My name is Justine Villegas-Franklin and I am a nursing student at Laboure College of Healthcare in Milton, Massachusetts. I am currently starting my second nursing semester now and couldn't be more excited to be going on this journey. I am 31 years old and getting to this point in my life took a lot of soul-searching to get where I am right now. I did not always know I wanted to work in healthcare and did numerous different jobs trying to figure out my passion. I started my healthcare career as a volunteer helper with the Newton First Aid & Rescue Squad in Newton, NJ. I then became certified as an EMT myself and continued to volunteer as a Certified EMT. I loved this position very much and it filled my heart to be helping people during scary and uncertain times. It felt good to be able to care for and comfort someone when they needed a hand most. That is a feeling you cannot duplicate. I remember when I was working as an EMT, we would respond to patients' calls, get them, provide care on the way and hand off care to the nurses. When I would hand off care to the nurses, I always wanted to stay. I wanted to see their care through and know they would be okay. I would spend a lot of time thinking about some patients and wondering if they turned out okay or if they are feeling better. I adored being an EMT, but I wanted to do more. I desired to continue that care and that's when I decided I needed to be a nurse. And that's the thing, I just didn't just want to be a nurse. I needed to be a nurse. Nursing isn't something I decided to do because it's the career I can tolerate most, it's my passion and my calling. I feel like I finally found what I am meant to do in life and it feels like I'm on the correct path. I am passionate about the education I am getting and strive for the best grades I can get. I feel fully engaged in the work and love every moment of being in school. What inspires me most about this work is the trust and relationship you build with each person you encounter. I have seen the best in humanity through this work and I hope to spread that love and kindness around to highlight what we can accomplish if we care for others.

My name is Justine Villegas-Franklin and I am currently in the nursing program at Laboure College of Healthcare. The field of nursing and healthcare, in general, was not something I actually planned. I received my first degree in Business and tried to make that work because I wasn't sure what I even wanted to do. I tried various jobs that had to do with that and nothing felt right honestly. I searched for a long time for something that felt right, but I was feeling so lost in life at this point. I ended up working as a receptionist for a medical office where I first realized that I was very intrigued by the medical field. I was taking a great interest in the work the medical assistants were doing and one day, the phlebotomist that worked with us suggested I volunteer on the rescue squad for the town of Newton, New Jersey. The idea made me very nervous just because it was a complete 180° turn from what I've been doing my whole life so far. I decided I couldn't allow fear of change to stop me from potentially finding my passion, so I went for it. I started volunteering for the Newton First Aid and Rescue Squad and decided to return to school to become an EMT myself. I spent 1 year volunteering with them before moving back home to Rhode Island. Once I got back home, I knew I didn't want to stop there. I felt compelled to become a nurse because I honestly couldn't picture doing anything else in life now. I knew I finally found my passion. I didn't choose nursing, but rather the field chose me. I was nervous at first because people talk very negatively about nursing and how easy it is to get burnt out. I know it's a very difficult job and it can feel overwhelming at times, but honestly, I have never been so happy learning something. I finished my first semester with a 92% average and I couldn't be more excited to start my second semester. I work very hard at school and feel that it's a place I belong. Once I graduate as an RN, I will immediately continue onto BSN. After gaining some experience in the ER setting I would love to get additionally certified as a trauma nurse. This is an area I feel I will thrive in and reminds me of when I was an EMT. I loved it so much and it was an honor to be there for people and care for them during a scary time. I will do anything I can as a nurse to give patients a positive outcome and help them through their time of need.

My name is Justine Villegas-Franklin and I am in the nursing program at Laboure College of Healthcare in Milford, MA. A topic I have learned more about this past semester that I would like to be more engaged in as a nurse is decreasing health disparities in my community. It should come as no surprise that certain populations are at a higher risk for health disparities. These populations include ethnic minorities, those with disabilities, women, and members of LGBTQ+. These patients have an increased risk for poor outcomes because of discrimination and lack of resources and providers. Some other factors that create barriers to healthcare could be a lack of transportation, cultural preferences, language barriers, stigma and bias, geographic location, disabilities, or socioeconomic status. I would love for there to be more resources for people to learn and have the time with healthcare members to ask questions and understand their diagnoses better. Many people feel as though they don't get enough time with their providers to learn about their illnesses or diseases and many physicians rush patients out quickly. People learn at different speeds and learn in different ways. The healthcare industry needs to improve patient care and teachings. Nurses and physicians don't often take enough time with patients and those who speak another language may pretend to understand the teaching because they are nervous and can sense they are being rushed. Having adequate resources for medical translators is also important. Healthcare workers should not be using family members or friends to translate health information. although we are always working quickly, we all need to take the time to seek out a translator and utilize them. Many or most hospitals should have access to medical translators at this point either live or virtually. I think it's important to build trust and rapport with the people of our community and host family-friendly events that teach people about various topics for all stages of life. This could significantly improve health outcomes for people and provide them with resources for medically necessary care. Members of LGBTQ+ should be given resources and testing options as needed as well as education on current medications. If healthcare members can build a community of love, education, and equality, we could improve the lives of those around us. These events could be held once a month and can address topics such as diabetes care, cardiovascular health, infant care and safety, nutrition, mental health resources, HIV awareness and resources, and the list goes on. These should not be topics we talk about once a year at our physicals, but actively bright up and taught so that everyone has health equity and equality.

The dream version of myself is working as a nurse and being active in my community to decrease health disparities and educate people of all ages about various topics.

My name is Justine Villegas-Franklin and I am currently in nursing school at Laboure College of Healthcare in Milton, Massachusetts. I did not always know I wanted to do nursing and my journey to this point has been long. I received my first degree in Business in 2015, but I was not passionate about it. My parents wanted me to get a degree in something and business was broad enough that I knew it would be useful in many ways. That fall I got married and within a few months we moved to New Jersey for a couple of years. I couldn't find a job within my field that I loved and I tried various work such as retail, management, and banking, but nothing felt right. For a while, I was a medical receptionist, but I hated it. I actually took great interest in what the medical staff was doing instead and the phlebotomist encouraged me to explore my interest in the medical field. I felt so unsure about this at first because I never thought about the medical field before, but having been working in that environment for a while now, that passion was starting the bloom. I took the leap and began volunteering with the Newton First Aid and Rescue Squad in Newton, NJ while going to school to become an EMT. I volunteered with them for one year before moving back home to Rhode Island. Once I got back to Rhode Island I decided to go back to school officially for the nursing program and started working on my pre-requisites which took a few years. I was officially accepted into the nursing program at Laboure College in May 2022 and have been working very hard since starting. I am loving every minute of being in nursing school and am eager to put my knowledge into action. I went back to school because I am not someone who can feel content doing something I don't truly love. Our time on earth feels very short and I want to make sure that each day and action that I make for my life is made with intention and that I am as happy as I can be. In doing that, if I can help others achieve that and live a healthy life, I would feel truly fulfilled. People should have access to health equality and I would love to be able to host events that educate people on a variety of issues. People often feel like they don't get enough time with their physicians to ask questions and really learn about their diagnoses. If patients were properly educated then they would have increased outcomes for a healthier life. I hope as a nurse I can be an active member of my community and make a difference in people at all stages of life.

My name is Justine Villegas-Franklin and I am currently a nursing student at Laboure College of Healthcare. My passion for the healthcare field was not so obvious to be at first and I spent more of my life doing a wide variety of jobs. It took me a while to find my calling, but when I did, it pulled me in so fast. I have never felt this level of passion for anything else in my life and I am so thankful to do this work. With all the knowledge I have gained and continue to gain, I would love to share this with as many people as I can. Many demographics are at risk of health disparities including ethnic minority groups, those with disabilities, women, and the LGBTQ+ population. This is an area I would love to help to change by traveling to various communities and holding informational events about many big topics today like nutrition, cardiovascular care and diabetic care. There is no hiding that many people get left behind because of location, access to transportation, language barriers, socioeconomic status and more. With a better understanding of one's own health and ways to improve their odds, people could save money, make fewer trips to the emergency room, and live a healthier lifestyle. There are many steps we can take to improve the lives of others in our communities. If people made themselves available once a month and dedicate their time to holding these events, we could already start seeing some improvement. In hospitals, nurses, physicians, and specialists need to work harder to get medical interpreters for non-English speaking patients. Many online companies offer interpreters of all languages and are available within minutes. In Massachusetts, people can also become certified as medical interpreters and work at any hospital. These people make excellent recourses and are available immediately. Family members and friends should not be used as medical interpreters as this has only been shown to cause more confusion. With clear and appropriate communication, patients would be able to ask questions and learn more about their conditions and the resources available to help them within their budget. Family-friendly public events, hosted by hospitals, could be held that interact and encourage families to learn with each other and address topics at every stage of life. These events could address popular topics such as car seat safety, infant care, nutrition, activity for children and adults, mental health and adolescent care, medication education, healthcare education, women's health, and aging. If our community could spend one Saturday a month addressing various topics and answering questions then we could not only help patients but build trust and rapport with people within our community. One of the biggest concerns I hear from patients is that they do not feel like doctors spend enough time with them, they don't fully understand their conditions, and they don't trust that physicians actually hear their main concerns. It's important for healthcare workers to show our devotion to health education and time to make the public feel comfortable getting care and being heard. I hope I can share our knowledge and create a program to help those populations get health quality and equity. Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Nursing was not technically a career I planned. In fact, I tried to avoid the idea of it over and over again because I was scared. When you hear so many negative things about nursing, it's easy to question why anyone would do it. My journey in the medical field started as an EMT. I volunteered as an EMT in Newton, NJ for 1 year before moving back home to Rhode Island. This was something I wholeheartedly loved doing and I enjoyed doing it at no cost. People continued to question why I wouldn't just do that for money, but there is something very special about volunteering. When people volunteer, they are motivated by their passion. I was truly passionate about helping people during their most difficult times and, hopefully, restoring their faith in society. People are very negative recently and it feels like anytime trouble is around, people only want to turn a blind eye. There may be many reasons why people don't help others such as fear of being hurt themselves, but healthcare workers are nutty enough to run towards the danger. Often, I hear on the news or read an article about someone getting stabbed or raped on the subway and all bystanders did was stare or pull out their phones to film it. It is not surprising that sometimes we feel alone and abandoned by others. When people are scared and feeling their worst, I want people to see me and feel comforted. I want people to know that I would do anything I could to help them and make their situation better. There is nothing that hurts me more than hearing a person say, "Well you only do this because you get paid!" I am always eager to tell people that I do this because I truly love it. This brings me to how I pursued nursing. I loved being an EMT and I knew I wanted to do something more, but I wasn't positive what yet. I was thinking about becoming a paramedic or an ultrasound technician at first because everyone made nursing sound horrible and I thought there was no way I am doing that. I actually started classes for ultrasound technician and, within one semester, I knew this decision felt all wrong. As much as I tried to push nursing away, it pulled me closer. I love it so much that there was no way I could not be a nurse. Becoming a nurse is my dream and it's what I am meant to do. Through all the negative things I hear about it now, I still think to myself that I could never do anything else in life except be a nurse. I am enjoying every moment of nursing school and one day I will get to hold that degree proudly in my hand.

The Taylor Swift song that speaks most to me from her '1989' album is "Shake It Off". This may seem like an obvious choice, but I think this song shares a very important message. This song represents all the barriers that people try to throw at us throughout the course of our lives. There will always be people rooting against you, and, for some, it can be really difficult to block that out. Taylor Swift has always been heavily judged during her fame by people who really know nothing about her. Celebrities are easy targets for the media, and it's devastating that they are not treated that normal people. It is very difficult for people to consider the feelings and mental health of famous people as if they were just fictional characters in a book. This song is her way of taking her power back. This is a lesson that all people need to learn and value. Like everyone else, I also have had moments in my life when I needed to learn this lesson to maintain mental health and thrive into the person I am today. Sometimes it can be very difficult to ignore these times, and we let them chip at us until we feel so little. Unfortunately, learning to rise up from this may only happen in time, and we learn this at different points in our lives. Combating this as an adolescent and young adult can be difficult and usually leads to stress, anxiety, and depression. The experiences we have growing up shape the adults we are today. "Shake It Off" is a song that we can dance to and learn from. Throughout the song, her lyrics repeat, "At least that's what people say. That's what people say." Remember, when people are trying to kick you down, what people say about you'd does not define you or need to bother you. I understand that taking this advice may be easier said than done, but remember, it comes with time as we get older. Something my father taught me that I value greatly is that nothing is permanent. Anytime I was struggling through a certain time in life, my dad would remind me that all things pass. That teacher I hated would no longer be in my life in just a few months. That rumor that was started would be forgotten in a matter of time. With anything in life, eventually, it must pass. We spend too much time giving negative events and people so much of our energy when the lesson to be learned is simple. We just need to learn how to shake it off.

My name is Justine Villegas-Franklin and I am in the nursing program at Laboure College of Healthcare in Milton, MA. My journey to finding my passion for nursing started with volunteering. I was not always in the healthcare field, and rather, it took me a very long time to find my passion in healthcare. I received my first degree in Business at the Community College of Rhode Island because I did not know what direction I wanted to go in, but my parents said I needed a degree in something. I have always had common jobs, and none of them sparked any passion for me. In 2016, I moved to New Jersey with my husband so he could attend the college of his dreams, and I was working as a medical receptionist. Although I did that for many years, I strongly disliked administrative work, but I didn't have another plan for myself. Without even realizing it, I was showing a great interest in medical work, and the phlebotomist I worked with said I should explore my interest and volunteer with the local ambulance squad. Within a week, that is exactly what I did. I volunteered with the squad and assisted the Certified EMT's with anything they needed as we responded to calls. During this time, I also started to go to school to get certified as an EMT myself. This was the first time that I was doing something, and it finally felt right for me. I continued to volunteer even when I completed school and became Certified as an EMT for one year. It was something I truly enjoyed without having to think too much about it. In other words, helping people and doing this type of work came naturally, and that's how I knew I found my calling. Volunteering allowed me to discover my passion in life, and something that makes volunteering so special is that money has nothing to do with it. You volunteer because you truly love whatever it is you are doing. Throughout my time volunteering, I was asked why I would just do this work and get paid for it. My answer is simple, I am not motivated by money. Something I find very valuable is time and happiness. Time will pass, and it can never be redone. My time spent with each patient was a very unique experience and taught me the value of listening to every person's needs. It solidified my love for this field, and that's when I knew I needed to become a nurse. Now I am in nursing school and loving every part of it. This journey started with volunteering and I encourage more people to do so.

My name is Justine Franklin and I am a nursing student at Laboure College of Healthcare in Milton, MA. I have completed my first semester in the nursing program and have made Dean's List for the third semester in a row. The idea of becoming a nurse wasn't obvious to me at first and I started my career in Healthcare as an EMT. I volunteered as an EMT in Newton, NJ for 1 year before moving back home to Rhode Island where I knew I wanted to further my education in healthcare, but I wasn't positive where yet. While I was still unsure, I knew I wanted to work with physicians to learn more about myself and where I felt most passionate. I went back to school and became a Registered Medical Assistant in 2020 and have been working in a Primary Healthcare setting to this day. As I got to work with many different physicians and continued to learn through them, I discovered that I truly want to be a nurse. What I loved most about being an EMT was getting to care for and support people through difficult times in their lives. As someone born in 1991, I have observed the devastating effects of many disasters/attacks and each time I heard about those events, all I could think about was being there and helping. We live in a world where people are often suffering and instead of helping, we turn a blind eye. People will film someone being harmed, but will never step in to help them. May we are afraid of getting hurt ourselves when it wasn't our fight to begin with, but if we all have that mentality, then we are alone. People often feel alone in this world, but when I am helping someone through the worst time in their lives at that moment, I feel like I am giving them hope. I want people to know that they are not alone, and through all the negativity we see happening daily, those few will remember the people who helped them and know they are cared for. There is something truly special about caring for one another and opening their eyes to the part of society that is loving and selfless. All these experiences have shaped the person I am today and finally led me in the direction I am most passionate about. The area of nursing I would love to be a part of is Critical Care Nursing. I would first gain experience in the ER and start my certification process for Critical Care. I am passionate about breaking people's view of society as cold and insensitive. When people feel most scared and alone, I want patients to look at me and know I am not just here because it's my job, but because I wholeheartedly want them to feel comforted through my care and know that I will do anything possible to make their situation better.

Our life experiences shape and influence our course of life and decisions, but sometimes, it feels like a path chooses you and that is how I feel about nursing. I can vividly recall my nursing orientation day and remember thinking how incredible it was seeing so many people with a common goal in one room and eager to learn. Professor Flaherty opened orientation with a question. Why are we in nursing? Is it because of the money? Are people here because nursing is in their family and they are following in their parent's footsteps or is this something we are actually passionate about? This is a question students should think long and hard about because the odds of all of us making it through the program is slim. In that first five minutes of being surrounded by my peers, I realized that we are all not the same. I was taken aback by the overwhelming number of hands who raised their hands for money, they giggled to one another as if it were no big deal, but it is. My teacher rightfully pointed out that nurses make as much as they do because the decisions and actions we take or don't take could end someone's life. The swelling and redness that goes unnoticed by the nurse in a 72-year-old male could lead to life-threatening consequences. The 15-year nursing veteran who is eager to get her lunch takes down an incorrect phone order for medication and finds her patient unresponsive. These are the decisions we make every day that either help our patients or put them more at risk and that is a very difficult thing to put a price tag on. Integrity, honesty, justice, and beneficence are all qualities of nursing that patients don't pay for. I started in the healthcare field as an EMT in 2018. That was the first time in my life I actually felt my path was coming into alignment and it seemed to reach my heart in a way that nothing has before. I continued to run with this feeling. Recent studies have shown that roughly one million nurses with active licenses choose not to work due to unsafe working conditions and have said they refuse to work in unsafe conditions that out their patients at harm. These nurses do not follow money, but they follow their heart because they truly love being a nurse and do it for true reasons. These are the reasons why I chose nursing as well. There has been no significant event in my life that led me down this path, but rather, the path chose me. When I am feeling overwhelmed, stressed, and sleep deprived, I keep going because I truly could not see myself doing anything, but nursing. From my very first day as an EMT, I knew my calling was in healthcare and the joy I feel while helping people cannot be duplicated doing anything else.

Growing up, parents will always tell you anything is possible, and for a long time, you genuinely believe that. I was always made to believe I could achieve anything if I put my mind to it. When I got a little older and entered college, I realized that people need more than the will to succeed to achieve their dreams. I quickly struggled to stay in classes due to finances. If I could not pay tuition on time, I was immediately dropped from the semester. I loved being in college, but making it happen was a lot to juggle at age 18. My parents could not assist me with tuition, so I worked full-time. Things always took longer for me because I had to attend college at a slower pace so I could financially afford it. When I finally finished my associate degree in business, I felt incredibly accomplished because although it took me five years to complete, I still got through it instead of giving up. I was always hard on myself for allowing it to take so long, but much of that was not in my control. Instead, I should have been more proud that I stuck through it so long instead of easily deciding to stop altogether. After four years, I decided to switch my major and rejoin college again. I was terrified. Finances have always held me back as I have tried to further my education. I put off applying to nursing school for a while because I couldn't think of how to afford it, but I was so tired of sitting, going through all the possible scenarios in my head of how I could try and fair, and decided to go for it. I thought to myself, what if I apply and just see if I get in? Eventually, I got in. Then I thought, well, I'm already here, and I couldn't let myself stop now. No matter what, there was no way I could live with myself if I didn't see my dreams through. What has changed about my way of thinking is that, yes, it takes more than just believing you can achieve something to actually achieve it. It takes being resourceful, disciplined, and creative. Instead of wishing things would work out, one needs to stop and take the time to see their options. I researched funding for school, applied for scholarships, and sat down with family to see what could be done. My husband picked up extra work that helped a little bit, and we reviewed all our bills to see what unnecessary subscriptions we could delete. When something is important enough to you, it just means you have to push yourself in ways never before to make it happen. Quitting was never an option because I couldn't live with myself if I didn't pursue my passion.

Being in college has always been challenging for me. It's not the work I have trouble with, as I always have excellent grades. What I struggle with is time. I have always had to rely on myself to make my dreams happen. I worked full-time while completing my first Associate in Business and this two-year degree took me five years to complete. I did it, though, and without the assistance of anyone else. I have always felt down about how long it took me to accomplish, and it was hard not to feel like I was wasting so much time. After three years as a medical receptionist, I realized that I was incredibly fascinated by what the clinical staff was doing more than my job. In 2018 I became a volunteer EMT for one year and fell head over heels for the medical profession. After completing my EMT certification, I later became certified as a Medical Assistant. I have been working as a medical assistant for a couple of years now and realized that I genuinely would love to be a nurse. Being a nurse was an idea I avoided for a long time because I was scared of the pressure that came with being one. As much as I avoided it, nursing and I were like magnets. Now, I am starting my nursing program, and I have never been more thrilled with my decision. My inspiration comes from how wholesome it is to take care of others. We live in a cruel world full of anger and ignorance. When people reach out their hand for help, some just look the other way. The feeling I get while helping a patient is equivocal to holding a puppy. It is incredible to see the difference one could make in someone's life by just being there for them, listening, and making them feel they are in good hands during the scariest times in their life. While I have yet to get very far into my nursing studies, I do already have some areas of nursing that interest me greatly. The first area of nursing I love is specific to cardiology. I would love to assist in catheterization, and I love anything heart-related. I also really like OR and surgeries, and that's another area I hope to learn more about soon. The last area of nursing I am most interested in is unconventional and leans more toward forensics. I would actually like to assist medical examiners with autopsies for the state of Massachusetts. Although this area can be sad, I feel like the process of an autopsy provides a family with answers and closure. I am amazed by how many areas of nursing there are and look forward to exploring each avenue during my nursing program.

Everyone knows Disney has the enormously successful franchise it is today, but many people don't realize how much work went into starting Disney and how it all came about. The Disney brothers started by producing animated short films that went before movies in the theater, and later they were the first ever to make a full-length animated feature. Walt Disney's original team of animators was known as the "Nine Old Men," some of which went on to become Imagineers at Disneyland later. Disney has been a part of so many children's lives, and there is a relatable character for every boy and girl. For me, that character was Pocahontas. Pocahontas was an amazing and strong female character that I admired growing up. She portrayed a progressive attitude and fairness amongst all people, and I loved her will to be peaceful. Since I was a child, I always had my hair very long, like Pocahontas, and my parents would call me that jokingly because of my long hair. People I meet today will still compare my hair to hers, and I always love that because I wanted to grow up embodying peace, love, and acceptance. She was independent, intelligent, and had her own opinions separate from everyone else's. I admired how she never went along with the crowd and, after learning about something, would make her own judgment about a situation. Pocahontas was the kind of person I wanted to grow up being and not allow myself to fall victim to following the herd. My parents always taught me to stay true to myself and accept all my differences from others because that makes us unique. I never felt the need to fit into any particular crowd and just wanted to get along with everyone. I don't have children, but I do have nieces and nephews that I love talking to about this because children can be awful to each other growing up, and I always want to make sure they know that what makes them unique from everyone else is beautiful should always be celebrated. It is easy to follow the crowd but difficult to go your own way, as Pocahontas always did.

When working in the healthcare field, one must learn to maintain healthy habits in a more creative way. Often we are left with very little time to ourselves and for me, working full time and being in nursing school presents even more lack of time. It has been hard for me to create a set schedule for myself since my day truly revolves around my homework for that week. It has been challenging for me to find a balance between all my work and remembering to put myself first sometimes. Let's talk about some habits I have adopted to eat well and positively stimulate my mental health. My current eating habits are vegan, and I certainly couldn't say that this choice works for everyone and to always consult with our doctor. I feel best with this choice because of the extensive GI issues I have had since I was little. In my case, simple is better. However, someone eats, one golden rule has always been my go-to tip: to "incorporate the rainbow" in all your meals. That basically means that people should try their best to incorporate foods of all colors. Diverse foods offer different nutrients and minerals that maintain good health and are also great for your gut microbiome. Your gut microbiome is made up of good and bad bacteria that play significant roles in our health. The more variety of food you get, the better your gut microbiome is working for you. Throughout your day, try to incorporate foods of all colors to ensure that your body gets all there is to offer. When it comes to a healthy mind and exercise, those go hand in hand for me. When someone is exercising, they are also reducing stress and anxiety and boosting self-esteem. Aside from your typical cardio, yoga has been my go-to for about five years now and helps me feel centered, well-rested, and mentally clear. My days can get pretty hectic, so finding time to do yoga has become quite challenging. I work around many doctors, and some are only part-time. This works out well for me because, with their permission, I can fit in thirty minutes of yoga in their empty office during our lunch break. I enjoy having my headphones in and playing ambient music to go with my short yoga practice, and it simply melts all the stress away from the morning. I can continue the second half of the day with a recentered mind. This quick but valuable time to myself allows me to think about what is bothering me and learn to push it away. I have adopted these healthy habits into my everyday life, and I highly recommend the same to others.

"There is no end to education. It is not that you read a book, pass an examination, and finish with education. The whole of life, from the moment you are born to the moment you die, is a process of learning." Jiddu Krishnamurti. Learning should never be considered something we once did when we were young. The act of learning is essential for health reasons, keeping our mind active and expanding, changing our perspective of the world, and feeling accomplished. As people age, they seek to continue learning to keep their minds sharp and active, but something about learning also feels so good inside. When we learn, it expands how we view the world and various subjects. We can learn to appreciate a wide variety of topics and feel appreciation for those things. Learning about something shows respect for that topic. Someone is actually taking the time to get details about a subject or how something works. Because of that added knowledge, you fully get to appreciate how something started, the history behind it, or how it evolved over time. Studies have shown that learning is empowering and boosts confidence, which is precisely how I feel when I am learning. How eating healthy food feels good for your body, learning feels good to the mind. I will always want to learn because of how it makes me feel. I have always been a very curious person my whole life, and I never leave a thought sitting in my head. When I am curious about anything at all, I have always felt compelled to research that subject and find out more about it. In doing so, it feels like a completed process for me. After learning about it, I feel extreme joy and excitement to share this information with others. Also, it's beneficial to continue learning about your chosen career field to keep up with new ways. Another reason why I plan to continue learning throughout my life because, as we age, I think people are more at risk for developing depression. Depression in older adults is very common, and sometimes they feel the world is moving fast around them. It's good to continue to learn to be involved with new technology and how things are running. We live in a very technological world, and sadly, many older adults feel left behind or lack consideration for other individuals. Overall, learning is great for people of all ages and essential for cognitive function. It's exciting to learn new things, and it has been proven to increase happiness.

It can be very easy for someone to automatically think of food choices when discussing being healthy and improving your health journey. Of course, eating healthy is an essential part of our lives to sustain being healthy as we age and feel good overall. Eating healthy is also a preventative strategy to stop the development of many diseases, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, hyperglycemia, and many more. However, aside from being healthy with our food habits, there are many other ways to implement healthy choices that I have adopted into my daily routine. My recent health journey has shifted its focus to improving mental health and clarity. As a new nursing student, I found myself in a continuous state of stress and feeling overwhelmed. As someone who ate well and did moderate exercise, I somehow still felt so unhealthy. I was seeing my doctor regularly and having cardiac testing due to palpitations and chest pain. After so much time, I knew changes needed to be made to feel better. I talked to my doctor about my options, and at home, I implemented new habits to manage my stress and gain clarity to tackle my various assignments. An exercise that has helped me significantly is breathing techniques. My favorite techniques are equal count breathing, pursed lip breathing, and alternate nostril breathing. The alternate nostril breathing is my favorite because it forces you to focus solely on your breathing since you have to continue to alternate plugging each nostril. These exercises immediately interrupt my stress and allow my head to clear so I can start over. With a clear mindset, I can rethink the tasks at hand and organize them so I can successfully complete my work. Another natural way I manage my stress and anxiety is my favorite exercise to date, the fingertip tapping exercise. This exercise involves tapping the fingertips along different parts of the body. Typically, one can start by tapping their fingertips on the forehead and cheekbones, then move down to the neck and collarbone, down each arm and stomach. Next, perform light karate chop motions on each arm and leg. There are more complex ways to perform this exercise, but that is just a brief rundown of it. Performing these exercises is said to improve cortisol levels by almost 50%. Mental health is a very important part of overall daily health, and this area is receiving a lot more attention now from society since the covid-19 pandemic. Being open with our mental health needs to be a priority to seek options early on for a chance to overcome obstacles. Justine Villegas-Franklin

College is always an exciting new experience for people, and as someone who is not new to the college scene, I can honestly say it's still just as exciting. I am 30 years old and have been attending college since I was 18. If you're asking yourself why I would still be in school, let me explain. I spent the first five years of college completing an Associate in General Business. This was not an easy task for me to finish because I did not have financial support from my family and had to work full-time during college. After a few years, I realized I was not happy or passionate about anything I was doing. Along the way, I absolutely fell in love with nursing and began pursuing that, and I think what makes college so exciting is knowing you on your way to achieving your dreams. College is the hope that leads you to a better future, and being able to learn about a specific topic that you are truly passionate about is a fantastic feeling. That fact alone excites me to be in college, even after all these years. I know that when I wake up each day and login to my program to do homework, I am that much closer to my dream career, and it keeps me going through all the challenging classes. With those challenges comes stress; of course, everyone has different ways to combat stress. What helps me through stressful times is yoga, nature, and movies. I started yoga in 2017 to relieve my stress and feel more in tune with my body and mind. When I first started, I didn't quite have specific goals for yoga, and I just wanted it to be fun and help me focus. After a few years, I became really good at it and found myself setting new goals for myself every few months, which helped me balance work and fun. Yoga also allowed me to be within a community of people who also loved the same activity, and it was something we could bond over. We supported each other to improve and feel confident in what we were doing. I also felt more in tune with my body and learned to quiet my mind during necessary times. Over time, I felt that how I reacted in stressful situations was noticeably improving, and I could handle myself more maturely. Yoga allows people to feel centered and find clarity in their thoughts. Yoga helped me determine what I wanted for my life and the direction I felt most passionate about. When I can handle life better, I can thoroughly enjoy my classes more at college and handle multitasking my assignments with ease.

I've always wondered by eating healthy for some people is difficult. While having this thought process, I am transported back to 2016 while working as a medical secretary in New Jersey. I was discussing with an adolescent's parent about his weight and the types of food the doctor suggested he avoid. I told her, "the doctor said to avoid sweets and limit carbs." The mother's following words to me were, "what are carbs?" It was at this time when I realized that many people are not fully educated on food and the components that make up our food. Our foods contain fats, protein, carbohydrates, and water. This is the most basic information about our food, but some are not aware of even this. It's imperative to live a healthy lifestyle to fuel your body correctly and easily avoid developing type 2 diabetes, hypertension, digestive issues, depression, sleep apnea, and obesity, increasing one's risk of cardiovascular disease. Unhealthy food has been linked to increased anxiety and contributes to mental fog. It can be difficult to achieve mental clarity, affecting all other aspects of life. There are some days periodically when I enjoy pizza or Chinese food, but I can see a noticeable difference in how I feel afterward. Junk food immediately makes me feel slow and sluggish. I also feel uncomfortably full and bloated. I experience abdominal upset every time, which will last an entire extra day. Healthy foods allow your body to maintain proper hormonal balance and junk food negatively affects the gut's microbiome. The gut contains a lining with specific permeability to let good nutrition in and keep toxins out. Our gut communicates to the blood-brain barrier, and allowing unhealthy food to enter our body continuously weakens the permeability of the lining, and toxins can slip through. Due to this increase in unwanted toxins in the body, one can experience brain fog, anxiety, depression, and mood swings. Our food choices alter the body significantly, and these are things we are entirely in control of. We can feel good and boost energy naturally, but it does take work. We can spend more time educating each other on facts that can help them. People must find resources from reliable people and websites since many diets are unsuitable, and incorporating protein, fats, carbohydrates, and water is equally important. Fully eliminating one of the major macronutrients can be harmful if eliminated long-term and does not promote a healthy balance.

Living a clean life certainly isn't easy, but it's one of the most important habits a person can develop. Many people may not realize the positive impact clean living makes on a person's health. While working as a medical assistant, I quickly learned how eating clean and exercising easily impact your lab values. Our choices can avoid many diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, respiratory problems, sleep apnea, digestive issues, etc. For many years now, technology development has aimed at convenience. Many people only do what's most convenient for them, such as eating on the go or having a microwavable meal for dinner, but society has become so used to it that it makes creating home meals feel out of reach. It's essential for healthcare providers and nurses to be an example of clean eating and making good choices. We play a big part in showing our patients how to live clean lives and show them how easy it can be. It's also important to be caught up on the latest resources and educate them on those options. I believe there is not one healthy way to live for everyone. People need to find out what healthy route works for themself and not just follow whatever is the newest fad to do. I stopped eating meat years ago and believe it's the most beneficial choice for me, but that may not work for everyone. People need to think more about a balanced diet, finding programs and apps that encourage them to live clean and find support in the people closest to them. I love living a healthy life to show people how simple it can be with the correct tools. At the office I work for, we help patients find all the tools they need to make healthy meals and stay on track with their weight. I love the natural approach to life and find appreciation for my body because of all the work it does. When you learn about the anatomy of your body and understand all the work it does every single day, it truly makes you want to treat it correctly and help it do all the functions it needs. People only change their habits after something is wrong or the labs start to show slight abnormalities, but rarely can people appreciate their health early on and share that with others. Whenever I can, I always try to share facts about nutrition, and it's essential to keep your opinions out of the conversation and try to make it strictly informative so that people are given the correct information to live by.

My inspiration for pursuing a nursing career came about out of nowhere, and no person in particular, inspired me to do so. What made me want to be a nurse was simply by observing how others react to each other during a disaster or horrible event. It is during these times that people actually come together without hesitation or judgment. When you're caring for people, it doesn't matter who they are or where they come from, but all you know is that they need you, and I always wanted to be that person on the other side to help. My curiosity about this field brought me to EMT school. From there, I volunteered as an EMT for my community and wanted nothing in return. It upsets me that people only come together for each other when a disaster strikes, but not every other day. You hear about terrible things happening all the time, but people sit there and watch them happen. People would even go as far as to film it happening and post it later for the world to see. That, to me, is sickening, and every time I can help someone, it makes my heart glow. Being a nurse would allow me to be there in the moments when someone is scared, unsure, and sometimes alone. In 2015, a 40-year-old man named Steven Galvin was fatally shot in Clearlake, California. This man was known to have run-ins with the law but was very friendly and always cooperative. People described him as a great person aside from making the wrong decisions here and there. Steven did not have family in the state, and when he died in the hospital, the nursing staff and police officers felt very emotional that he died alone and did whatever they could to make him feel like he mattered. He was cared for. The nursing staff truly cared for his life and wanted him to know that before he passed away. In many ways, nurses are a source of comfort for people who may not have family around. Being in the hospital can be very scary, and the environment is pretty hectic at times. Still, through all that, it's so crucial for patients to understand how much their lives matter and be able to show that not only through our work but by being authentic, caring, and empathetic. It feels incredible to be there for people, not because someone is forcing you to but because you genuinely want to and be an example of how kind people can be.

My name is Justine Franklin, and I am a part of the Nursing program at Laboure College in Massachusetts. I grew up with a family that appeared very normal on the outside. Growing up, I was in gymnastics, so I would often get pulled out of school mid-day to travel for competitions, and life as a child was very hectic. On the night before my first day at high school, my mother's long-term boyfriend at the time sexually assaulted me, and from that moment, I didn't know how I felt about life. For a week, I didn't tell anyone because I feared I would be in trouble. I noticed how happy all the other kids were on their first day of school, and there I was, staring off into space, wondering how I was possibly going to keep this a secret from my family. Eventually, I couldn't hide it any longer and broke down and cried to my oldest sister. I don't feel as though I've had a normal teenage life from there. I was strange to other kids, and I kept to myself a lot. I didn't make friends easily and ended up joining a very controlling church. I felt lost. I felt like everything I went through was somehow visible to the world, making me more insecure. Finally, once I got to college, I decided to leave the church and try to find myself by making my own decisions and trusting myself. Now at 30 years old, I have grown into someone I am very proud of and will be married for seven years this year. I fell in love with making people feel cared for, and that's when I decided to pursue nursing. While in school, I am working as a medical assistant for a primary care doctor. During my studies, I have grown highly interested in women's history and would love to apply my career to that. After graduating as an RN, I would like to get additional certification as a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner to care for patients during difficult times and hopefully contribute to helping them heal. I would love to be a part of an organization that helps women physically and mentally to overcome sexual trauma and grow bigger than whatever is holding them back from reaching their full potential. My current studies on PTSD in rape victims have exposed the damaging threat to mental health and suicide rate after such an event. The chances of successfully healing from it largely rely on a strong support team to which I would love to contribute.

This may sound selfish, but stick with me and I promise it will make sense. Before people developed such intelligence you even be able to contemplate such a question, you could say the meaning of life was literally to procreate. From humans to plants to even the smallest organisms, that technically was the meaning of life. However, people have evolved so far and now we are able to sit and think about such a question and honestly, I think the meaning of life starts with your own happiness. I think most people would say to do good onto others or something along those lines, but when you look at how short and insignificant our lives are in reality to the universe and history, don't you want to be happy? For a moment, think about a time you went into a store or called your doctor's office, and the people are absolutely miserable. You're trying to get something done or share a concern, but all your getting is attitude, terrible answers, and left with more questions than answers. So many people feel stuck in life and it seems to manifest into a bitter, angry mindset. Imagine if people took the time to think about what they actually want out of life and went for it. My first degree was in business because I had no idea what I wanted to do and that only led me to jobs I hated. My attitude was awful, and I didn't care about the negative energy I was giving off. I finally found my love for healthcare and will be attending nursing school this year. Discovering this leads me down the correct path where I can spread love, compassion, and happiness in everything I do.

Hobbies are fun, but mine is also good for your health! Life is stressful right? Absolutely! There are so many daily factors that stress people out and all that stress can lead to high blood pressure, cardiac issues, fatigue, depression, lack of motivation, and the list goes on and on. I went through this myself and started experiencing severe chest pain. January 1st, 2018 I decided I wanted to try something new. My husband and I moved to another state, I knew nobody there, I missed my family, and my job was awful. I was getting chest pain daily and my doctor was pushing medication for it. I knew medication was not the path I wanted to try and stumbled upon an ad for yoga classes down the street from my house. Every since starting yoga my life has changed more than I ever imagined. Yoga is all about mind and body connection. Yes, it can help build strength, increase flexibility, and improve balance and joint health, however, people do not talk about the mental health benefits nearly enough. Yoga teaches you to better understand your emotions, center your feelings, and improve how we handle life situations. By discipling your mind to remind quiet and calm you can get a deeper understanding of yourself and truly discover what makes you happy.

College challenges us to retain large amounts of information and it's all quite overwhelming at times. I feel this especially when it comes to many nursing topics and the way you choose to study can make a huge impact in how easily that information gets retained. Although there are many good study techniques, there are two ways I study that I particularly love and find extremely helpful. Writing notes can get boring, tedious, and cause you to lose interest fast, but there is a way to write notes more effectively. My favorite type is block note taking and its especially helpful with nursing topics because there is usually a main subject and then much smaller topics about that main subject. For example, the heading could be the medication Metformin and in smaller blocks sectioned around the paper you could put Indications, Side Effects, Contraindications, and so on. It's also helpful to color code them so each block of information and beautiful and colorful. Lastly, one of my absolute favorite study techniques is teaching someone else! You could talk to your mother, father, siblings, spouses, or even your dog! Just talk about it out loud like you're teaching a class yourself. You could also get together in a study group and teach someone else who isn't quite getting it as easily as you. Explaining the topic to someone else will reinforce the information that much deeper into your own mind. Thank you and happy studying!

The art that inspires me is the art I get to see every day right in my own tiny apartment. My favorite artist is the man I call my husband. He inspires me because he understands the difficulty of being an artist and knows that he may not get to achieve his dreams as an artist. The art field is bombarded with people also trying to be someone and its extremely difficult to stand out or get noticed, yet everyday he still draws, paints and works on his portfolio. I get to watch his passion come alive on the canvas and witness just how much he loves it with each brush stroke. He inspires me to follow my dreams because many people make choices in life solely based off practicality but end up doing something they don't love every day. What is the point of life if we can't seek what makes us happiest? I would never suggest to him that he chose something else because I would never want to see that fire in his heart die down. I strongly feel that people need to make bolder choices and follow the path they love even if the outcome is uncertain. Is it truly better to try and fail than to never try at all? I live to find that out by trying every day and allowing life to show me the way. Attached is actually a painting my husband did of me.

Nothing was ever handed to me growing up. I never had parents who gave me their old cars or helped pay for college. I've always had to rely on myself and work full time to attend college. Getting my first Associates degree in Business took 5 years because I was working so much to pay for college, and I wasn't able to attend at a faster rate. I could only attend a few courses at a time and after all that, business did not make me happy. I struggled to find my passion. Moved to another state with my husband and worked meaningless jobs just to get by. One day out of the blue sparked my passion for healthcare. I soon found myself being a volunteer EMT, and then a Medical Assistant, and now entering Nursing 2022! I avoided the idea of nursing for a year because as an adult, I thought there's no way I could find a program that worked around my job. I recently realized that my job can't be the only priority in my life because in order to attend nursing school and make my dreams come true, a little part of my job will need to be sacrificed. This is a scary thought for many adults going back to school, but what I find scarier is not improving myself, staying at these mediocre jobs my whole life, and never achieving my dreams. Thats a risk I won't take and feel this is my time to turn my life around and put myself first this time. Thank you.