Some of the most meaningful changes I have made in my community began with something incredibly small: a Band-Aid. In 2016, I founded a nonprofit called Project Safety with a simple goal: to provide basic first aid supplies to orphaned children in Malawi, Africa. I began by creating first aid kits filled with everyday necessities many of us rarely think twice about: Band-Aids, basic health supplies, and items that could help children care for minor injuries. I worked closely with an orphan village in Malawi with the hope of not only providing supplies, but also increasing awareness of health and hygiene. What began as first-aid kits gradually became something much bigger. As Project Safety grew, I began recognizing needs that extended beyond treating cuts and scrapes. Our efforts expanded to include feminine hygiene products, school supplies, and many books to read. Each addition represented another barrier we could help remove for a child, whether that meant having the supplies to care for their body with dignity or the materials needed to participate in school. Project Safety taught me one of the most important lessons I have carried into nursing: helping people begins with paying attention. You do not need unlimited resources or a perfect plan to make a difference. Sometimes you simply need to recognize a need, start with what you have, and continue showing up. Today, that same philosophy follows me into the neonatal intensive care unit, where I work as a NICU nurse while pursuing my education to become a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner. My community may look different now, but my desire to serve it has remained the same. Most recently, I have been working to bring a Read-a-Thon to the NICU. For families surrounded by monitors, procedures, and uncertainty, reading offers something beautifully ordinary. It gives parents an opportunity to use their voices to comfort their babies, participate in their care, encourage bonding, and create memories during a chapter of life that can otherwise feel overwhelmingly medical. When I look back, there is a common thread connecting a first-aid kit in Malawi to a book beside a NICU isolette: **small acts matter.** Community service has never meant simply completing volunteer hours to me. It means noticing when someone could use a little more support and asking, “What can I do?” Sometimes the answer is a Band-Aid. Sometimes it is a school supply, a hygiene product, a book, an education, or simply a reassuring presence beside a frightened family. I hope to spend my career continuing to ask that question and then doing everything I can to turn the answer into action.

I chose nursing because I wanted a career where I could make a meaningful difference in people's lives through both compassionate care and education. As I continue my education to become a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner, I have learned that improving health is about much more than treating illness. Prevention, nutrition, education, and the everyday choices people make can have a lasting impact on health and quality of life. Nutrition is one of the most powerful forms of prevention. The foods we eat provide the energy and nutrients our bodies need to grow, heal, develop, and function properly. Yet healthy eating can feel overwhelming, especially when patients are faced with busy schedules, financial limitations, misinformation, or uncertainty about where to begin. As a nurse, I want to help make nutrition feel less complicated and more achievable. In my nursing career, I plan to incorporate nutrition education into everyday patient care. I want to ask patients about their eating habits, understand the barriers they face, and provide realistic recommendations that fit their lives rather than simply giving them a list of foods they should or should not eat. I believe effective education begins with listening. A patient's cultural background, financial situation, access to food, family responsibilities, and personal preferences all influence their ability to make healthy choices. As a future Neonatal Nurse Practitioner, nutrition will be especially important because nutrition plays a critical role in infant growth and development. I hope to educate parents about breastfeeding and infant nutrition, appropriate introduction of complementary foods, and the importance of establishing healthy feeding practices early in life. I also want to help parents understand that the nutritional health of their children begins with the environment and habits created at home. Beyond individual patient education, I hope to become an advocate for prevention within my community. I want to create simple, evidence-based educational resources that families can understand and use, including information about balanced meals, hydration, reading nutrition labels, and affordable healthy food choices. I would also encourage small, sustainable changes rather than promoting restrictive diets or unrealistic expectations. My goal would be to help patients recognize that improving nutrition does not require perfection; consistent, healthy choices can make a significant difference over time. Ultimately, I want my nursing career to extend beyond caring for patients when they are sick. I want to help people understand how they can protect and improve their health before illness occurs. Through compassionate education, prevention, and practical nutrition support, I hope to empower patients and families to feel confident making healthier choices. Receiving this scholarship would help me continue my nursing education and move closer to becoming a provider who not only treats patients, but equips them with the knowledge and tools they need to build healthier lives.

I was drawn to nursing because I wanted to care for people during some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives. As I have grown as a nurse and pursued my future as a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner, that calling has become increasingly connected to women’s health. I have learned that caring for women means looking beyond a single diagnosis or physical symptom and understanding the complex relationship between reproductive health, mental health, and the healthcare system itself. That perspective is what draws me to Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) and Premenstrual Exacerbation (PME). What stands out to me most is not only how devastating these disorders can be, but how long patients can go without having their experiences recognized. When a condition is poorly understood in clinical practice, patients can spend years questioning whether what they are experiencing is real, searching for answers, or being treated for individual symptoms without anyone recognizing the cyclical pattern connecting them. As a future advanced practice nurse, I want to be part of changing that. My specific focus would be clinical education and routine screening for premenstrual mood symptoms. I believe one of the most practical ways to move PMDD and PME from the margins of healthcare into routine care is to teach clinicians to ask better questions. Instead of treating mood symptoms as isolated events, healthcare providers should routinely ask whether symptoms consistently worsen during the premenstrual phase, whether they improve after menstruation begins, and how those patterns affect daily functioning and quality of life. Validated symptom tracking and appropriate diagnostic criteria can then help distinguish PMDD and PME from other mental health conditions and guide appropriate treatment or referral. I hope to incorporate this approach into my future clinical practice and, ultimately, into clinician education. My goal is to develop accessible educational resources for nurses, advanced practice providers, and other healthcare professionals that explain the difference between PMS, PMDD, and PME; teach providers what questions to ask; and provide clear pathways for screening, documentation, diagnosis, and referral. Education is one of the most scalable tools we have: when more clinicians recognize the pattern, more patients have the opportunity to receive appropriate care. I am pursuing advanced practice nursing because I want to do more than care for patients one at a time. I want to help improve the systems and knowledge that shape their care. PMDD and PME represent exactly the kind of gap that motivates me, a significant women's health issue that deserves to be recognized, researched, taught, and treated with the same seriousness as other chronic conditions. My hope is that the next generation of women seeking help for cyclical mood symptoms will not have to spend years teaching their healthcare providers what they are experiencing. I want to help build a healthcare system where clinicians already know to ask, patients know they will be believed, and PMDD and PME are recognized as routine parts of women's health rather than conditions patients must fight to have understood.

One of the greatest challenges I faced during school was navigating my father’s relapse with addiction while trying to balance the demands of being a full-time college student and collegiate athlete. Addiction impacts an entire family, not just the individual struggling, and during one of the most important periods of my life, I found myself carrying emotional stress, uncertainty, and responsibility while still trying to succeed academically and athletically. Although it was an incredibly painful experience, it ultimately shaped me into a stronger, more resilient, and more compassionate person. When I entered college, I was excited for a new chapter of my life. I was pursuing my education while also playing collegiate field hockey, a sport that had been a major part of my identity for years. As a student-athlete, my schedule was already demanding. Between early morning practices, games, travel, classes, studying, and maintaining academic expectations, there was very little downtime. During this time, my father relapsed with addiction, and suddenly my focus shifted from simply balancing school and athletics to trying to emotionally survive a situation that felt completely out of my control. Watching someone you love struggle with addiction is heartbreaking. There were many days when I felt emotionally exhausted before my day even started. I constantly worried about my father’s health, safety, and future while trying to stay focused in class, complete assignments, and show up for my teammates. There were moments when I felt overwhelmed by anxiety and sadness, but I knew I could not allow those challenges to define my future. Instead, I learned how to channel my emotions into determination and growth. One of the most difficult parts of navigating this challenge was learning how to carry heavy emotional burdens while still functioning at a high level. Many people only saw the athlete, the student, or the leader on campus, but behind the scenes I was struggling to process fear, disappointment, and uncertainty. There were times I felt isolated because I did not want my personal struggles to impact others around me. However, this experience taught me the importance of perseverance and inner strength. Even when things at home felt unstable, I continued showing up every day for my education, my sport, and my responsibilities. Field hockey became more than just a sport during this period of my life; it became an outlet and a source of stability. Being part of a team reminded me that I was not alone and gave me a sense of purpose during difficult times. Through the support of teammates and coaches, I learned the importance of leaning on others and allowing people to help when life becomes overwhelming. Despite the emotional challenges I was facing, I remained dedicated to my team and eventually became captain. Being selected as a captain during one of the hardest times in my life was especially meaningful because it reminded me that leadership is not about being perfect; it is about continuing to show up, support others, and persevere even during adversity. Throughout college, I also received awards such as Most Valuable Player and the Coaches Award. While these accomplishments recognized athletic performance, they also represented something much deeper to me personally. They symbolized resilience. They reminded me that despite the emotional hardship I was experiencing outside of school, I was still capable of succeeding, growing, and making a positive impact on those around me. This experience also profoundly shaped the person I am today and the way I interact with others. Going through such a difficult situation taught me empathy and compassion on a deeper level. I learned that many people are fighting battles that others cannot see, and because of that, kindness and support matter tremendously. These lessons continue to influence me in my current role as a collegiate field hockey coach. I strive to be more than just a coach to my athletes. I want to create an environment where they feel supported not only as players, but also as individuals navigating challenges in their own lives. My experiences taught me the importance of mentorship, encouragement, and simply being someone others can trust. In addition to coaching, I have continued to challenge myself through CrossFit, which has also helped me build mental toughness and resilience. Fitness became another healthy outlet where I could focus my energy, relieve stress, and continue growing physically and mentally. CrossFit constantly reminds me that growth often comes through discomfort and that perseverance is built through consistent effort, even on difficult days. Those lessons directly mirror the mindset I developed while overcoming challenges during college. Although navigating my father’s addiction relapse during school was incredibly difficult, it taught me lessons that cannot be learned in a classroom alone. I learned how to persevere through adversity, manage overwhelming emotions, maintain discipline during hardship, and continue pursuing my goals even when life felt uncertain. Most importantly, I learned that challenges do not have to define your future; they can strengthen your character and shape the way you impact others. Receiving this scholarship would help alleviate the financial burden of continuing my education and allow me to continue pursuing my goals with less stress and greater focus. More importantly, it would support someone who has faced adversity while remaining committed to growth, leadership, and helping others. My experiences have shaped me into a resilient individual who understands the value of hard work, compassion, and perseverance, and I am determined to continue using those qualities to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others

Returning to school as a parent has been one of the most rewarding and demanding decisions I have ever made. As an older, non-traditional student with children, I carry responsibilities that extend far beyond academics. Every day requires balancing the needs of my family with the demands of my education, often in ways that require sacrifice, discipline, and constant adjustment. One of the greatest challenges I have faced is time. Unlike traditional students who can dedicate uninterrupted hours to studying, my schedule is built around school, work, and parenting responsibilities. My day does not end when classes are over. It continues into late nights after my children are asleep, when I study, complete assignments, and prepare for exams. This often means giving up rest, personal time, and social activities in order to stay on track academically. While this can be exhausting, it has also taught me resilience and the importance of consistency, even when progress feels slow. Another challenge has been the emotional weight of balancing both roles. As a parent, I want to be fully present for my children; to attend their activities, support their growth, and be available when they need me. At the same time, I am committed to building a future that will ultimately benefit them. There are moments when I feel pulled in two directions, especially when school deadlines overlap with family needs. Learning to manage that guilt and prioritize effectively has been a significant part of my journey. I have had to accept that I cannot always do everything perfectly, but I can remain intentional in both roles. Financial pressure has also been a reality. Returning to school often comes with reduced working hours and increased educational expenses. This has required careful budgeting and sacrifices to ensure that both my education and my family’s needs are met. Despite these challenges, I remain focused on the long-term goal of creating stability and opportunity for my children through completing my degree and advancing in my career. In addition to logistical and financial challenges, returning to school has required me to rebuild academic confidence. As a non-traditional student, I sometimes feel the pressure of being out of practice in a formal academic setting. However, I have learned that my life experience as a parent is also a strength. It has taught me time management, emotional intelligence, patience, and perseverance; skills that directly translate into my academic and professional development. Despite these challenges, I have remained committed to my education because I see it as an investment in my family’s future. My children are my motivation. I want to show them that growth does not stop because life becomes difficult, and that pursuing goals is still possible even when the path is not straightforward. I hope to model persistence, responsibility, and determination so they can carry those values into their own lives. This journey has not been easy, but it has been meaningful. Returning to school as a parent has shaped me into a more disciplined, focused, and resilient individual. It has taught me how to move forward even when life is demanding, and how to balance ambition with responsibility. With continued support, I am committed to completing my education and building a future that reflects both my hard work and my dedication to my family.

From the moment I became a mother, my understanding of healthcare changed forever. What once felt like a career path became deeply personal. Holding my child for the first time, I realized how fragile and powerful life is in its earliest moments. I am currently working toward becoming a board-certified neonatal nurse practitioner, with the goal of serving families during one of the most vulnerable times in their lives. I am especially passionate about supporting communities where premature birth and neonatal complications are more common, and where families often feel overwhelmed, under-informed, or unseen. I want to be the provider who not only delivers expert clinical care, but also brings calm, clarity, and compassion into moments of uncertainty. My journey has not been easy. Balancing motherhood, work, and rigorous academic demands has challenged me in ways I never anticipated. There have been long nights studying after my child has gone to sleep, early mornings filled with both responsibilities and exhaustion, and moments where I questioned how I could continue to give my best in every role I carry. But these challenges have strengthened my resilience and deepened my commitment to this path. They have taught me discipline, time management, and the importance of showing up, even when it is hard. Beyond my personal experiences, I have been shaped by the patients and families I have encountered. Seeing the fear in a parent’s eyes when their newborn requires intensive care is something that stays with you. It is in those moments that I am reminded why this work matters. Technical skill is essential, but empathy, communication, and presence are what truly define impactful care. I strive to embody all of these qualities as I continue my education and clinical training. My values are rooted in compassion, advocacy, and service. I believe that every family deserves to feel heard and supported, regardless of their background or circumstances. As a future neonatal nurse practitioner, I aim to advocate not only for my patients, but also for equitable access to quality healthcare. I am committed to being a lifelong learner, continuously growing both clinically and personally so I can provide the highest level of care. Outside of nursing, I find joy and balance in motherhood and in creating meaningful moments with my family. Whether it is spending time outdoors, being present in the small everyday routines, or simply watching my child grow and learn, these experiences ground me. They remind me why I am working so hard and keep me connected to the human side of healthcare. I am also passionate about building a life that prioritizes both purpose and well-being—something I hope to model for my child as they grow. In addition, I have a growing interest in creating supportive spaces for mothers, particularly around the golden hour and early postpartum experience. This passion reflects my belief that care should extend beyond clinical settings and into the emotional and psychological well-being of families. Supporting mothers during these early stages is not only meaningful to me personally, but also aligns with my professional goals in neonatal care. What drives me as a caregiver is simple: I want to make people feel safe during moments that feel uncertain. I want families to know they are not alone, that they are supported, and that their child is in capable and compassionate hands. Nursing, for me, is not just a career, it is a calling shaped by my experiences, strengthened by my challenges, and guided by my values. This scholarship would not only support my education, but also bring me one step closer to making a meaningful impact in the lives of the smallest patients and their families. I am committed to using my skills, my voice, and my experiences to serve others with both excellence and empathy.