My name is Jaimilee Heath, and I’m a student at Dulaney High School in Baltimore County. I moved to the United States from Jamaica about two years ago, and that change has been a big part of my journey. Life back in Jamaica wasn’t easy, but it taught me a lot about strength, independence, and determination. Growing up, I didn’t have my father in my life, and my mom had to do everything she could to take care of me and my little sister. She worked hard to put food on the table, pay the bills, and keep us safe, even when things were tough. I’ve always admired her for that. Because she was always working, I had to step up early on and help take care of my sister, especially since she’s always been sickly. It wasn’t something I was asked to do—I just knew I had to do it. That experience shaped me. I learned how to be responsible, how to care for someone else, and how to keep going even when things were hard. I think that’s where my love for nursing really started. I remember dressing up as a nurse for career day in elementary school. Even then, I knew that I wanted to help people. That feeling never went away. Now that I’m living in America, I want to take full advantage of the opportunities I have here. I want to go to college and become the first person in my immediate family to earn a degree. Not just to make my mom proud, but to prove to myself that all the hard times I’ve faced had meaning. I want to look back and know it was all worth it. I’ve always believed nursing is more than just a job. It’s about caring for people when they’re scared, hurting, or at their lowest. It’s about being there, really being present, and doing your best to make someone’s life a little better. That’s what I want to do. I’ve been that caregiver before—for my sister, for my family—and now I want to do it on a professional level. My goal is to get my nursing degree and work in communities that need it most. I want to help people who don’t always have access to good healthcare. And I want to be a role model, especially for girls like me—immigrants, first-generation college students, and anyone who’s been told that their past limits their future. I’m committed to going to college because I believe education is the key to the future I want. It’s not just about textbooks or tests. It’s about learning how to make a real impact in the world, and how to grow into the person I’ve always dreamed of becoming. I know it won’t be easy, but nothing in my life has been. And that’s okay. I’m ready to work hard, stay focused, and keep pushing forward. My name is Jaimilee Heath, and I’m excited to turn everything I’ve been through into something powerful—not just for me, but for the people I’ll one day help as a nurse. * Disclaimer * at the moment of submitting this essay, I do not have any professional headshots… I will closer to the beginning of the school year which is later in August!

When I think about community service, I think about my grandmother.She lives in a small community in Jamaica, Westmoreland, where the environment has become unsafe and unhealthy. Trash is piled up on the sides of the road, sewage leaks through the streets, and access to clean resources is limited. Over time, these conditions…combined with her underlying health issue have caused her health to deteriorate significantly. It’s painful to witness someone I love suffer, especially knowing it could be prevented with proper care and attention to the environment. That’s why community service matters to me on such a personal level. I want a world where people, especially the elderly, don’t have to live in inhumane conditions or worry about their health being affected by something as basic as the cleanliness of their surroundings. Community service, to me, is about taking care of one another. It’s about people coming together to create a better and safer space for everyone. It doesn’t always have to be part of a formal organization; it can start with a small act of kindness or responsibility. I may not currently be involved in an official community service group, but I make an effort to serve my community in the ways that I can. For example, on Saturdays, I participate in trash pick-ups in my neighborhood. It might not seem like much, but I know that small changes can lead to big improvements. I also babysit children in my community when their parents need someone to watch them. It’s my way of giving back, and making sure others have the support they need to keep going, even if it’s just for a few hours of help. These experiences have helped me realize just how much of a difference one person can make. They’ve also inspired me to pursue a career in nursing. I believe nursing will allow me to take the support I give now to the next level. While I can help clean up a neighborhood or care for a child for a short time, becoming a nurse means I can care for people’s health on a much deeper level. I’ll be able to serve not just my community, but people in all kinds of situations—especially those in underserved or overlooked areas, like where my grandmother lives. With my degree in nursing, I want to do more than just treat patients. I want to advocate for better healthcare access in low-income communities, and maybe even return to Jamaica one day to help areas like my grandmother’s. I want to work with other health professionals to provide education, basic care, and environmental support. Whether it’s by organizing clean-up drives, offering free check-ups, or simply listening to people’s needs, I want to use my career to bring real change. My goal is for people, especially the elderly, to grow old without having to suffer due to preventable conditions. Community service is truly important to me because it’s a reminder that change starts with us. We don’t have to wait for a big organization to tell us when and how to help. If we care, if we see a problem, we can start solving it. My journey with community service may be small now, but it has planted the seeds for something much greater. And with my nursing degree, I plan to grow that impact into something that can change lives just like I hope to one day change my grandmother’s.