Braiding hair is simple. Just three strands of hair that crisscross and overlap each other. Though just a simple hairstyle, braiding hair is one of my best strengths and talents. But I didn't learn to braid hair from YouTube or my mom; I learned from a nurse at the Craig Rehabilitation Hospital in Denver. I met her after my father suffered a horrible neck and brain injury after a traumatic ski accident. My father was treated at Craig Hospital for five months, and my mom and I lived in the family housing for those months. Now, what does this have to do with braiding? First, one might wonder what a ten-year-old does to keep themselves entertained in a hospital. I would usually shadow a nurse. Every once in a while, she would teach me how to braid, play with me, and explain the different parts of the hospital. One time the nurse and I went to see my dad in physical therapy. I vividly remember watching him repeatedly try to walk up the stairs without falling. As I stood there and saw him fall, I felt defeated for him, "Could my dad ever get better?" As I felt tears streaming down my face while watching my dad struggle, my kind nurse gazed at me and taught me a lesson I would never forget. She patiently explained, "Most roads to recovery are another chance at life. Your dad suffered something horrific, but he's receiving another chance to improve and rebuild his life. It's not a failed attempt; it's only a setback, and setbacks are part of the process." Setbacks are part of the process. This simple, on-the-spot advice changed how I will live my life forever. My family's setback taught me my most important life lesson: setbacks must be overcome. Although I am still young, I can apply that advice to minor problems. A personal struggle where I used the nurse's wisdom was in high school volleyball. I believed that mistakes were not an option and that everything needed to be perfect, but this mindset did not help me become a better player. Instead of beating myself down when I struggled, I knew setbacks made me stronger. I could not play volleyball during my senior season due to shoulder surgery, so I was the team manager instead. Though challenging, I can grow from this setback and learn from it. Braiding hair is simple but comes with an important life lesson I learned. It's a talent I used on my service trip to Costa Rica, where I persevered through challenges. The advice of the Craig Hospital nurse sculpted me as a person. This lesson is who I am and how I will forever get through life. Setbacks will no longer be looked at as impossible but looked at as just another obstacle to my goal. Though seemingly simple, my goal to help as many people as possible stems from my time at Craig Hospital.

Growing up in a rural area made life a little more different than usual. There was not one kid I did not know, not one road I didn't know, and not one sports game not attended. That being said, anything that happens is spread around the county. A few months ago the county lost a beautiful soul and the entire community came together. Shut down all the restaurants, cancel school, and much more. As it was a time of grief it brought the community together. Everyone was in harmony and all drama was put aside. When I was eight years old my father got into a bad skiing accident that resulted in paralyzation for six months. My mother and I lived in hospital housing two hours away from home. When my dad was done with rehab at Craig Hospital, the community came together to welcome my dad back. My community supported my family through this tough time and even though there wasn't much privacy in a rural area I wouldn't trade it for the world. My dad is even a part of a club called “Glad to be Alive” where they celebrate those who were close to passing. That being said, the life I was brought into does not make me want to ever leave. I want to reside in a rural town and have the same hometown feel as I am a part of. When I become a Registered Nurse I want to have a positive impact on families who struggle with medical conditions. I also want to be there for women in need. Most of the time women feel like they can't speak up or don't want to. I want it to be safe for women to come to help them. Just as the nurses treated me I want to give the same back. I want to support families in need, be part of a wholesome community, and care for everyone. I do want to raise a family in a rural setting because in a city I feel isolated. I want to use my nursing practice to help anyone in need, whether it's the farmer who didn't understand how to use the equipment properly and it went south fast or the mother who's going into labor. I'll be there for anyone and anything. The sense of community I felt when I lost my friend and my father was in the hospital is something I always wanted to have. The nurses at Craig Hospital have inspired me to help my community and create a better life for everyone. I am determined to use my people skills and nursing skills to have a positive impact on a rural community.

My name is Katrina Kovacik and I believe I come from a very unique family. Although I do not live in a place where it is common for families to experience obstacles does not mean it does not happen. My small family is my rock, Jeff my father who grew up in Pennslyvania and my mom Jamilya, who emigrated from Russia in her 20s. I grew up with amazing friends who were the strongest support system I could ask for when hardship came. Back home, the support system was a must in my county. In my family's case, we experienced hardship in my early life. When I was around ten years old my dad got into a horrible ski accident that resulted in him becoming a paraplegic for many months. During his recovery, my mom and I stayed with him in family housing at Craig Hospital. After his brain and neck injury healed the closest it could, he was forced to retire and our family still resides in many medical bills. As I got older my parents knew college was coming up and wanted to support me as much as possible even though neither of them attended college. Their goal was to financially support me as much as possible, but it wasn't as much as they were hoping. As my father is still recovering from his accident, unfortunately, my studies are not a priority to where our family money goes. If I am gifted the money my studies will be the priority again, since we would be able to afford college. I am very passionate about becoming a nurse, the Barbara J. DeVaney Scholarship Memorial Fund would make my dreams come true. I want to become a nurse so I continue to help people like the nurses did for my dad. I want to be able to pull my family out of financial burden. Most importantly, I want to become the first person in my family to graduate college. What a better life means to me not seeing my mother work three jobs to help support my family, seeing my dad visit better doctors and get the help he needs, and earning a college degree for myself that secures my future. I want to carry my love for anatomy and passion to help people out, but it is not possible for my family without scholarship funds. With this scholarship fund, it will secure a better life for my parents and me. The money will no doubt create a better life for me and help me achieve my life long dreams.

I need to pursue nursing as a career path because it is everything I look for in a job and more. The most interesting subject I have ever taken is Anatomy and Sports physiology. The anatomy of a human clicks in my brain like no other subject. Everything makes sense to me and it is the most fascinating academic subject. So far, as I navigate college, I am taking Biology 240: Human Anatomy. It is by far the most challenging but interesting course I have ever taken. Thus being said the only career path that makes me most determined and excited to participate in, is the medical field. Another reason why I am very determined to earn a BSN is because of the wide variety of job opportunities, especially for kids. I was very conflicted when choosing my major because I would love to teach kids but don't love teaching as much. Nursing also allows me to take care of kids and be the light the kids might need in their journey to better health. Working with kids is my passion and anatomy is also a huge passion; therefore nursing is my calling. As I mentioned some kids will need to find their light again I once was that kid. I was not injured or ill but my dad was hospitalized due to an awful ski accident. I lived at Craig Hospital in Denver, Colorado while he healed from his spinal injury. This was the biggest hardship of my life. I was around the age of 10 when the world was just starting to get confusing. When my mother was usually busy with doctors, nurses were always there for me. Even if they were not helping me with medication they were the ones to teach me how to braid hair (my best quality when it comes to physical beauty) took me to the garden, had me meet the service dogs in training, and so many other things. As I have grown up I realized these nurses changed my family's life and I want to do the same. Without Craig Hospital nurses, I would probably not have the strength I have now. I feel becoming a nurse is my calling and that is why I am so admit to becoming a nurse. I have known for a while now that becoming a nurse is what I am passionate about. I have many reasons why I want to become a nurse but the biggest factor that makes me so passionate about nursing is my interest in anatomy, the ability to work with children, and my life calling to give back what I received when I was younger. This is my "why" I want to become a nurse. They helped me overcome my hardship and see hospitals in a different light. It is the biggest reason why I want to become a nurse and I am passionate about my career.

Around the age I was eight years old, my family and I were all about skiing. We lived in a ski town called Beaver Creek and that was all we would do on the weekends. Skiing is what my dad moved to Colorado for from Pennslyvania in his early 20s. His life was skiing. Around April my dad was tragically hit from the back while skiing. It was a hit-and-run ski accident that resulted in a flight for life to Denver Hospital, two hours away from home. I vividly remember seeing my dad in the hospital a few days later paralyzed. After a month of staying in Denver, he transferred to Craig Hospital, which was known for brain and spinal cord injuries. As my dad recovered my mom and I lived in family housing for about five months and during this time as a child, it was not fun. I met some other kids whose parents or relatives also were in rehab, but the person whom I spent most of my time were the nurses. Each nurse had their responsibilities, but many of them understood that life is hard as a young kid in a hospital, so they kept me company. They taught me how to braid hair, took me to the gardens, showed me the dogs in training, and so on. All these were fun, but most importantly they taught me many strong life lessons I stand by to this day. The first is, that with life comes setbacks. I saw my dad for five months trying to learn how to walk every day and for an 8 year old it wasn't something I could understand. I was always frustrated when he couldn't hit the daily milestone, but the nurses taught me life isn't perfect. Another thing that I am so thankful for is a hospital is not a dark place. Many people have this perception, but I want to change this perception and teach people it is a place of healing and shouldn't be treated as a dark place. If it's treated as such then no one will have the best chance to heal. These nurses influenced me to make my decision that my passion is to help people, just like they did for me. Without nurses and the medical staff, my family and I would not be where we are today. The kindness these nurses showed is way more than I should have received. With their kindness, I can look at a hospital in a new and better way. I am also proud to say my dad has learned how to walk again, only with the kindness of the medical staff.

Braiding hair is simple. Just three strands of hair that crisscross and overlap each other. Though just a simple hairstyle, braiding hair is one of my best strengths and talent. But I didn't learn to braid hair from Youtube or my mom; I learned from a nurse at the Craig Rehabilitation Hospital in Denver. I met her after my father suffered a horrible neck and brain injury after a traumatic ski accident. My father was treated at Craig Hospital for five months, and my mom and I lived in the family housing for those months. Now, what does this have to do with braiding? First, one might wonder what a ten-year-old does to keep themselves entertained in a hospital. I would usually shadow a nurse. Every once in a while, she would teach me how to braid, play with me, and explain the different parts of the hospital. One time the nurse and I went to see my dad in physical therapy. I vividly remember watching him repeatedly try to walk up the stairs without falling. As I stood there and saw him fall, I felt defeated for him, "Could my dad ever get better?" As I felt tears streaming down my face while watching my dad struggle, my kind nurse gazed at me and taught me a lesson I would never forget. She patiently explained, "Most roads to recovery are another chance at life. Your dad suffered something horrific, but he's receiving another chance to improve and rebuild his life. It's not a failed attempt; it's only a setback, and setbacks are part of the process." Setbacks are part of the process. This simple, on-the-spot advice changed how I will live my life forever. My family's setback taught me my most important life lesson: setbacks must be overcome. Although I am still young, I can apply that advice to minor problems. A personal struggle where I used the nurse's wisdom was in high school volleyball. I believed that mistakes were not an option and that everything needed to be perfect, but this mindset did not help me become a better player. Instead of beating myself down when I struggled, I knew setbacks made me stronger. I could not play volleyball during my senior season due to shoulder surgery, so I was the team manager instead. Though challenging, I can grow from this setback and learn from it. Braiding hair is simple but comes with an important life lesson I learned. It's a talent I used on my service trip to Costa Rica, where I persevered through challenges. The advice of the Craig Hospital nurse sculpted me as a person. This lesson is who I am and how I will forever get through life. Setbacks will no longer be looked at as impossible but looked at as just another obstacle to my goal. Though seemingly simple, my goal to help as many people as possible stems from my time at Craig Hospital.