My future self is a determined, courageous, kind, thoughtful, and well-rounded community leader, mother, and physician assistant.

As a child, doctors’ appointments and medications became a large part of my life as my mother frequently visited specialists for copious health reasons. Medications led to more medications and my family often feared that their concerns fell on deaf ears. It was then that I dreamed of joining the healthcare field so I could listen and find a way to help patients like my mother. I knew I wanted a career where I could counsel, diagnose, and treat patients on a variety of levels. This desire led me to pursue a career as a Physician Assistant (PA). As a PA, I want to offer treatment not just on a physical level but also to ensure that people’s mental, nutritional, and even environmental needs are met. If I've learned anything from my community involvement and previous careers, it's that healthcare is much more than medication regimens, rather it is the treatment of the entire body, mind, and spirit. I want to help people in my community believe in themselves and help them achieve the healthy lifestyle or recovery that they are seeking. Most importantly, I want my patients to feel heard! For these reasons, I plan to work in Family Medicine. Within the next 10-15 years, I would like to open a community health center in rural and underserved areas that will provide resources on-site to meet the holistic needs of my patients. My decision to pursue this area of practice is rooted in my love of service and has been reassured through my experience as a habilitation therapist for children with autism, certified nurse assistant (CNA), and community health nutritionist. In addition to this experience, I have also enjoyed serving a 2-year full-time mission trip, hosting free English classes as a second language, and leading a group of young women called the Relief Society to teach self-worth & self-reliance. I have grown to love the communities in which I have lived and served. The beauty in diversity is undeniable. I am beyond grateful for the opportunities that I’ve had to learn about new cultures and meet new people. To achieve my dream of owning a practice, I am currently working at a community health center and continue to serve the community in a variety of ways to deepen my understanding of my community’s needs. I have also received an undergraduate degree in nutrition so that I can better incorporate nutritional needs alongside any necessary medical treatments. Throughout my experience in healthcare, medications appeared to be the answer for everything from constipation to diabetes without ever fully discussing nutritional factors. I believe a background in nutrition gives me a unique opportunity to assist in bridging the gap between dietetics and medicine to further benefit physical health. Further incorporating nutritional treatments alongside medical practices is just one step in my journey. Understanding the nursing and CNA career field also gives me a greater appreciation of healthcare providers across the spectrum of care. I look forward to a life of learning, growth, and innovation as I seek to further lift my local community and others within the state of Arizona.

My path to eating healthy certainly did not start at home and my career goals initially didn't have anything to do with nutrition. I was raised on frozen chicken patties, pop tarts, and peanut butter and sugar sandwiches because my mother was sick and my father often worked overtime to support our family. This left me to create whatever sugary paradise I wanted for food that day. As a child, doctors’ appointments and medications became a large part of my life as my mother frequently visited specialists for copious health reasons. Medications led to more medications and my family often feared that their concerns fell on deaf ears. It was then that I dreamed of working in healthcare so I could listen and find a way to help patients like my mother. I ended up choosing to study nursing but little did I know, that would soon change. Just as I began my college career I had also begun a religious journey where I decided to learn more about God and the Christian worldview. I soon discovered something called the “Word of Wisdom” from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. This Word of Wisdom described the importance of taking care of our bodies by eating a variety of grains, fruits and vegetables while also eating meat sparingly. This concept seemed so foreign to me and I was such a picky eater as a child that I never considered even trying new foods! I suddenly found myself more intrigued. While serving a mission trip, I met a young woman who had had leukemia twice throughout her short life but was currently in remission. She also followed this “Word of Wisdom” and she refused to eat processed foods and limited meat consumption to only once a day. She felt that it was her diet that kept her from getting leukemia again. I initially thought she was crazy! Until a professor recommended a book called the China Study. The book depicted how eating a diet high in fruits, vegetables and grains, but low in animal products reversed heart disease, and diabetes, and even shrunk cancer cells in rats. This was it! All the proof that I needed to change how I ate daily. As I limited meat and animal products I lost weight, felt more energy, and felt stronger, my brain fog disappeared, and I was happier. I became almost obsessed with learning more about how food fueled the body which led me to switch my bachelor's degree to dietetics. Shortly after these life-changing decisions, my family discovered that my mother had severe diverticulitis, my father had become a diabetic, and my brothers began struggling with high cholesterol. Nutrition had become medicine for me and now it could become medicine for my family. These events have led me to pursue a career where I can teach others the importance of nutrition in healthcare. I do believe that eating a proper diet is preventative care for many diseases and disorders. With the knowledge and experiences that I have had related to nutrition thus far, I plan to bridge the gap between medicine and nutrition by pursuing a master's degree in dietetics and physician assistant studies. I am passionate about food and health. Eating a plant-based diet with minimal animal products has changed my life for the better. Receiving this scholarship will help me afford the schooling necessary to help others change their lives as well. Thank you for this opportunity to share my story, and for your time and consideration.

I am a wife, gardener, tortoise fanatic, and physician assistant student. As a child, doctors’ appointments and medications became a large part of my life as my mother frequently visited specialists for copious health reasons. Medications led to more medications and my family often feared that their concerns fell on deaf ears. It was then that I dreamed of becoming a healthcare professional so I could listen and find a way to help patients like my mom. This desire led me to pursue a career as a physician assistant (PA). My decision to pursue this career is rooted in my love of service and has been reassured through my experience as a habilitation therapist for children with autism, certified nurse assistant, and community health nutritionist. In addition to this experience, I have also enjoyed serving a 2-year full-time mission trip, hosting free English classes as a second language, and leading a group of young women called the Relief Society to teach self-worth & self-reliance. I have grown to love the communities in which I have lived and served. The beauty in diversity is undeniable. I am beyond grateful for the opportunities that I’ve had to learn about new cultures and meet new people. As previously mentioned, my career goal is to become a PA but not just any physician assistant. I want to offer treatment not just on a physical level but also ensuring that people’s mental, nutritional, and even environmental needs are met. If I've learned anything from my community involvement and previous careers, it's that healthcare is much more than medication regimens, rather it is the treatment of the entire body, mind, and spirit. A recent encounter I had with a recent stroke victim who struggled to speak and stand, reminded me of the importance of holistic care. As the patient awoke from a surgical procedure, he became irate and suicidal, attempting to jump from the bed while spitting various threats against himself. I entered the room mid-commotion, placed my hand on his shoulder, and asked him calmly why he was upset. After repeating myself twice in the same tone of voice, he stopped struggling and began to cry. As he expressed his concerns for the new difficulties that lay ahead, we spoke of his self-worth and outlooks for his future. Treating his fears and prescribing an ear to listen turned out to be the first step in his recovery. As a PA, I want to help people believe in themselves and help them achieve the healthy lifestyle or recovery that they are seeking. Most importantly, I want my patients to feel heard! Eventually, I’d also like to open a community health center that has resources on-site to meet all these needs at a reasonable price. Receiving this scholarship will help me achieve my dreams by alleviating stress associated with school finances. The funds will be used to purchase books and equipment for my classes. In the past, I have struggled to pay for schooling which resulted in me working multiple jobs throughout my undergraduate degree. The financial stress ultimately led to a decreased grade point average due to a lack of study time. Receiving these funds will allow me to work less outside of school and study more so that I can achieve my dream of providing holistic care as a physician assistant. I look forward to a life of learning, growth, and innovation as I seek to further my medical career. Thank you for your time and consideration.

I am a wife, gardener, tortoise fanatic, and soon-to-be physician assistant student. As a child, doctors’ appointments and medications became a large part of my life as my mother frequently visited specialists for copious health reasons. Medications led to more medications and my family often feared that their concerns fell on deaf ears. It was then that I dreamed of becoming a healthcare professional so I could listen and find a way to help patients like my mom. This desire led me to pursue a career as a physician assistant (PA). My decision to pursue this career is rooted in my love of service and has been reassured through my experience as a habilitation therapist for children with autism, certified nurse assistant, and community health nutritionist. In addition to this experience, I have also enjoyed serving a 2-year full-time mission trip, hosting free English classes as a second language, and leading a group of young women called the Relief Society to teach self-worth & self-reliance. I have grown to love the communities in which I have lived and served. The beauty in diversity is undeniable. I am beyond grateful for the opportunities that I’ve had to learn about new cultures and meet new people. Paying back student debt has been a difficult reality for me to face. As I pursue my master’s degree I recognize that I will owe more than I have ever made in a year. Even more than I have made over the past six years combined! This thought is crippling. Aside from paying off school debt, I have many goals and aspirations as we all do. One of my biggest goals is to become a mother but my spouse and I have agreed to wait because of finances. We want to bring our children into a stable world and lifestyle. For this reason, we have also put off buying our first home because our current debts prevent us from affording such a necessity. As previously mentioned, my career goal is to become a PA but not just any physician assistant. I want to offer treatment not just on a physical level but also ensuring that people’s mental, nutritional, and even environmental needs are met. If I've learned anything from my community involvement and previous careers, it's that healthcare is much more than medication regimens, rather it is the treatment of the entire body, mind, and spirit. I want to help people believe in themselves and help them achieve the healthy lifestyle or recovery that they are seeking. Most importantly, I want my patients to feel heard! Eventually, I’d also like to open a community health center that has resources on-site to meet all these needs at a reasonable price. If I were blessed with the opportunity to receive this scholarship, the money would help alleviate some of my undergraduate debt and even help me better afford my growing graduate school payments. Reducing the amount that I owe, will help my family begin to grow sooner and help us put our feet on firm ground. This money would also help me focus more on the people that I’m serving in my career than the crippling debt that comes with it. Thank you for this opportunity and your time and consideration.

As a child, I dreamed of becoming a doctor so I could find a way to help patients like my mother who was sick for most of my childhood. As college neared, I feared I wasn’t smart enough to pursue a career that required that amount of schooling. My doubts led me to choose a shorter route, which was nursing. Shortly into my college career I fell in love with education but felt deeply impressed that I needed to serve a religious mission trip for my church. This meant that I would have to leave college and my home for two years to go wherever the church felt I should be. I knew I could lose my academic scholarships and seat at the university by leaving. Ultimately I decided that my faith was more important than school. So, I embarked on a two-year journey and was assigned to serve in the state of Georgia. I served in the community without pay seven days a week and learned invaluable skills such as diligence, public speaking, patience, humility, leadership, how to seek personal improvement consistently, and endure to the end. I also grew a love for people that I had not previously known. As I had predicted, I lost my scholarships, my position in the honors college, and the school even suggested that I may not be able to return with the same major of study. After writing several appeals to the college, I was awarded 65% of my scholarship back and permitted to re-enter. School was difficult at first as I had no personal savings and educationally I had to pick up where I had left off. This resulted in many late study nights and early morning part-time jobs. Despite my challenges, the skills I had learned on my mission led me to fight for the knowledge required to be admitted into the school's clinical nursing program. I started nursing clinicals just before the COVID pandemic. As the world fell into commotion amid COVID-19, I took a job as a Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) at a local hospital to help my community while continuing my education. My nursing clinicals quickly came to a halt as all classes transitioned to online platforms. Despite my progress in my education, I recognized through working as a CNA that nursing didn’t quite line up with the dreams I had as a child. As I realized this, I also found my grades beginning to slip while I relearned how to study with the new online education platforms and the quarantine lifestyle that accompanied COVID-19. Ultimately, my college career in nursing was paused for another year due to a declined exam average. The university refused to allow me to complete my nursing degree because of a single failed class despite my nearly perfect GPA. This challenge presented me with the opportunity to reevaluate my career path. Recognizing that nursing was not quite what I was seeking, I decided to take a larger leap into the medical world by becoming a Physician Associate. This led me to later graduate with a bachelor's degree in nutrition so that I could pursue a master’s degree to become a Physician Associate. I’ve learned the importance of chasing & fighting for my dreams no matter how scary they might seem at first. I am motivated by my love of service, the community, education, and a desire to support my husband and future children. Receiving these funds will allow me to spend more time studying rather than working in my spare time outside of classes. Thank you for your time and consideration!

As a child, doctors’ appointments and medications became a large part of my life as my mother frequently visited specialists for copious health reasons. Medications led to more medications and my family often feared that their concerns fell on deaf ears. It was then that I dreamed of joining the healthcare field so I could listen and find a way to help patients like my mother. I knew I wanted a career where I could counsel, diagnose, and treat patients on a variety of levels. This desire led me to pursue a career as a Physician Assistant. Throughout my childhood, I often found myself with friends from school who happened to be very active and loving Christians. As I frequently attended their church activities, I learned more about God and how Jesus gave His life for mankind. Knowing that Jesus had sacrificed Himself for me, deepened my desire to serve others. To me, being a Christian means being someone who seeks to love like God loves and to serve diligently like the His disciples described in the bible. As a healthcare provider, these attributes will allow me to relate to, listen to, and uplift my patients and coworkers. To love as God loves means to love others regardless of where they come from, who they are, what they look like, how they act, or even what they believe. The Bible even teaches us to love our enemies and those who despitefully use or persecute us (King James Bible, Matthew 5:44). I want all of my patients and anyone that I interact with to feel like I care for them and have their best interest in mind at all times. Love naturally leads to patience, which is also critical in the healthcare field. An encounter I had with a recent stroke victim who struggled to speak and stand, reminds me of the impact of love. As he awoke from a surgical procedure, he became irate and suicidal, attempting to jump from the bed while spitting various threats against himself. I entered the room mid-commotion, placed my hand on his shoulder, and asked him calmly why he was upset. After repeating myself twice in the same tone of voice, he stopped struggling and began to cry. As he expressed his concerns for the new difficulties that lay ahead, we spoke of his self-worth and outlook for his future. Treating his fears and prescribing an ear to listen turned out to be the first step in his recovery. The attribute of love has helped me lift patients who feel down, depressed, or even lonely. To be diligent like Christ’s disciples means to be constant, steady, earnest, and even energetic in my pursuit to help others. Seeking to be diligent inspires me to consistently do all that I can do for my patients which also means I must constantly be learning and improving. I want to spend my lifetime diligently seeking to be better and to expand my ability to help others. This attribute is what has driven the evolution and progress within the healthcare system. For this reason, I believe that diligence will lead me to make a difference in healthcare and further integrate new research and holistic practices into my career as a PA. My identity as a Christian, Inspires me to become more than just a Physician Assistant but rather to become more like Christ in the process. For my patients, I want to be a friend, an advocate, a leader, an educator, and an innovator in the medical field. Receiving this scholarship will aid me in pursuing this path.

When I was in high school, within one year I lost two of my healthy grandfathers and an uncle unexpectedly due to accidents and heart attacks. Each loss seemed to drive me further away from the light of day. My mother, who suffered from multiple health issues, fell deep into depression as well and told me repeatedly that she wanted to take her life because there was no reason for her to live anymore. These events caused me to start questioning why I was here and why my life mattered. At this time in my life, I was preparing for graduation and to start college. However, I couldn't focus on school anymore and my goals seemed pointless. I felt I lost so many people I felt I was close to and my own mother felt I wasn't enough to live for. It took several months before I was able to truly look back on the beautiful moments that I shared with my lost loved ones. I had seen one of my grandfathers the day before he passed and he had never been happier and his eyes never more blue. As I pondered on this memory, I remembered all the good he had done for my immediate and extended family. He had lived a life full of love and service but also of creativity and success. He had made a foundation for his children and grandchildren to achieve their dreams and build their own families. He valued his family more than anything in this world and fought for them constantly. Suddenly I began to envy the life he had lived. In this moment I realized I had a choice to either live in despair or choose to emulate a life like his. Since then I have decided to fight for light, joy, love, creativity, and success not just for me but for my family and the children I hope to bring into this world. Life is tough. It’s full of heartache and loss but more than anything it is filled with opportunities and endless possibilities. My Grandfather's favorite story is How the Grinch Stole Christmas. In this story, a lonely man who was angry with his life and all he lacked, decided to steal the gifts and joy of a local town called Whoville. He focused on all the things he didn't have. I too was like the grinch for a season- secluded and angry at all I had lost while refusing to partake in the joys of life. By the end of this story, the Grinch had realized that joy didn't come from all the ribbons, boxes, or bags but rather happiness comes from the relationships we foster in this life. It’s about how much of our time we are willing to give to each other. The losses that I have experienced in my life have inspired me to fight for life not just for myself but for my community, my friends, my family, and hopefully my future children. I am currently pursuing a master's degree as a physician assistant. With this degree, I plan to make a difference in my community by choosing to listen intently to others who have faced loss or struggle with the will to live. I want to advocate for the wellness of others and help them gain the strength to fight for their health. For my friends and family, I want to use my career as a way to help support others either financially or through the knowledge that I've gained through my education. For my current spouse and future children, I want to be an example of someone who will fight to live and to love no matter the circumstances. I want them to know that I will live for them and grow for them forever. Because of my losses, I have been able to recognize that the loss of a loved one is not the end but yet another reason to live and carry on their legacy. Receiving this scholarship will give me the opportunity to focus more on my education by providing me with the funds necessary to pay for school. These funds will allow me to spend more time studying rather than working in any spare after classes. Not only this, but it may even give me the chance to take moments throughout my educational journey to cherish the time I have with my friends and family so that I can foster the relationships that make this life worth living. Thank you for this opportunity to share part of my story and for your time and consideration!

As a child, doctors’ appointments and medications became a large part of my life as my mother frequently visited specialists for copious health reasons. Medications led to more medications and my family often feared that their concerns fell on deaf ears. It was then that I dreamed of becoming a healthcare professional so I could listen and find a way to help patients like my mother. I knew I wanted a career where I could play a role in counseling, diagnosing, and treating patients on a variety of levels. This desire has led me to pursue a career as a physician assistant. With this degree, I want to make a positive impact by helping patients grow into better versions of themselves by treating them not just on a physical level but also by ensuring that their mental, spiritual, and nutritional needs are met. I gained this passion and view of holistic healthcare through my career as a nursing assistant at a local hospital during the COVID pandemic. One patient encounter that I often think of today was with a recent stroke victim who struggled to speak and stand. As he awoke from a surgical procedure, he became irate and suicidal, attempting to jump from the bed while spitting various threats against himself. I entered the room mid-commotion, placed my hand on his shoulder, and asked him calmly why he was upset. After repeating myself twice in the same tone of voice, he stopped struggling and began to cry. As he expressed his concerns for the new difficulties that lay ahead, we spoke of his self-worth and outlook for his future. Treating his fears and prescribing an ear to listen turned out to be the first step in his recovery. Through this experience, I realized the power behind meeting patients where they are at and being attentive to their concerns. I want my patients to feel heard! I want them to believe in themselves and be able to trust in me and their medical team in helping them achieve the healthy lifestyle or recovery that they are seeking. During this time as a nurse assistant, I also received a bachelor’s degree in dietetics. Throughout my experience in healthcare, medications appeared to be the answer for everything from constipation to diabetes without ever fully discussing nutritional factors. I feel that my background in nutrition gives me a unique opportunity to assist in bridging the gap between dietetics and medicine to further benefit physical health. Further incorporating nutritional treatments alongside medical practices is just one step in my journey. Receiving this scholarship will help me achieve my dreams by alleviating the stress associated with school finances. The funds will be used to purchase books and equipment for my classes. In the past, I have struggled to pay for schooling which resulted in me working multiple jobs throughout my undergraduate degree. The financial stress ultimately led to a decreased grade point average due to lack of study time. Receiving these funds will allow me to work less outside of school and study more so that I can achieve my dream of providing holistic care as a physician assistant. I look forward to a life of learning, growth, and innovation as I seek to further my medical career by pursuing a master’s degree. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Over the past year, I have learned to accept failure as a part of my journey and view it as a way to become more knowledgeable and stronger. This lesson has allowed me to become a more financially independent, determined, and successful woman. The events that lead to my personal growth over the past year started in 2020 when I failed nursing school. This failure led to a lot of shame, frustration, and fear of more failure. Everything I had planned in my life, including the brand-new car and apartment I had purchased, hinged on my pending success in nursing school. After failing, I had no choice but to start a full-time job, so I started working at a local hospital as a nurse assistant throughout the COVID pandemic where I discovered my dream job. In 2021, I got married, moved into our first rental property, and began school again with a major in nutrition. In 2022, I was finally able to overcome my feelings of failure associated with the events two years prior. I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in dietetics, started a low-paying job, and got accepted into a physician assistant (PA) school (my dream job). It had taken me two years to realize that failure wasn’t the end of the world, and it was up to me whether I would succeed. My acceptance into PA school meant my hard work had finally paid off and I now had a second chance to reach for greater things. But it wasn’t until then that I realized how much debt I was already in from my undergraduate and the six-figure debt I was going to be in after finishing my graduate degree. Not to mention I now had two car payments, wanted to buy a home, and start growing a family. This rude awakening is what brought me to start growing. In 2022, I decided to become financially independent and debt free. My husband and I now live on a budget and have two of our vehicles paid off. I have also recently discovered the multitude of scholarships available and have started applying as if my life depends on it. I have become more determined for success. Looking back at my failures, I learned that they are simply steps in everyone’s journey. Had I not gone through that experience, I honestly would not be pursuing a career as a PA right now and most likely would have never met my spouse. The past few years have taught me that determination is everything. We can choose to fail once and give up or push forward until our failures lead us to success. I have also realized that if I want the lifestyle I have always dreamed of, then I must live now like no one else is willing to. I’ve started side hustles and chosen a higher-paying job in an attempt to save more for college. We have chosen to live without fancy restaurants and even delayed our big dreams until we can afford them. From this, I have become more confident, more at peace, and felt more successful. Through seeking financial peace, I have learned that I don’t need the fanciest car or house to be happy. Even if I fail along the way, I know that patience in progress brings great success. I still have big dreams, but I know that with determination and choosing to be more debt free, I will soon reach my goals.