As a child, I had no idea what I wanted to do when I grew up- I was interested in everything. My father worked for NASA, so I thought, “Oh, I could go to the moon!” Then I started playing soccer in my early teens and thought, “Oh, I could be a coach!”. Playing soccer competitively led me to play soccer in college, which eventually turned my world upside down. I went from having the most active days into my most challenging- being bed bound as a patient. I suffered a life changing injury where I had to learn to re-walk, manage daily pain, and grapple with my new self. Coping with this as a young adult was extremely stressful and there were days where I didn't know what would happen. After recovering and thinking I was finally on the right track, I was injured in a car accident. This time, I had a complex hand injury. I thought, “How can I go to the moon when I have headaches everyday, how can I be a coach when I stumble over my own words and have to go to doctor and therapy appointments weekly? No one will want to work with me like this.” But this mindset immediately changed for the better when I met the most inspiring person while hospitalized. Being a brain injury patient, I was not a great patient. I had many episodes of agitation, extreme pain, and fear. You would think after countless surgeries in a year, I would understand what it entailed and not be frightened. I constantly woke up after surgeries aggressive and mean. People were frustrated and just wanted to put me back to sleep. One day, someone was there, holding my hand, talking with me when I woke up and this was the only time I had not woken up in sheer panic. Her presence was comforting, her tone was angelic. She told me it was alright to be scared and that she would keep me safe. This was the moment I knew… she was my moon and my coach. I was going to be her when I grew up. Your darkest moments can be your biggest hindrance or they can be fuel into something amazing. I chose to use it as fuel to be a better person for myself and the people I met. I started my quest after graduation by going to nursing school, using my own experiences to comfort my own patients as a nurse and today, I continue on this rewarding journey of nursing by attending CRNA school. I have finally landed at someone else's bedside, coaching them through their potentially scary and stressful times. I want to be this bright light watching over them as they sleep and as they wake up from the darkness. I want to lead, teach and inspire other healthcare providers to prioritize patient safety and treat them with dignity like I was. I have experiences as both the provider and the patient, so I can empathize with both sides. I want to make a difference as a CRNA. I am so grateful to be considered for this opportunity. Thank you for your time.

As a child, I had no idea what I wanted to do when I grew up- I was interested in everything. My father worked for NASA, so I thought, “Oh, I could go to the moon!” Then I started playing soccer in my early teens and thought, “Oh, I could be a coach!”. Playing soccer competitively led me to play soccer in college, which eventually turned my world upside down. I went from having the most active days into my most challenging- being bed bound as a patient. I suffered a brain and spinal cord injury while playing soccer my sophomore year. I had extensive injuries where I had to learn to rewalk, manage daily pain, and grapple with my new self. Coping with this as a young adult was extremely stressful. Then, the following year I was injured in a car accident. This time, I had a complex hand injury. I thought, “How can I go to the moon when I have headaches everyday, how can I be a coach when I stumble over my own words and have to go to doctor and therapy appointments weekly? No one will want to work with me like this.” But this mindset immediately changed when I met the most inspiring person while hospitalized. Being a brain injury patient, I was not a great patient. I had many episodes of agitation, extreme pain, and fear. You would think after countless surgeries in a year, I would understand what it entailed and not be frightened. I constantly woke up after surgeries aggressive and mean. People were frustrated and just wanted to put me back to sleep. One day, someone was there, holding my hand, talking with me when I woke up and this was the only time I had not woken up in sheer panic. Her presence was comforting, her tone was angelic. She told me it was alright to be scared and that she would keep me safe. Her badge read, “CRNA”. This was the moment I knew… she was my moon and my coach. I was going to be her when I grew up. I started my quest after graduation by going to nursing school, then channelling her calm, supportive, and comforting spirit with my patients as a bedside nurse. Today, I am honored to continue on this journey of CRNA school so I can finally land at someone else's bedside, coaching them through their potentially scary and stressful times. I want to be this bright light watching over them as they sleep and as they wake up from the darkness. I want to lead, teach and inspire other healthcare providers to prioritize patient safety and treat them with dignity like I was. I have experiences as both the provider and the patient, so I can empathize with both sides. I want to make a difference as a CRNA. I am so grateful to be considered for this opportunity. Thank you for your time.

Patience is the key to success. By being in a rush and trying to get things done quickly, many mistakes can happen leading to suboptimal outcomes. I personally have benefitted from patience. I was in an accident that left me in physical rehabilitation for months. Had I been impatient and given up, I may still be walking with a walker or cane. 2 years after completing rehab, I ran a half marathon. It took severe patience and discipline to accomplish this. It’s one of the proudest moments of my life. Whenever I feel as if I am rushing or cutting corners, I think back to this moment and remember: with patience comes perseverance and anything is possible.