Hello, my name is Jazmine Macias, and I am currently a nursing student enrolled in UIC’s BSN program at the Urbana-Regional campus. While reading the description and criteria for this scholarship I related dearly to Cindy J. Visser in her compassion, empathy, and purposeful care for all her patients. I am also a nature fanatic myself! I am a first-generation Mexican-American student who grew up in the Chicago suburbs where there weren’t a lot of people that looked like me in my neighborhood. As a little girl I saw my parents struggle with seeking and receiving healthcare, and the interactions we would have with healthcare professionals, the nurses were always the kindest souls. I have wanted to become a nurse since I was 12 years old, and since I was that little girl who picked up her first medical terminology book out of pure curiosity, my love and interest have only grown for the medical field. I have always felt passionate and drawn to helping others, not only with their physical health, but emotional and mental health as well. I believe it is important to treat and care for a person in a holistic manner. I worked as a healthcare tech previously, and interacting with my patients and seeing the nurses do their job further confirmed why I love learning and doing what I do. I adored talking to my patients and listening to what they had to say. It was overall a rewarding feeling knowing I was able to make them comfortable and allow them to feel seen and heard. Some of the best conversations I’ve had are with my patients who have given me advice and stories about their life that I can hold on to for the rest of my life. As a nurse, I believe it is that bond you build with your patients that sets you apart and helps in bettering the care they receive. I have always said this profession is more than a job, it truly is a lifestyle. Since beginning nursing school, I have discovered that there truly is no other career better fit for me. Although with nursing school, unfortunately, comes financial burdens and expenses. This scholarship would truly help me in being able to pay some of those costs and help ease some of that worry so that I can dedicate more of my focus to my studies. Throughout my nursing career, I hope to achieve continuous progression in my skills and knowledge so that I can better the care my patients receive and improve their quality of life. When people go to the hospital they find themselves in what may be the most vulnerable and terrifying situations of their lives, and they deserve to be treated by professionals who have their best interest at heart. For me, it is important to move with kindness and compassion in my everyday life regardless if I’m wearing scrubs or not. I plan to carry the values and traits exemplified by Cindy every day in my journey, even now as a nursing student, advocating for all my patients and their right to safe and effective healthcare while also loving what I do.