The challenge I’ve been working on that has been the most difficult, I would say, is when I became a teacher for the youth at church. Teaching was a career I said I would never do because I had been a student before. I knew there would be many personalities I would have to deal with and that I would have to learn how to care for and teach students because everyone is on different levels and learns differently. Additionally, I knew there were other people at church who wanted the role of being the youth teacher. All of them were older than me, and I felt that they would have animosity toward me because the position was given to me. On top of that, I was only twenty-two years old and had just stopped loving to party. However, I was qualified for the role because I had known the Bible my whole life, and I understood the struggles that young people faced. I prayed about the position and accepted it, but I really didn’t understand how this role was molding me for my nursing career. When I started, I had three kids: two boys and a girl. They were all very different in their own ways. The girl was shy and really didn’t like to talk, one of the boys was always angry, and the other one was calm for the most part. I had to find a way to meet all three of them at the level they were at in order for them to learn. I ended up giving the girl just the title of the lesson because that was all she had to say. I discovered that I couldn’t give her a choice about whether she wanted to do something because she would say no. The first time I asked her if she wanted to say the scripture or the title of the lesson, she said neither. I went home and cried because I didn’t think I could be a youth teacher. With one of the boys, he did the review of the lesson because he was more comfortable with talking and making eye contact with a crowd. The other boy only did the scripture because he was afraid of talking in front of crowds. By reading the scripture, he didn’t have to make eye contact with anyone. I was afraid initially because I thought, “I’m short and slim. What if they don’t listen to me because I’m about their height?” As time went on, more kids started to come, and I had to learn their strengths and weaknesses as well. I was doing all of this while also getting accepted into my practical nursing program. I made sure to travel an hour and forty-five minutes back home to teach the class because I had developed a love for the kids as if they were my own children.

This scholarship will make a significant impact on my career goals because it will help me show others who come from low-income families like mine that there is a way to overcome the odds set against you. I want my career to be about more than just the benefits it can provide for me. Many people choose a career because of the financial freedom it can offer, and society can make you feel as though success is only about being able to afford luxury purses or take lavish trips out of the country. However, I want to use my career to help others who come from backgrounds similar to mine. I believe that there are certain struggles that only someone who has experienced them can truly understand. As an African American woman, I have experienced being overlooked because of my skin tone rather than being judged based on my work ethic, discipline, and abilities. In college, I have been told that I should find a new dream because of the obstacles I have faced along my journey. However, I did not allow those words or challenges to stop me. Experiences like this one and many more motivated me to become an example for others who may feel that their circumstances will prevent them from achieving their dreams. I have learned that there are many things in life that are out of my control. These experiences have taught me how to persevere and continue praying, even when it seems like my circumstances will not change. I have told myself that the lessons I have learned will one day allow me to teach others how to keep going, even when life knocks them down. I want to encourage others to never believe that something is too big for them to achieve because of their skin tone or financial background. This scholarship will help me show others that when you face a problem, you can find a solution. I do not want people to allow depression, stress, or difficult circumstances to convince them to give up. Instead, I want to encourage them to keep going and believe that their circumstances do not define their future. This scholarship will also help me complete my education so I can pursue the career I have dreamed about since I was a little girl. Most importantly, I want to use my success to encourage the next person and help other little girls like me, whether that is through encouragement, mentorship, or financial support. I want my career and my life to be an example that where you come from does not determine where you can go.

I’ve had many challenges during my educational journey, but the one that tested me the most was when I was in a Practical Nursing program. I was tested physically, mentally, and emotionally. I had made it all the way to the end of my first semester and was given my junior clearance for the second semester, only to find out a week before classes began that my clearance had been given in error, and it was too late to appeal my grade. I will never forget the day the dean brought me into her office and told me this. After the meeting, I went to the bathroom, sat on the toilet, and cried so hard. After about five minutes, I wiped away the tears from my eyes and collected myself because I still had to ride an hour and forty-five minutes back home. I didn’t know how I was going to tell my family that I had been put out of the program after everything they had sacrificed for me to be there. My heart was broken. I cried about it for the next four months whenever I was alone, questioning whether I should keep pursuing my nursing career. On the outside, I seemed fine, but on the inside, I was depressed and barely wanted to do anything. I was upset with everyone—even God. I couldn’t understand why He would let me be humiliated like that. I told Him I was done praying every day because I couldn’t understand how someone who did everything right could be put out of school in this way. Trying to stop praying didn’t even work; it had become a part of my routine to the point where I was still doing it unconsciously. I didn’t want to help anyone else because I felt like that was why the devil targeted me the most. However, that didn’t last long either. It was a Tuesday when I found out, and I had to teach Bible study on Wednesday. Even though I was torn into pieces, I still went because life is bigger than just me. Whenever I would see how happy the children were to tell me the scriptures they had learned, it made me forget about the things I was facing. Not just the kids, but the people I had left behind while in the Practical Nursing program were still reaching out to me for encouraging words and support, even though I was no longer there. I helped them because that is what I would want someone to do for me. My godmother called me and told me to apply to another school, which I did. I got accepted into the school, but I still had to get accepted into the nursing program, and it was based on GPA from certain classes. When I went to the requirement meeting, I felt a heavy feeling, as if I wouldn’t get into the program. That feeling was correct. The nursing program put me on their waitlist because, although my GPA met the requirements, other people had higher GPAs than me. They said if a spot became available, they would let me know. Another month went by, and they told me I didn’t get accepted and would have to wait another year. They also recommended that I retake classes I had already completed to improve my GPA. So I was back to the drawing board again, not knowing when I would be able to get back into nursing school. For the next few months, I asked God what to do next, and He led me back to the same school where I had been in the Practical Nursing program. This time, I applied for the Traditional Track – AAS program instead. I had to take the TEAS test all over again and submit all of my documentation again. I didn’t tell my family I was doing any of this because I didn’t want them to worry. When I walked into the school to take the TEAS test, it brought back memories of going to the bathroom to cry. It made my arms and legs feel weak. During the test, I kept running out of time. I remember saying to myself, “God, I trust You.” When I got to the end, I had passed. I had taken this test multiple times before and had never been able to pass it. I overcame this situation by reminding myself every day that God had something better for me, praying and fasting, and telling myself that God could make the impossible happen. Even when the one person I told about applying to the Traditional Track – AAS program said it was not a good idea because I had not finished the previous program, I still believed I should move forward. I knew I did not want to repeat the Practical Nursing program and retake classes I had already completed. I learned how to let go of control and become relentless, adapting to every challenge thrown at me and remaining calm even when surrounded by chaos. This situation will make me a better nurse because I discovered my “why” during this difficult time. Many people used to ask me why I wanted to be a nurse. I now realize that what brings me joy is being able to help someone else. In nursing, you cannot control everything that is happening, but you can adapt to the situation. Now, I have been accepted into the Nursing Traditional Track – AAS program at the same school where I faced this challenge. Looking back, I can see that God was preparing me for this moment all along. I just needed to trust Him. As I begin this next educational journey, my goal is to never doubt or lose faith in the plans God has for me. He has been too good to me for me to ever doubt Him again.