My career goal is to become an ER nurse and work in my underserved community. I chose a nursing career because I have always had a passion for helping others and want to make a change in my community. Gaining my nursing degree will enable me to help the underprivileged and give back to my community. Throughout my community, I have completed numerous clinical rotations at various hospitals. Health disparities are present in all communities but especially in the community I reside in. I think it's essential that everyone, regardless of skin color or socioeconomic background, gets the same medical care. Preventative health campaigns, health education programs, and community screenings are important for maintaining the overall health of the community. As a nurse, I will participate in these interventions to ensure all members of my community have the appropriate resources to live a healthy life. At my kindergarten graduation, I said when I grew up I wanted to be an ambulance driver. I always knew I wanted to be in the medical field, but my education got delayed when I became pregnant my senior year of high school. I graduated high school in June and gave birth to my daughter in September. At that time, I felt that I no longer had the option to attend college and felt it would be impossible to ever get a college degree. After going down many dead-end roads I decided it was time to follow my dreams and begin my journey to a nursing career. I got my AA at a community college and applied to the nursing program at CSUB. To my surprise, I received the email that I had been accepted and this changed my life drastically. I am currently finishing my last year of nursing school and have had many hardships throughout my time as a nursing student. Being a mom of two young children and a full-time student presented many challenges. I wanted to ensure I maintained good grades and did not neglect my kids. After long hours in the hospital, I would head straight to a sporting or school event to support my children. We live an hour away from my school so the time I have spent commuting has also been a hardship. Paying for childcare, gas to get to school, and other educational expenses throughout this time has been challenging. Winning this scholarship would help me with the extra expenses I have as a nursing student.

My career goal is to become an ER nurse and work in my underserved community. I chose a nursing career because I have always had a passion for helping others and want to make a change in my community. Gaining my nursing degree will enable me to help the underprivileged and give back to my community. Throughout my community, I have completed numerous clinical rotations at various hospitals. Health disparities are present in all communities but especially in the community I reside in. I think it's essential that everyone, regardless of skin color or socioeconomic background, gets the same medical care. Preventative health campaigns, health education programs, and community screenings are important for maintaining the overall health of the community. As a nurse, I will participate in these interventions to ensure all members of my community have the appropriate resources to live a healthy life. At my kindergarten graduation, I said when I grew up I wanted to be an ambulance driver. I always knew I wanted to be in the medical field, but my education got delayed when I became pregnant during my senior year of high school. I graduated high school in June and gave birth to my daughter in September. At that time, I felt that I no longer had the option to attend college and felt it would be impossible to ever get a college degree. After going down many dead-end roads I decided it was time to follow my dreams and begin my journey to a nursing career. I got my AA at a community college and applied to the nursing program at CSUB. To my surprise, I received the email that I had been accepted and this changed my life drastically. I am currently finishing my last year of nursing school and have had many hardships throughout my time as a nursing student. Being a mom of two young children and a full-time student presented many challenges. I wanted to ensure I maintained good grades and did not neglect my kids. After long hours in the hospital, I would head straight to a sporting or school event to support my children. We live an hour away from my school so the time I have spent commuting has also been a hardship. Paying for childcare, gas to get to school, and other educational expenses throughout this time has been challenging. Winning this scholarship would help me with the extra expenses I have as a nursing student.