Greetings! My name is Kristina Amirchian and I am a third-year nursing student. Nursing has been my passion for as long as I can remember--the COVID-19 pandemic has simply intensified that calling. I reside in Scottsdale, Arizona, and am a tried-and-true desert dweller. I love my hometown, it is truly a hidden oasis! I have been with the love of my life, Julian, for almost five years now. Julian shares my same passion for being called to serve: he is a United States Marine and is currently in law enforcement. We have always bonded over our shared dreams of changing our communities and lessening the pain and hardship of others. I have always considered myself a feminist. Being surrounded by fearless, incredible women my entire life has shaped me into a fearless woman. I believe this is why I felt so called to a career in STEM: not only is nursing a profession dominated by highly educated and skilled women, but it is one centered around hard science, critical thinking, advocating for others, and making a positive global impact. Pursuing a profession in nursing has allowed me to network with so many wonderful individuals and communities. Since enrolling in nursing school, I have joined the National Student Nurses Association, as well as the Emergency Nurses Association. By joining these organizations, I have been privileged to attend lectures and webinars concerning nursing burnout, maintaining key nursing skills, and compassionate patient advocacy. I have learned very quickly that my passion lies in emergency nursing and critical care. It is through these communities that I discovered my calling within the nursing profession: once again surrounded by fearless, incredible individuals–only this time, in the Emergency Department. My passion for serving others in my community stems from my mother, Milana, and her life story. She had dreams of being a nurse herself. Milana was a refugee fleeing religious persecution at the age of 24, and she sacrificed everything just to survive. She did not have the opportunity to go to college or establish herself as a nurse, which was her lifelong passion. I have that opportunity, though, and I plan to make the absolute most of it. Like my mother, I have a passion for nursing. Having the opportunity to connect with individuals, oftentimes on their worst days, and promote their health with compassion and advocacy, is an opportunity not many people have. I aspire to be the nurse that my mother always wanted to be. Pursuing a career centered around pouring oneself into the care of others is not for the faint of heart, and it is not for quitters. Nursing requires grit, passion, strength, critical thinking, and standing up for those who matter most--the clients. Nursing is my calling--because this world needs more compassion. Humankind needs more compassion. People like my mother, who have had their entire world rocked with adversity and suffering, deserve someone in their life that will advocate for them, show them compassion, and treat them like family. My mother is the reason I have chosen a career in nursing.

My mother had dreams of being a nurse. She was a refugee fleeing religious and ethnic persecution at the age of 24, and she sacrificed everything just to survive. My mother is an Armenian refugee that survived an attempted genocide and attempted slavery. Without my mother's sacrifices, I do not believe I would be alive at this very moment. Being a refugee in white-dominated America was not easy. She abandoned her native tongue and her lifelong dreams of becoming a nurse--she did not have the privilege of receiving a college education. I have that privilege, though, and I plan to make the absolute most of it. Like my mother, I have a passion for nursing. Having the opportunity to connect with individuals, oftentimes on their worst days, and promote their health with compassion and advocacy, is an opportunity not many people have. I aspire to be the nurse that my mother always wanted to be. Pursuing a career centered around pouring oneself into the care of others is not for the faint of heart, and it is not for quitters. Nursing requires grit, passion, strength, critical thinking, and standing up for those who matter most--the clients. Nursing is my calling--because this world needs more compassion. Humankind needs more compassion. People like my mother, who have had their entire world rocked with adversity and suffering, deserve someone in their life that will advocate for them, show them compassion, and treat them like family. My mother is the reason I have chosen a career in nursing. I have always considered myself a feminist. Being surrounded by fearless, incredible women my entire life has shaped me into a fearless woman. I believe this is why I felt so called to a career in nursing: not only is it a profession dominated by highly educated and skilled women, but it is one centered around hard science, critical thinking, and advocating for others. Pursuing a profession in nursing has allowed me to network with so many wonderful individuals and communities. Since enrolling in nursing school, I have joined the National Student Nurses Association, as well as the Emergency Nurses Association. By joining these organizations, I have been privileged to attend lectures and webinars concerning nursing burnout, maintaining key nursing skills, and compassionate patient advocacy. I have learned very quickly that my passion lies in pediatric nursing and the care of neonates. It is through these communities that I discovered my calling within the nursing profession: once again surrounded by fearless, incredible individuals–only this time, in pediatrics.