment how special pediatric nurses are. Just recently, I completed my pediatric rotation in that same hospital, and I continued to witness how nurse's play a crucial role in preserving resilience in the children and their families. Being the person who helps them heal and regain their spirit has been the most rewarding experience out of all my clinical rotations. I can envision myself walking into a room and being that nurse who makes the children laugh, works at their pace, and builds special trust. As a pediatric nurse, seeing every decorated wall and play area will remind me that I am stepping into a blessing and privilege . Growing up in a one-bedroom apartment with many people and raising my sister, I became the family's default helper. From putting Band-Aids on my little sister's cuts, giving my grandma her cancer medications, to taking my aunt’s blood pressure and calling the ambulance when my cousin had seizures, I think the nursing life has chosen me. It can often get very hard when everyone depends on you, but I realized that there is beauty in being there for the people you care about. I chose nursing because I can care for others who also need that same aid and comfort that my family needs. I always knew that I wanted to dedicate my life to learning skills that would directly impact someone. As healthcare becomes more complicated, we need nurses who still carry core human values. I believe that compassionate care, composed of humanity, patience, and empathy, can bring true healing to patients and their families. I am eager to become the nurse that the children and their parents can lean on, just like the nurse who comforted my little sister.

This opportunity is beyond meaningful to me since the Lord has opened so many doors and has helped me overcome difficult times. As a young person, I have experienced mental health struggles that have debilitated me in the past. Throughout middle school and high school, I struggled to find my identity and purpose. I remember thinking I was flawed and unwanted. One day my teacher did a personality test with my class and she separated us by colors; red, blue, green and purple. When it was time to sit with my peers, I was the only one sitting in the green section. My anxiety and insecurities flooded me every day until I couldn't hold them anymore. I remember that day in 2022, rushing home after school and deciding I didn't want to live. I remember suddenly getting a text from an old friend telling me that she loved me. I felt weak but fulfilled, I felt the Holy Spirit tug on me, and I started reading the Bible, watching sermons and changing habits. I soon realized how intentional God was when he formed me and how unconditional his eternal love is for me. In my senior year, I used Jesus as a motivation for graduation. The Lord blessed me with admission to Molloy University’s nursing program, and I graduated as the salutatorian in my high school class. Throughout the years, I have faced hardships in which the Lord helped me overcome. I live in a one-bedroom apartment with 6 family members. Everyone in my household has two jobs, and we can often struggle to make ends meet. Last year, my grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer and a month before her surgery her healthcare was cut off. My grandmother raised me and took care of me as a child and she has always spoken life into me. I would stay up late at night praying over her and my home everyday calling on the God that saved me. With faith and perseverance the Lord was able to help us regain her health insurance a week before the surgeon’s last surgery day at the hospital. That same week, I gave my life to Jesus through baptism and my grandma survived both surgeries. I found a wonderful church near me and I am part of the Young Adults group! I love volunteering in special events and helping in outreach, it has been so fun! I have made many new friends and soon I will participating in our community Hope Day running the healthcare booth. God has also helped me during the difficulties of nursing school. Finding balance between class, hospital rotations and work has been challenging but my strength has been grounded in his promises and will for me. I am the only person in college in my family and I will be the first to graduate college. God is breaking soo many generational struggles and attacks and is blessing me with opportunity. I have one year of college left and I am going through a transition period in my life. My dream is to become a pediatric or maternity nurse to help take care of children and help bring new life into the world. I aspire to bring my faith in Jesus into every room I step inside to represent his light and love. My life goal is to create a non-profit to help those in need in underprivileged and underserved countries. It is so important as a Christian to aid and spread the gospel to everyone. All the glory goes to Him!

My name is Iseli Reyes, and I am a Junior at Molloy University, studying Nursing. I live in a apartment with my family, and I work at a children's clothing store at my local mall. I enjoy spending time with friends and family, meeting new people, and attending church. As an aspiring nurse, I want to work with either children, moms, or elders to provide compassionate care. One of my main goals after graduation is to start a non-profit organization ran by nurses to help vulnerable populations both in the United States and overseas. I would love to provide free meals, clothing, check ups, and guidance to individuals in need. Many experiences in my life have inspired me to become a nurse. I was born in the United States but raised in the Dominican Republic with my grandmother. I grew up seeing extreme poverty and mental health issues amongst my community. I also grew up on a dangerous road where multiple cars would collide daily, and I saw a lot of death at a young age. I remember that desire to want to help, but not being able to. I remember my grandmother and aunt rushing to help and bring comfort to the people involved. Most of the people involved in these crashes would not survive, since I lived in a small town that lacked hospitals with the necessary equipment and doctors. These experiences influenced my dream of becoming a nurse and being one of the people on the frontlines of care. I believe that I have a strong sense of empathy when it comes to the world. Becoming a Christian at such a young age has also strengthened that feeling in me. My faith inspires me to be selfless and to provide love and aid to every person, regardless of background, economic status, race, or disability. Everyone deserves the same care. Every Sunday, I see people in my church struggling with many conditions, especially cancer. My grandma just got diagnosed with breast cancer this past summer. I was with her during every appointment, mammography, ultrasound, and surgery. I made sure to ask questions and research anything I did not know. I was blessed enough to walk out with a healed grandmother. I remember seeing many patients on the oncology unit with no family or friends to talk to, but I also saw amazing nurses who would crack jokes and sneak them some of their favorite snacks. This further ignited my passion to be a nurse who prioritizes their patients' feelings and does whatever they can to make them feel seen. Nursing is a beautiful profession, and I am eager to expand my knowledge in helping others.

Being a child raised by my grandmother in the Dominican Republic, formed my first perception of life. Our home was on the edge of a dangerous road , where cars would collide daily. Everyone would rush to help any survivors and my family would always make sure to provide aid . I grew up seeing a lot of violence and poverty. Cheap medicine stands would be all around our town and the poor would be outside every hospital begging for assistance. When I think of nursing, I think of empathy, I think of caregivers willing to go all out for anyone in need, which is why I chose nursing as my profession. I live in an underprivileged community where I see a lot of minority families suffer from tons of issues and they are scared of seeking medical attention due to their legal status. They also do not have enough to finance medical care for themselves. This is a huge problem for minority communities. Universal Well-being is essential to improve the way of life for everyone and to aid in decreasing human pain overall. I would love to see community programs, free/low-cost clinics, and decreased prices for essential medicines, and my voice as a nurse is the first step for advocacy. Being a young person in this day in age, I see a lot of devastation, violence, division, and suffering. As a nurse, I can make a real difference and help fix these issues with my skills, my drive, and my heart. I think the biggest issue in healthcare is the lack of humanity, medical professionals are worn out and a lot of patients are not getting treated properly. I've seen many communities get turned down by our health system. Everyone deserves to be aided and deserve to be cared for properly regardless of any circumstance. I want to be the nurse who helps someone without any profit. I want to learn to help others. I am also eager to set a precedent for youth who aspire to be nurses through my hard work and dedication. I intend to work in a large hospital in a diverse area where I can meet people of all backgrounds and ethnicities. As a nurse, I will encourage those around me to pursue this field and help alleviate all the effects of negative in this world. I want to impact as many lives as possible , through perseverance .

The value of life and individual voice are principles I always wanted to be reflected in my career of choice. I grew up watching my grandmother take care of sick family , nurture animals and always have her door open for anyone in need . These moments and my love for children inspired me to become a nurse. Labor and Delivery nursing speaks to me as a person , since I will have the opportunity to be a part of the moment that begins it all . An infant won’t remember the cries in their first portrait, but they will remember the cries of life that build their character from that very moment and on. I’ve realized , especially during recent unprecedented times that nurses of all specialities are an asset to humanity. They facilitate the vanishing of physical and emotional pain and leave us all with the common title of warriors whether that be from large or small battles of adversity. As a nurse I would project the warmth and generosity to my patients as Cindy provided to her patients . I will grow in empathy, one of the most lacking emotions in our world . I will be diligent, dedicated to my job and involved in the well-being of all my patients beyond the hospital . I am eager to participate in the moments of birth of future generations. I am also eager to set a precedent for youth who aspire to be nurses through my hard work and dedication . One day the portraits of the young children I help deliver will be hung and they will have an opportunity to voice their triumphs and be citizens of honor just like Cindy.