There was a transformative autumn day in my junior year that I will never forget. I was struggling with a math concept, and my teacher gladly accepted my request for tutoring with a welcoming grin and encouragement that I could grasp the frustrating homework with some one-on-one time with him. My body was tired from an exhausting school day, and my mind was racing as I sat down with him. After about fifteen minutes, I had gotten all of my questions answered but what happened next was what changed how I view the value of relationality. I stayed there for three hours having a significant conversation with my teacher and a few other students. We talked truthfully about who we were, where we were headed on our journeys, and what we wanted to pursue. My teacher went so far above and beyond that day to facilitate that conversation. He seized the opportunity to truly make a difference - and that is just what he did. This interaction made me appreciate the importance of relationships on a whole different level. Getting to experience the joys, trials, and complexities of life alongside and with the support of others is what makes life worth living. The way human beings “change the world” is through memorable interactions with other people. Nursing offers an opportunity to pour into so many precious lives. The best nurses are loving, compassionate, optimistic, and most importantly, selfless. I am interested in becoming a nurse because I have a deep calling to help and serve others, and because it is a career that I think would be a very good fit for my personality. I am a genuinely optimistic yet empathetic person, and nursing would enable me to be there for others when they are experiencing some of the most difficult moments of their lives. Nursing is a profession that requires being relational with others, something I so desperately long for in a future career. The field of nursing also requires individuals who inherently have great attention to detail and who are effective communicators. I believe that both are strengths of mine. In addition, I am a very hard worker and I know that I have the discipline and the tenacious work ethic that will be needed to excel not only in the required classes but within the medical field itself. As a result of struggling with some perfectionistic tendencies when I was younger, I have come to know myself very well. Being a perfectionist was a struggle for me for years in my teenage years because it drained me mentally, but now I know how to use my inner motivation to serve me well. A good nurse is a perfectionist; each and every life he or she is taking care of must be taken very seriously, with honor and love. I know my strengths and my weaknesses and after much self-evaluation and soul-searching, I believe wholeheartedly that nursing is the field for me. An endearing note to the Vaillancourt family: The story of Evan James Villancourt is remakable and inspiring. Evan sounds like he was such a passionate individual, determined to help those around him in anyway he could. My Grandfather, Paul Walker, was a dentist who got deployed to work on an army base in Arizona as a young adult following school. He will happliy be turning eighty on January 9th! The stories I have heard about his experiences serving our country have been least to say: proufoundly inspiring in every way. It is incredible how our loved ones can connect us on such a meaningful level.

There was a transformative autumn day in my junior year that I will never forget. I was struggling with a math concept, and my teacher gladly accepted my request for tutoring with a welcoming grin and encouragement that I could grasp the frustrating homework with some one-on-one time with him. My body was tired from an exhausting school day, and my mind was racing as I sat down with him. After about fifteen minutes, I had gotten all of my questions answered but what happened next was what changed how I view the value of relationality. I stayed there for three hours having a significant conversation with my teacher and a couple of other students. We talked truthfully about who we were, where we were headed on our journeys, and what we wanted to pursue. My teacher went so far above and beyond that day to facilitate that conversation. He took the time and seized the opportunity to truly make a difference - and that is just what he did. This interaction made me appreciate the importance of relationships on a whole different level. Getting to experience the joys, trials, and complexities of life alongside and with the support of others is what makes life worth living. The way human beings “change the world” is through memorable interactions with other people. Nursing offers an opportunity to pour into so many precious lives. The best nurses are loving, compassionate, optimistic, and most importantly, selfless. I believe I am all of these things. I am interested in becoming a nurse because I have a deep calling to help and serve others, and because it is a career that I think would be a very good fit for my personality. I am a genuinely optimistic yet empathetic person, and nursing would enable me to be there for others when they are experiencing some of the most difficult moments of their lives. Nursing is a profession that requires being relational with others, something I so desperately long for in a future carrer. The field of nursing also requires individuals who inherently have great attention to detail and who are effective communicators. I believe that both are strengths of mine. In addition, I am a very hard worker and I know that I have the discipline and the tenacious work ethic that will be needed to excel not only in the required classes but within the medical field itself. As a result of struggling with some perfectionistic tendencies when I was younger, I have come to know myself very well. Being a perfectionist was a struggle for me for years in my teenage years because it drained me mentally, but now I know how to use my inner motivation to serve me well. A good nurse is a perfectionist; each and every life he or she is taking care of must be taken very seriously, with honor and love. I know my strengths and my weaknesses and after much self-evaluation and soul-searching, and I believe wholeheartedly that nursing is the field for me.