I come from a family with many generations of proud teachers. My Abuelita, or grandma, moved to The United States as an adult with limited English-speaking skills. She got her teaching degree and master’s as a full-time working mom with a husband who also worked, all while learning English and raising five children. She won Michigan's Best Teacher award and was a beloved teacher in the community. My mom followed in her footsteps of a teaching career, along with my aunts and sisters. When I say that the bloodline of teachers, I come from is strong, I mean it. Naturally, I spent my childhood dreaming of the classroom I would have and could not imagine any different career path for me. Then, in my junior year of high school, I took a Human Anatomy and Physiology class. I fell in love with learning about the human body. Learning how our organs work together for homeostasis and correct themselves during times of disease fascinated me. I began to think I may want a healthcare career. Around that time, my grandparents both got sick and lost their battles with cancer. I watched as their nurses cared for them. They brought moments of comfort during days of unease. Their nurses made small gestures that turned the mood of the entire day into a positive one. This, plus my new love for the human body, made me decide to go into nursing. To my surprise, my parents were not shocked when I expressed that I wanted to be a nurse. They had always sensed that my calling in life would not follow the same as the many teachers in my family. During my time in undergraduate school, I truly fell in love with learning. I graduated knowing that one day I would be back in a classroom but unsure of how that would look. After working as a nurse for eight years, I finally found the path to advanced education that I felt passionate about and am now working on my Doctor of Nursing practice degree as a pediatric clinical nurse specialist. I am proud to be a nurse and to have a career that brings me so much joy. I am honored to use the skills I have learned as a pediatric nurse to treat sick children. The memories I have of my grandparents' nurses comforting them stick with me, and I hold onto those memories to remind myself to treat my patients’ families the same way. With my advanced degree, I will continue caring for sick children in my community with an even broader impact. As a nurse leader in an intensive care unit that cares for children with cardiac diseases, I am privileged to spend my career optimizing the care and outcomes for these vulnerable children. While many things about me are different than my family, I continue to follow one path that was paved by my grandmother. As a full-time working mother of two toddler boys, this is not an easy season of life to pursue higher education, but I am determined to show my boys what hard work looks like. I am proud to show my sons what it means to chase after your dreams, even if they are no one else’s dreams but your own.

I come from a family with many generations of proud teachers. My Abuelita, or grandma, moved to The United States as an adult with limited English-speaking skills. She got her teaching degree and master’s as a full-time working mom with a husband who also worked, all while learning English and raising five children. She won Michigan's Best Teacher award and was a beloved teacher in the community. My mom followed in her footsteps of a teaching career, along with my aunts and sisters. When I say that the bloodline of teachers, I come from is strong, I mean it. Naturally, I spent my childhood dreaming of the classroom I would have and could not imagine any different career path for me. Then, in my junior year of high school, I took a Human Anatomy and Physiology class. I fell in love with learning about the human body. Learning how our organs work together for homeostasis and correct themselves during times of disease fascinated me. I began to think I may want a healthcare career. Around that time, my grandparents both got sick and lost their battles with cancer. I watched as their nurses cared for them. They brought moments of comfort during days of unease. Their nurses made small gestures that turned the mood of the entire day into a positive one. This, plus my new love for the human body, made me decide to go into nursing. To my surprise, my parents were not shocked when I expressed that I wanted to be a nurse. They had always sensed that my calling in life would not follow the same as the many teachers in my family. During my time in undergraduate school, I truly fell in love with learning. I graduated knowing that one day I would be back in a classroom but unsure of how that would look. After working as a nurse for eight years, I finally found the path to advanced education that I felt passionate about and am now working on my Doctor of Nursing practice degree as a pediatric clinical nurse specialist. I am proud to be a nurse and to have a career that brings me so much joy. I am honored to use the skills I have learned as a pediatric nurse to treat sick children. The memories I have of my grandparents' nurses comforting them stick with me, and I hold onto those memories to remind myself to treat my patients’ families the same way. With my advanced degree, I will continue caring for sick children in my community with an even broader impact. As a nurse leader in an intensive care unit that cares for children with cardiac diseases, I am privileged to spend my career optimizing the care and outcomes for these vulnerable children. While many things about me are different than my family, I continue to follow one path that was paved by my grandmother. As a full-time working mother of two toddler boys, this is not an easy season of life to pursue higher education, but I am determined to show my boys what hard work looks like. I am proud to show my sons what it means to chase after your dreams, even if they are no one else’s dreams but your own. I heard about this scholarship on Bold.org.

As a nursing practice associate working in the pediatric cardiac intensive care unit (PCICU), I have the privilege to care for the most vulnerable of patients – critically ill children. Patients in the PCICU range from birth to 18 years old and have any medical or surgical cardiac disease. Many of these patients are infants who have had open heart surgery to repair congenital heart defects. Not only are the patients vulnerable, but the parents and families of these patients are equally as vulnerable. These are parents who are worried about their child’s heart, in addition to the added stressors that being in the hospital bring. Because of the very large area of the state that we serve, many families travel several hours for their child to come to hour hospital. This leads to increased financial stress, housing challenges, and food insecurity for many of these families, further compounding their vulnerable state. My job as a nursing practice associate for the PCICU is to identify evidence-based practices that can be implemented for improved patient outcomes. I ensure that these vulnerable patients receive the most up-to-date standards of care and that nurses are supported in caring for these patients and their families. The Endeavor Public Service Scholarship would allow to me to continue to further my education to become a clinical nurse specialist (CNS). As a CNS, I will continue working with the vulnerable patients in the PCICU to enhance patient outcomes. One of my current areas of focus is on reducing hospital-acquired pressure injuries in patients with dark skin tones in the PCICU to reduce healthcare disparities. With my advanced degree obtained with the Endeavor Public Service Scholarship, I will continue to advocate for and work toward reducing healthcare disparities in these vulnerable patients. The skills I learn through my education will be the foundation I need to lead the growth of our new cardiac program. By advancing my education, I will be better prepared to advocate for the patients and lead the nurses through the growth and changes of our program. I will be able to use the leadership skills, implementation science frameworks, and medical knowledge that I gain through my education to be the best pediatric CNS that I can be to lead my unit through ground-breaking advancements in our unit. With my advanced degree, I will continue caring for sick children in my community with an even broader impact. As a nurse leader in an intensive care unit that cares for children with cardiac diseases, I am privileged to spend my career optimizing the care and outcomes for these vulnerable children.

I come from a family with many generations of proud teachers. My Abuelita, or grandma, moved to The United States as an adult with limited English-speaking skills. She got her teaching degree and master’s as a full-time working mom with a husband who also worked, all while learning English and raising five children. She won Michigan's Best Teacher award and was a beloved teacher in the community. My mom followed in her footsteps of a teaching career, along with my aunts and sisters. When I say that the bloodline of teachers I come from is strong, I mean it. Naturally, I spent my childhood dreaming of the classroom I would have and could not imagine any different career path for me. Then, in my junior year of high school, I took a Human Anatomy and Physiology class. I fell in love with learning about the human body. Learning how our organs work together for homeostasis and correct themselves during times of disease fascinated me. I began to think I may want a healthcare career. Around that time, my grandparents both got sick and lost their battles with cancer. I watched as their nurses cared for them. They brought moments of comfort during days of unease. Their nurses made small gestures that turned the mood of the entire day into a positive one. This, plus my new love for the human body, made me decide to go into nursing. To my surprise, my parents were not shocked when I expressed that I wanted to be a nurse. They had always sensed that my calling in life would not follow the same as the many teachers in my family. During my time in undergraduate school, I truly fell in love with learning. I graduated knowing that one day I would be back in a classroom but unsure of how that would look. After working as a nurse for eight years, I finally found the path to advanced education that I felt passionate about and am now working on my Doctor of Nursing practice degree as a pediatric clinical nurse specialist. I am proud to be a nurse and to have a career that brings me so much joy. I am honored to use the skills I have learned as a pediatric nurse to treat sick children. The memories I have of my grandparents' nurses comforting them stick with me, and I hold onto those memories to remind myself to treat my patients’ families the same way. As a nursing practice associate working in the pediatric cardiac intensive care unit (PCICU), I have the privilege to care for the most vulnerable of patients – critically ill children. Patients in the PCICU range from birth to 18 years old and have any medical or surgical cardiac disease. Many of these patients are infants who have had open heart surgery to repair congenital heart defects. Not only are the patients vulnerable, but the parents and families of these patients are equally as vulnerable. These are parents who are worried about their child’s heart, in addition to the added stressors that being in the hospital bring. Because of the very large area of the state that we serve, many families travel several hours for their child to come to hour hospital. This leads to increased financial stress, housing challenges, and food insecurity for many of these families, further compounding their vulnerable state. As a nursing practice associate, I serve as a nursing leader on my unit supporting nurses and patients. I promote evidence-based practice, lead quality improvement initiatives, and advocate for nursing workflows on a system-level. My unit is actively growing the congenital heart program by expanding the services we provide to adults with congenital heart defects and pediatric patients who need heart transplants. As a nursing leader in the space, I am leading the nursing practice for these new patient populations by helping build the nursing education, finding evidence-based practice to ensure we care for these patients as best as we can, and supporting the nurses on the unit when we take these patients. Our program will be the first pediatric heart transplant program in West Michigan, and I am honored to spend my career leading the work to shape this program from the start. The Pastor Thomas Rorie Jr. Furthering Education Scholarship would help immensely as this would support my education advancement as a pediatric clinical nurse specialist. The skills I learn through my education will be the foundation I need to lead the growth of our new cardiac program. By advancing my education, I will be better prepared to advocate for the patients and lead the nurses through the growth and changes of our program. I will be able to use the leadership skills, implementation science frameworks, and medical knowledge that I gain through my education to be the best pediatric CNS that I can be to lead my unit through ground-breaking advancements in our unit. For example, One of my current areas of focus is on reducing hospital-acquired pressure injuries in patients with dark skin tones in the PCICU to reduce healthcare disparities. With my advanced degree obtained with the DNP Tuition Award, I will continue to advocate for and work toward reducing healthcare disparities in these vulnerable patients. With my advanced degree, I will continue caring for sick children in my community with an even broader impact. As a nurse leader in an intensive care unit that cares for children with cardiac diseases, I am privileged to spend my career optimizing the care and outcomes for these vulnerable children. While many things about me are different than my family, I continue to follow one path that was paved by my grandmother. As a full-time working mother of two toddler boys, this is not an easy season of life to pursue higher education, but I am determined to show my boys what hard work looks like. I am proud to show my sons what it means to chase after your dreams, even if they are no one else’s dreams but your own.

I come from a family with many generations of proud teachers. My Abuelita, or grandma, moved to The United States as an adult with limited English-speaking skills. She got her teaching degree and master’s as a full-time working mom with a husband who also worked, all while learning English and raising five children. She won Michigan's Best Teacher award and was a beloved teacher in the community. My mom followed in her footsteps of a teaching career, along with my aunts and sisters. When I say that the bloodline of teachers I come from is strong, I mean it. Naturally, I spent my childhood dreaming of the classroom I would have and could not imagine any different career path for me. Then, in my junior year of high school, I took a Human Anatomy and Physiology class. I fell in love with learning about the human body. Learning how our organs work together for homeostasis and correct themselves during times of disease fascinated me. I began to think I may want a healthcare career. Around that time, my grandparents both got sick and lost their battles with cancer. I watched as their nurses cared for them. They brought moments of comfort during days of unease. Their nurses made small gestures that turned the mood of the entire day into a positive one. This, plus my new love for the human body, made me decide to go into nursing. To my surprise, my parents were not shocked when I expressed that I wanted to be a nurse. They had always sensed that my calling in life would not follow the same as the many teachers in my family. During my time in undergraduate school, I truly fell in love with learning. I graduated knowing that one day I would be back in a classroom but unsure of how that would look. After working as a nurse for eight years, I finally found the path to advanced education that I felt passionate about and am now working on my Doctor of Nursing practice degree as a pediatric clinical nurse specialist. I am proud to be a nurse and to have a career that brings me so much joy. I am honored to use the skills I have learned as a pediatric nurse to treat sick children. The memories I have of my grandparents' nurses comforting them stick with me, and I hold onto those memories to remind myself to treat my patients’ families the same way. With my advanced degree, I will continue caring for sick children in my community with an even broader impact. As a nurse leader in an intensive care unit that cares for children with cardiac diseases, I am privileged to spend my career optimizing the care and outcomes for these vulnerable children. While many things about me are different than my family, I continue to follow one path that was paved by my grandmother. As a full-time working mother of two toddler boys, this is not an easy season of life to pursue higher education, but I am determined to show my boys what hard work looks like. I am proud to show my sons what it means to chase after your dreams, even if they are no one else’s dreams but your own.

I come from a family with many generations of proud teachers. My Abuelita, or grandma, moved to The United States as an adult with limited English-speaking skills. She got her teaching degree and master’s as a full-time working mom with a husband who also worked, all while learning English and raising five children. She won Michigan's Best Teacher award and was a beloved teacher in the community. My mom followed in her footsteps of a teaching career, along with my aunts and sisters. When I say that the bloodline of teachers I come from is strong, I mean it. Naturally, I spent my childhood dreaming of the classroom I would have and could not imagine any different career path for me. Then, in my junior year of high school, I took a Human Anatomy and Physiology class. I fell in love with learning about the human body. Learning how our organs work together for homeostasis and correct themselves during times of disease fascinated me. I began to think I may want a healthcare career. Around that time, my grandparents both got sick and lost their battles with cancer. I watched as their nurses cared for them. They brought moments of comfort during days of unease. Their nurses made small gestures that turned the mood of the entire day into a positive one. This, plus my new love for the human body, made me decide to go into nursing. To my surprise, my parents were not shocked when I expressed that I wanted to be a nurse. They had always sensed that my calling in life would not follow the same as the many teachers in my family. During my time in undergraduate school, I truly fell in love with learning. I graduated knowing that one day I would be back in a classroom but unsure of how that would look. After working as a nurse for eight years, I finally found the path to advanced education that I felt passionate about, and am now working on my doctorate of nursing practice degree as a pediatric clinical nurse specialist. I am proud to be a nurse and to have a career that brings me so much joy. I am honored to use the skills I have learned as a pediatric nurse to treat sick children. The memories I have of my grandparents' nurses comforting them stick with me, and I hold onto those memories to remind myself to treat my patients’ families the same way. With my advanced degree, I will continue caring for sick children in my community with an even broader impact. As a nurse leader in an intensive care unit that cares for children with cardiac diseases, I am privileged to spend my career optimizing the care and outcomes for these vulnerable children. While many things about me are different than my family, I continue to follow one path that was paved by my grandmother. As a full-time working mother of two toddler boys, this is not an easy season of life to pursue higher education, but I am determined to show my boys what hard work looks like. I am proud to show my sons what it means to chase after your dreams, even if they are no one else’s dreams but your own.

I come from a family with many generations of proud teachers. My Abuelita, or grandma, moved to The United States as an adult with limited English-speaking skills. She got her teaching degree and master’s as a full-time working mom with a husband who also worked, all while learning English and raising five children. She was a beloved teacher among the community and my own mom, aunts and sisters followed in her footsteps of a teaching career. When I say that the bloodline of teachers that I come from is strong, I mean it. Naturally, I spent my childhood dreaming of the classroom I would have and not imagining any other career path for me. I always loved working with children and often found myself babysitting, working in the church nursery, or teaching young classes at my studio. Working with children felt like my natural calling, and aligned with my dreams of becoming a teacher one day.Then, my junior year of high school, I took a Human Anatomy and Physiology class. I fell in love with learning about the human body. The way our organs work together for homeostasis and correct themselves during times of disease fascinated me. I began to think I may want a career in healthcare. Around that same time, my grandparents both got sick and lost their battles with cancer after years of treatment. I watched as their nurses cared for them. They brought moments of comfort during days of unease. Their nurses made small gestures that turned the mood of the entire day to a positive one. This, plus my new love for the human body, made me decide to go into nursing. To my surprise, my parents were not shocked when I expressed that I wanted to be a nurse. They had always sensed that my calling in life may not follow the same as the many teachers in my family. During my time in undergrad, I truly fell in love with learning. I knew from the day I started nursing school that I wanted to be a pediatric nurse, and the desire never wavered. I graduated knowing that one day I would be back in a classroom, just unsure of how that would look. After working as a pediatric nurse for eight years, I finally found the path to advanced education that I felt passionate about. I am proud to be a pediatric nurse. I am proud that I chose a career that brings me so much joy. I am proud to use the skills I have learned as a pediatric nurse to treat sick children and care for their loved ones. The memories I have of my grandparents' nurses comforting them stick with me, and I hold onto those memories to remind myself to treat my patients’ families the same way. With my advanced degree, I will continue caring for sick children in my community with an even larger impact. While many things about me are different than my family, there is one path I continue to follow that was set by my grandmother. As a full-time working mother of two toddlers, this is not an easy season of life to pursue higher education, but I am determined to show my boys what hard work looks like. I am proud to show my sons what it means to chase after your dreams, even if they are no one else’s dreams but your own.

I come from a family with many generations of proud teachers. My Abuelita, or grandma, moved to The United States as an adult with limited English-speaking skills. She got her teaching degree and master’s as a full-time working mom with a husband who also worked, all while learning English and raising five children. She won the Michigan's Best Teacher award and was a beloved teacher among the community. My own mom followed in her footsteps of a teaching career, along with my aunts and sisters. When I say that the bloodline of teachers that I come from is strong, I mean it. Naturally, I spent my childhood dreaming of the classroom I would have and not imagining any other career path for me. Then, my junior year of high school, I took a Human Anatomy and Physiology class. I fell in love with learning about the human body. The way our organs work together for homeostasis and correct themselves during times of disease fascinated me. I began to think I may want a career in healthcare. Around that same time, my grandparents both got sick and lost their battles with cancer after years of treatment. I watched as their nurses cared for them. They brought moments of comfort during days of unease. Their nurses made small gestures that turned the mood of the entire day to a positive one. This, plus my new love for the human body, made me decide to go into nursing. To my surprise, my parents were not shocked when I expressed that I wanted to be a nurse. They had always sensed that my calling in life may not follow the same as the many teachers in my family. During my time in undergrad, I truly fell in love with learning. I graduated knowing that one day I would be back in a classroom, just unsure of how that would look. After working as a nurse for eight years, I finally found the path to advanced education that I felt passionate about. I am proud to be a nurse. I am proud that I chose a career that brings me so much joy. I am proud to use the skills I have learned as a pediatric nurse to treat sick children. The memories I have of my grandparents' nurses comforting them stick with me, and I hold onto those memories to remind myself to treat my patients’ families the same way. With my advanced degree, I will continue caring for sick children in my community with an even larger impact. While many things about me are different than my family, there is one path I continue to follow that was set by my grandmother. As a full-time working mother of two toddlers, this is not an easy season of life to pursue higher education, but I am determined to show my boys what hard work looks like. I am proud to show my sons what it means to chase after your dreams, even if they are no one else’s dreams but your own.

I come from a family with many generations of proud teachers. My Abuelita, or grandma, moved to The United States as an adult with limited English-speaking skills. She got her teaching degree and master’s as a full-time working mom with a husband who also worked, all while learning English and raising five children. She won the Michigan's Best Teacher award and was a beloved teacher among the community. My own mom followed in her footsteps of a teaching career, along with my aunts and sisters. When I say that the bloodline of teachers that I come from is strong, I mean it. Naturally, I spent my childhood dreaming of the classroom I would have and not imagining any other career path for me. Then, my junior year of high school, I took a Human Anatomy and Physiology class. I fell in love with learning about the human body. The way our organs work together for homeostasis and correct themselves during times of disease fascinated me. I began to think I may want a career in healthcare. Around that same time, my grandparents both got sick and lost their battles with cancer after years of treatment. I watched as their nurses cared for them. They brought moments of comfort during days of unease. Their nurses made small gestures that turned the mood of the entire day to a positive one. This, plus my new love for the human body, made me decide to go into nursing. To my surprise, my parents were not shocked when I expressed that I wanted to be a nurse. They had always sensed that my calling in life may not follow the same as the many teachers in my family. During my time in undergrad, I truly fell in love with learning. I graduated knowing that one day I would be back in a classroom, just unsure of how that would look. After working as a nurse for eight years, I finally found the path to advanced education that I felt passionate about. I am proud to be a nurse. I am proud that I chose a career that brings me so much joy. I am proud to use the skills I have learned as a pediatric nurse to treat sick children. The memories I have of my grandparents' nurses comforting them stick with me, and I hold onto those memories to remind myself to treat my patients’ families the same way. With my advanced degree, I will continue caring for sick children in my community with an even larger impact. While many things about me are different than my family, there is one path I continue to follow that was set by my grandmother. As a full-time working mother of two toddlers, this is not an easy season of life to pursue higher education, but I am determined to show my boys what hard work looks like. I am proud to show my sons what it means to chase after your dreams, even if they are no one else’s dreams but your own.

I come from a family with many generations of proud teachers. My Abuelita, or grandma, moved to The United States as an adult with limited English-speaking skills. She got her teaching degree and master’s as a full-time working mom with a husband who also worked, all while learning English and raising five children. She won the Michigan's Best Teacher award and was a beloved teacher among the community. My own mom followed in her footsteps of a teaching career, along with my aunts and sisters. When I say that the bloodline of teachers that I come from is strong, I mean it. Naturally, I spent my childhood dreaming of the classroom I would have and not imagining any other career path for me. Then, my junior year of high school, I took a Human Anatomy and Physiology class. I fell in love with learning about the human body. The way our organs work together for homeostasis and correct themselves during times of disease fascinated me. I began to think I may want a career in healthcare. Around that same time, my grandparents both got sick and lost their battles with cancer after years of treatment. I watched as their nurses cared for them. They brought moments of comfort during days of unease. Their nurses made small gestures that turned the mood of the entire day to a positive one. This, plus my new love for the human body, made me decide to go into nursing. To my surprise, my parents were not shocked when I expressed that I wanted to be a nurse. They had always sensed that my calling in life may not follow the same as the many teachers in my family. During my time in undergrad, I truly fell in love with learning. I graduated knowing that one day I would be back in a classroom, just unsure of how that would look. After working as a nurse for eight years, I finally found the path to advanced education that I felt passionate about and am pursing my doctorate in nursing degree as a pediatric clinical nurse specialist. I am proud to be a nurse. I am proud that I chose a career that brings me so much joy. I am proud to use the skills I have learned as a pediatric nurse to treat sick children. The memories I have of my grandparents' nurses comforting them stick with me, and I hold onto those memories to remind myself to treat my patients’ families the same way. With my advanced degree, I will continue caring for sick children in my community with an even larger impact. While many things about me are different than my family, there is one path I continue to follow that was set by my grandmother. As a full-time working mother of two toddlers, this is not an easy season of life to pursue higher education, but I am determined to show my boys what hard work looks like. I am proud to show my sons what it means to chase after your dreams, even if they are no one else’s dreams but your own.

I come from a family with multiple generations of proud, successful teachers. My Abuelita, or grandma, moved to The United States as an adult with limited English-speaking skills. She got her teaching degree and master’s as a full-time working mom with a husband who also worked. She won the Michigan's Best Teacher award and was a beloved teacher among the community. My own mom followed in her footsteps of a teaching career, along with my aunts and sisters. When I say that the bloodline of teachers that I come from is strong, I mean it. Naturally, I spent my childhood dreaming of the classroom I would have and not imagining any other career path for me. Then, my junior year of high school, I took a Human Anatomy and Physiology class. I fell in love with learning about the human body. The way our organs work together for homeostasis and correct themselves during times of disease fascinated me. I began to think I may want a career in healthcare. Around that same time, my grandparents both got sick and lost their battles with cancer after years of treatment. I watched as their nurses cared for them. They brought moments of comfort during days of unease. Their nurses made small gestures that turned the mood of the entire day to a positive one. This, plus my new love for the human body, made me decide to go into nursing. To my surprise, my parents were not shocked when I expressed that I wanted to be a nurse. They had always sensed that my calling in life may not follow the same as the many teachers in my family. During my time in undergrad, I truly fell in love with learning. I graduated knowing that one day I would be back in a classroom, just unsure of how that would look. After working as a nurse for eight years, I finally found the path to advanced education that I felt passionate about. I am now halfway through my 4-year DNP program with a Pediatric Clinical Nurse Specialist focus. For me, success is having a career that I am proud to go to every day. In this sense, I feel I have already found success. While being a nurse isn't easy, it is incredibly rewarding. I am proud to be a nurse. I am proud that I chose a career that brings me so much joy. I am proud to use the skills I have learned as a pediatric nurse to treat sick children. With my advanced degree, I will continue caring for sick children in my community with an even larger impact. I am fortunate to have the ability to continue my degree and push even further on what a successful nursing career can look like. The opportunity to use scholarship funding toward my tuition would not only help in my individual success toward graduating with my doctorate in nursing practice degree, but it would also help my family immensely. While many things about me are different than my family, the successful path of my Abuelita is one I continue to strive for. As a full-time working mother of two toddlers, this is not an easy season of life to pursue higher education, but I am determined to show my boys what hard work looks like. I am proud to show my sons what it means to chase after your dreams, even if they are no one else’s dreams but your own.

I come from a family with many generations of proud teachers. My Abuelita, or grandma, moved to The United States as an adult with limited English-speaking skills. She got her teaching degree and master’s as a full-time working mom with a husband who also worked, all while learning English and raising five children. She won the Michigan's Best Teacher award and was a beloved teacher among the community. My own mom followed in her footsteps of a teaching career, along with my aunts and sisters. When I say that the bloodline of teachers that I come from is strong, I mean it. Naturally, I spent my childhood dreaming of the classroom I would have and not imagining any other career path for me. Then, my junior year of high school, I took a Human Anatomy and Physiology class. I fell in love with learning about the human body. The way our organs work together for homeostasis and correct themselves during times of disease fascinated me. I began to think I may want a career in healthcare. Around that same time, my grandparents both got sick and lost their battles with cancer after years of treatment. I watched as their nurses cared for them. They brought moments of comfort during days of unease. Their nurses made small gestures that turned the mood of the entire day to a positive one. This, plus my new love for the human body, made me decide to go into nursing. To my surprise, my parents were not shocked when I expressed that I wanted to be a nurse. They had always sensed that my calling in life may not follow the same as the many teachers in my family. During my time in undergrad, I truly fell in love with learning. I graduated knowing that one day I would be back in a classroom, just unsure of how that would look. After working as a nurse for eight years, I finally found the path to advanced education that I felt passionate about. I am proud to be a nurse. I am proud that I chose a career that brings me so much joy. I am proud to use the skills I have learned as a pediatric nurse to treat sick children. The memories I have of my grandparents' nurses comforting them stick with me, and I hold onto those memories to remind myself to treat my patients’ families the same way. With my advanced degree, I will continue caring for sick children in my community with an even larger impact. While many things about me are different than my family, there is one path I continue to follow that was set by my grandmother. As a full-time working mother of two toddlers, this is not an easy season of life to pursue higher education, but I am determined to show my boys what hard work looks like. I am proud to show my sons what it means to chase after your dreams, even if they are no one else’s dreams but your own.

I come from a family with multiple generations of proud teachers. My Abuelita, or grandma, moved to The United States as an adult with limited English-speaking skills. She got her teaching degree and master’s as a full-time working mom with a husband who also worked. She won the Michigan's Best Teacher award and was a beloved teacher among the community. My own mom followed in her footsteps of a teaching career, along with my aunts and sisters. When I say that the bloodline of teachers that I come from is strong, I mean it. Naturally, I spent my childhood dreaming of the classroom I would have and not imagining any other career path for me. Then, my junior year of high school, I took a Human Anatomy and Physiology class. I fell in love with learning about the human body. The way our organs work together for homeostasis and correct themselves during times of disease fascinated me. I began to think I may want a career in healthcare. Around that same time, my grandparents both got sick and lost their battles with cancer after years of treatment. I watched as their nurses cared for them. They brought moments of comfort during days of unease. Their nurses made small gestures that turned the mood of the entire day to a positive one. This, plus my new love for the human body, made me decide to go into nursing. To my surprise, my parents were not shocked when I expressed that I wanted to be a nurse. They had always sensed that my calling in life may not follow the same as the many teachers in my family. During my time in undergrad, I truly fell in love with learning. I graduated knowing that one day I would be back in a classroom, just unsure of how that would look. After working as a nurse for eight years, I finally found the path to advanced education that I felt passionate about. I am proud to be a nurse. I am proud that I chose a career that brings me so much joy. I am proud to use the skills I have learned as a pediatric nurse to treat sick children. The memories I have of my grandparents' nurses comforting them stick with me, and I hold onto those memories to remind myself to treat my patients’ families the same way. With my advanced degree, I will continue caring for sick children in my community with an even larger impact. While many things about me are different than my family, there is one path I continue to follow that was set by my grandmother. As a full-time working mother of two toddlers, this is not an easy season of life to pursue higher education, but I am determined to show my boys what hard work looks like. I am proud to show my sons what it means to chase after your dreams, even if they are no one else’s dreams but your own.

I come from a family with multiple generations of proud teachers. My Abuelita, or grandma, moved to The United States as an adult with limited English speaking skills. She got her teaching degree and her masters as a full time working mom with a husband who also worked full time. She went on to win the Michigan's Best Teacher award and was a beloved teacher among the community. My own mom followed in her footsteps of a teaching career, along with my aunts and sisters. When I say that the bloodline of teachers that I come from is strong, I mean it. Naturally, I spent my childhood dreaming of the classroom I would one day have and not imagining there would be any other career path for me. Then, my Junior year of high school, I took a Human Anatomy and Physiology class. I absolutely fell in love with learning about the human body. The way our organs work together for homeostasis and correct themselves during times of disease fascinated me. I began to think I may want to choose a career in healthcare. Around that same time, my grandparents both got sick and lost their battles with cancer after years of treatment. I watched as their nurses cared for them. They brought moments of comfort during days of unease. Their nurses made small gestures that turned the mood of the entire day to a positive one. This, coupled with my new love for the human body, made me decide to go into nursing. To my surprise, my parents were not shocked when I revealed to them that I wanted to go to nursing school. They had always sensed that my calling in life may not follow the same as the many teachers in my family. During my time in undergrad I truly fell in love with learning. Studying for my nursing classes did not feel like work, because I was so invested and interested in what I was learning. I graduated knowing that one day I would be back in a classroom, just unsure of how that would look. After working as a nurse for eight years, I finally found the back to advanced education that I felt passionate about. I am now halfway through my 4-year DNP program with a pediatric Clinical Nurse Specialist focus. I am so honored to spend my career advocating for best practices, supporting nurses, and ensuring that our patients are getting the highest quality of care possible. I am proud to be a nurse. I am proud that I chose a career that brings me so much joy and reward. I am proud to use the skills I have learned as a pediatric nurse to treat sick children. The memories I have of my grandparents' nurses comforting them stick with me, and I hold onto those memories to remind myself to treat my patients’ families the same way. With my advanced degree, I will continue caring for sick children in my community with an even larger impact. While many things about me are different than my family, there is one path I continue to follow that was set forth by my grandmother. As a full time working mother of two toddlers, this is not an easy season of life to pursue higher education, but I am determined to show my boys what hard work looks like. I am proud to show my sons what it means to chase after your dreams, even if they are no one else’s dreams but your own.

As a blonde, white, fluent Spanish-speaking Latina, I have always been the black sheep of my family. I come from a family with multiple generations of proud teachers. My Abuelita, or grandma, moved to The United States as an adult with limited English speaking skills. She ended up getting her teaching degree, then her masters, as a full time working mom with a husband who also worked full time. She went on to win the Michigans Best Teacher award and was a beloved teacher among the community. My own mom followed in her footsteps of a teaching career, and I have aunts on both sides of my family who are teachers. My two sisters are both teachers. When I say that the bloodline of teachers that I come from is strong, I mean it. Naturally, I spent my childhood dreaming of the classroom I would one day have and not imagining there would be any other career path for me. Then, my Junior year of high school, I took a Human Anatomy and Physiology class. I absolutely fell in love with learning about the human body. The way our organs work together for homeostasis and correct themselves during times of disease fascinated me. I began to think I may want to choose a career in healthcare. Around that same time, my grandparents had both gotten sick and lost their battles to cancer after years of treatment. I watched as their nurses cared for them. They brought moments of comfort during days of unease. Their nurses made small gestures that turned the mood of the entire day to a positive one. This, coupled with my new love for the human body, made me decide to go into nursing. To my surprise, my parents were not shocked when I revealed to them that I wanted to go to nursing school. They had always sensed that my calling in life may not follow the same as the many teachers in my family. I am proud to be a nurse. I am proud that I chose a career that brings me so much joy and reward. I am proud to use the skills I have learned as a pediatric nurse to treat sick children. The memories I have of my grandparents nurses comforting them stick with me, and hold onto those to remind myself to treat my patients’ families the same way. With my advanced degree, I will continue caring for sick children in my community. While many things about me are different than my family, there is one path I continue to follow that was set forth by my grandmother. As a full time working mother of two toddlers, I am now going back to school to get my doctorate of nursing practice degree. I am proud to show my sons what it means to work hard and chase after your dreams, even if they are no one else’s dreams but your own.

I come from a family with multiple generations of proud teachers. My Abuelita, or grandma, moved to The United States as an adult with limited English speaking skills. She got her teaching degree, then her masters, as a full time working mom with a husband who also worked full time. She went on to win the Michigan's Best Teacher award and was a beloved teacher among the community. My own mom followed in her footsteps of a teaching career, and I have aunts on both sides of my family who are teachers. My two sisters are both teachers. When I say that the bloodline of teachers that I come from is strong, I mean it. Naturally, I spent my childhood dreaming of the classroom I would one day have and not imagining there would be any other career path for me. Then, my Junior year of high school, I took a Human Anatomy and Physiology class. I absolutely fell in love with learning about the human body. The way our organs work together for homeostasis and correct themselves during times of disease fascinated me. I began to think I may want to choose a career in healthcare. Around that same time, my grandparents had both gotten sick and lost their battles to cancer after years of treatment. I watched as their nurses cared for them. They brought moments of comfort during days of unease. Their nurses made small gestures that turned the mood of the entire day to a positive one. This, coupled with my new love for the human body, made me decide to go into nursing. To my surprise, my parents were not shocked when I revealed to them that I wanted to go to nursing school. They had always sensed that my calling in life may not follow the same as the many teachers in my family. I am proud to be a nurse. I am proud that I chose a career that brings me so much joy and reward. I am proud to use the skills I have learned as a pediatric nurse to treat sick children. The memories I have of my grandparents nurses comforting them stick with me, and hold onto those to remind myself to treat my patients’ families the same way. With my advanced degree, I will continue caring for sick children in my community. While many things about me are different than my family, there is one path I continue to follow that was set forth by my grandmother. As a full time working mother of two toddlers, I am now going back to school to get my doctorate of nursing practice degree. I am proud to show my sons what it means to work hard and chase after your dreams, even if they are no one else’s dreams but your own.

I come from a family with multiple generations of proud teachers. My Abuelita, or grandma, moved to The United States as an adult with limited English speaking skills. She became a teacher and continued to earn her master's degree in teaching as a full time working mom with a husband who also worked full time. My own mom followed in her footsteps and I have aunts on both sides of my family who are teachers. My two sisters are both teachers. When I say that the bloodline of teachers that I come from is strong, I mean it. Naturally, I spent my childhood dreaming of the classroom I would one day have and not imagining there would be any other career path for me. Then, my Junior year of high school, I took a Human Anatomy and Physiology class. I absolutely fell in love with learning about the human body. The way our organs work together for homeostasis and correct themselves during times of disease fascinated me. The more I learned about medicine and how it can save people, the more I wanted to be part of it. I began to think I may want to choose a career in healthcare. Around that same time, my grandparents had both gotten sick with cancer, eventually losing their fights. I watched as their nurses cared for them. Their nurses brought moments of comfort during days of unease. They made small gestures that turned the mood of the entire day to a positive one. This, coupled with my new love for the human body, made me decide to go into nursing. To my surprise, my parents were not shocked when I revealed to them that I wanted to go to nursing school. They had always sensed that my calling in life may not follow the same as the many teachers in my family. I am proud to be a nurse. I am proud that I chose a career that brings me so much joy and reward. I am proud to use the skills I have learned as a pediatric nurse to treat sick children. The memories I have of my grandparents' nurses comforting them stick with me, and hold onto those to remind myself to treat my patients’ families the same way. With my advanced degree, I will continue caring for sick children in my community and provide comfort during the hardest days of their lives. While many things about me are different than my family, there is one path I continue to follow that was set forth by my grandmother. As a full time working mother of two toddlers, I am now going back to school to get my doctorate of nursing practice. I am proud to show my sons what it means to work hard and chase after your dreams, even if they are no one else’s dreams but your own.

I come from a family with multiple generations of proud teachers. My Abuelita, or grandma, moved to The United States as an adult with limited English speaking skills. She ended up getting her teaching degree, then her masters, as a full time working mom with a husband who also worked full time. She went on to win the Michigans Best Teacher award and was a beloved teacher among the community. My own mom followed in her footsteps of a teaching career, and I have aunts on both sides of my family who are teachers. My two sisters are both teachers. When I say that the bloodline of teachers that I come from is strong, I mean it. Naturally, I spent my childhood dreaming of the classroom I would one day have and not imagining there would be any other career path for me. Then, my Junior year of high school, I took a Human Anatomy and Physiology class. I absolutely fell in love with learning about the human body. The way our organs work together for homeostasis and correct themselves during times of disease fascinated me. I began to think I may want to choose a career in healthcare. Around that same time, my grandparents had both gotten sick and lost their battles to cancer after years of treatment. I watched as their nurses cared for them. They brought moments of comfort during days of unease. Their nurses made small gestures that turned the mood of the entire day to a positive one. This, coupled with my new love for the human body, made me decide to go into nursing. To my surprise, my parents were not shocked when I revealed to them that I wanted to go to nursing school. They had always sensed that my calling in life may not follow the same as the many teachers in my family. I am proud to be a nurse. I am proud that I chose a career that brings me so much joy and reward. I am proud to use the skills I have learned as a pediatric nurse to treat sick children. The memories I have of my grandparents nurses comforting them stick with me, and hold onto those to remind myself to treat my patients’ families the same way. With my advanced degree, I will continue caring for sick children in my community. While many things about me are different than my family, there is one path I continue to follow that was set forth by my grandmother. As a full time working mother of two toddlers, I am now going back to school to get my doctorate of nursing practice degree. I am proud to show my sons what it means to work hard and chase after your dreams, even if they are no one else’s dreams but your own.

They say that you should consider yourself lucky if you have a job that you like. If that is true, then I am the luckiest person in the world. I have been a nurse for nearly 10 years and have fallen so in love with the career that I am now pursuing my Doctorate in Nursing Practice through Rush University to be a Clinical Nurse Specialist. My entire career has been in pediatric and pediatric ICU nursing, and there is nothing that compares to the reward of this job. I have experienced many highs and many lows in my career. I have held parents hands while they said goodbye to their child, and worked for hours with a team to resuscitate the life of a baby. I have also seen children wake up who were never expected to, and steps taken that all odds were against. The career of nursing has brought me so much fulfillment in my life. Building relationships with patients and families is something I am passionate about and find to be imperative when caring for critically ill children. While days in the pediatric ICU may be grim and dark, I find every opportunity I can to shed some light for the patient and family. Sometimes this looks like a hospital room dance party, sometimes it looks like offering to stay in the room while the parents take a coffee break, and sometimes it looks like holding a patients hand during night shift while they fall asleep so that the parents can get some rest. With my doctorate degree, I plan to not only continue making a difference in pediatric patients lives, but also the nurses who care for them. My goal is to work as a clinical nurse specialist in a children’s hospital where I can act as a patient safety advocate and support nursing practice. My work would be dedicated to keep up to date on current literature, ensuring that nurses are performing best practice, and implementing changes aimed to improve quality of care and patient outcomes. When I am not working or studying for school, I am a mom of two busy toddler boys. They are joyful and energetic. My hope is that they will remember the years I spent studying for school, writing papers, and taking exams, and find it admirable to continue pursuing a degree while raising a family. I want to show them by example that they can do anything they put their minds to and that some of the greatest rewards require a lot of work.

They say that you should consider yourself lucky if you have a job that you like. If that is true, then I am the luckiest person in the world. I have been a nurse for nearly 10 years and have fallen so in love with the career that I am now pursuing my Doctorate in Nursing Practice through Rush University to be a Clinical Nurse Specialist. My entire career has been in pediatric and pediatric ICU nursing, and there is nothing that compares to the reward of this job. I have experienced many highs and many lows in my career. I have held parents' hands while they said goodbye to their child and worked for hours with a team to resuscitate the life of a baby. I have also seen children wake up who we never expected to and steps taken that all odds were against. The career of nursing has brought me so much fulfillment in my life. Building relationships with patients and families is something I am passionate about and find to be imperative when caring for critically ill children. While days in the pediatric ICU may be grim and dark, I find every opportunity I can to shed some light for the patient and family. Sometimes this looks like a hospital room dance party, sometimes it looks like offering to stay in the room while the parents take a coffee break, and sometimes it looks like holding a patients hand during night shift while they fall asleep so that the parents can get some rest. With my doctorate degree, I plan to not only continue making a difference in pediatric patients lives, but also the nurses who care for them. My goal is to work as a clinical nurse specialist in a children’s hospital where I can act as a patient safety advocate and support nursing practice. My work would be dedicated to keep up to date on current literature, ensuring that nurses are performing best practice, and implementing changes aimed to improve quality of care and patient outcomes. When I am not working or studying for school, I am a mom of two busy toddler boys. They are joyful and energetic. My hope is that they will remember the years I spent studying for school, writing papers, and taking exams, and find it admirable to continue pursuing a degree while raising a family. I want to show them by example that they can do anything they put their minds to and that some of the greatest rewards require a lot of work.

I come from a family with multiple generations of proud teachers. My Abuelita, or grandma, moved to The United States as an adult with limited English speaking skills. She ended up getting her teaching degree, then her masters, as a full time working mom with a husband who also worked full time. She went on to win the Michigans Best Teacher award and was a beloved teacher among the community. My own mom followed in her footsteps, and began a teaching career as a mom of three daughters. I have aunts on both sides of my family who are teachers. My two sisters are both teachers. When I say that the bloodline of teachers that I come from is string, I mean it. Naturally, I spent my childhood dreaming of the classroom I would one day have and not imagining there would be any other career path for me. Then, my Junior year of high school, I took Human Anatomy and Physiology. I absolutely fell in love with learning about the human body. The way our organs work together for homeostasis and correct themselves during times of disease fascinated me. I began to think I may want to choose a career in healthcare. Around that same time, my grandparents had both gotten sick and lost their battles to cancer after years of treatment. I watched as their nurses cared for them. They brought moments of comfort during days of unease. They made small gestures that turned the mood of the entire day to a positive one. This, coupled with my new love for the human body, made me decide to go into nursing.To my surprise, my parents were not shocked when I revealed to them that I wanted to go to nursing school. They had always sensed that my calling in life may not follow the same as the many teachers in my family. I am proud to be a nurse. I am proud that I chose a career that brings me so much joy and reward. I am proud to use the skills I have learned as a pediatric nurse to treat sick children. The memories I have of my grandparents nurses comforting them stick with me, and hold onto those to remind myself to treat my patients’ families the same way. With my advanced degree, I will continue caring for sick children in my community. While many things about me are different than my family, there is one path I continue to follow that was set forth by my grandmother. As a full time working mother of two toddlers, I am now going back to school to get my doctorate of nursing practice. I am proud to show my sons what it means to work hard and chase after your dreams, even if they are no one else’s dreams but your own.

I have been the black sheep of my family for my entire life. Not in the negative, outcast kind of way, but in the sense that I have taken my own path most of my life. Looking at my family, I am clearly the one who stands out; in a crowd of dark-haired, dark-skinned Hispanic family members, my blonde hair and white skin stick out like a sore thumb. Somehow the darker pigmentation skipped me and only went to my sisters, and I ended up being the only sibling who looks more like I belong with our Dutch side of the family than our Chilean one. Appearance is not the only thing the sets me apart from my family. I come from a family with multiple generations of proud teachers. My Abuelita, or grandma, moved to The United States as an adult with limited English speaking skills. She ended up getting her teaching degree, then her masters, as a full time working mom with a husband who also worked full time. She went on to win the Michigans Best Teacher award and was a beloved teacher among the community. My own mom followed in her footsteps, and began a teaching career as a mom of three daughters. I have aunts on both sides of my family who are teachers. My two sisters are both teachers. When I say that the bloodline of teachers that I come from is strong, I mean it. Naturally, I spent my childhood dreaming of the classroom I would one day have and not imagining there would be any other career path for me. Then my Junior year of high school I took Human Anatomy and Physiology. I absolutely fell in love with learning about the human body. The way our organs work together for homeostasis and correct themselves during times of disease was fascinating to me. I began to think I may want to choose a career in healthcare. Around that same time, my grandparents had both gotten sick and lost their battles to cancer after years of treatment. I watched as their nurses cared for them. They brought moments of comfort during days of unease. They made small gestures that turned the mood of the entire day to a positive one. This, coupled with my new love for the human body, made me decide to go into nursing. To my surprise, my parents were not shocked when I revealed to them that I wanted to go to nursing school. They had always sensed that my calling in life may not follow the same as the many teachers in my family. I am proud to be a nurse. I am proud that I chose a career that brings me so much joy and reward. I am proud to use the skills I have learned as a pediatric nurse to treat sick children. The memories I have of my grandparents nurses comforting them stick with me, and hold onto those to remind myself to treat my patients’ families the same way. While many things about me are different than my family, there is one path I continued to follow set forth by my grandmother. As a full time working mother of two toddlers, I am now going back to school to get my doctorate of nursing practice. I am proud to show my sons what it means to work hard and chase after your dreams, even if they are no one else’s dreams but yours.

From the outside looking in, I grew up in a perfect family. My parents were hard working and successful, we lived in an affluent community and went to a top school district. My parents did a phenomenal job keeping hardships away from my sisters and I, so we were blissfully unaware of any struggles they endured. I distinctly remember the day my parents told us about my uncle who died by suicide when my dad was 15 years old. My Uncle Steve was a family-kept secret, and the information we learned about him began and ended with the circumstances surrounding his death. After that day, I never heard my dad talk about his brother again. Occasionally, my Uncle Steve was brought up in a passing conversation by my grandparents, but there were always glances across the dinner table between the adults when his name was said. I knew two things about my Uncle Steve - 1. He shot himself in the head in a cornfield 2. We did not talk about it. There were plenty of stories I made up in my head about my Uncle Steve. In my mind, he was a drug-addicted, high-school drop out with life-long mental health issues who couldn't find his way in life. The Uncle Steve I made up was full of rage and delusions, and was definitely not like anyone else in our family. Last year, my whole world was flipped upside down. My dad, who has always been the most cool, calm and collected person I know, began to experience an acute mental health crisis. Looking back I can call it that, but at the time we did not know what was going on. While visiting from Georgia, we noticed his demeanor changed over the course of his stay. He went from being relaxed and easy-going to being crippled with anxiety. He had severe tremors, memory lapses, and insomnia. The nurse in me began a list of differentials - dementia, Parkinson's Disease, or any number of neurodegenerative diseases. Once he returned home, my stepmom began what would become a 5-month journey filled with scans, images, labs, specialists, and unanswered questions. Appointment after appointment cleared my dad of all physical findings that could cause his behavior change and tremors, but his delusions were getting stronger. Our nights often came with midnight phone calls from him, telling us he was going to be arrested. Our days were spent reassuring my dad that my stepmom wasn't having an affair with a famous actor or that his clean clothes in the closet really were clean. He lost interest in doing anything he used to enjoy. Working out, playing music, and reading were things that used to occupy his days, but now he could barely leave his house. My sisters and I watched helplessly over FaceTime every evening. Our phone calls used to be filled with laughter while my kids showed their Grandpa the latest racetrack they built or danced and jumped to their newest favorite song. Now, the show-and-tell was still coming, but with nothing but blank stares and silence on the receiving end. He was often sitting in dark rooms, even though it was daytime and my stepmom was in the other room cooking dinner. One night we called an emergency suicide line because we were so worried. The team went to his house and evaluated him, but cleared him of being a danger to himself or others. My dad was slipping away from me right before my eyes, and no one could tell me why or how to stop it. Finally, after a particularly challenging night, my stepmom drove my dad to a mental health emergency room. He was admitted to an acute mental health facility where they ultimately diagnosed him with severe depression, anxiety and psychosis. After a few weeks he moved to an assisted living center for continued care. I wish I could say the story ends with my dad being cured of his mental health, but I can't. My dad, at the age of 64, is still living in an assisted living home due to his severe depression and executive dysfunction. While the delusions have subsided with medication and therapy, he is still not the same person he was before, and every day feels further and further away from getting him back. This experience with mental health has broken my family. My stepmom is lonely and grieving the wonderful husband she had. My sisters and I call him during our scheduled time each day to minimize anxiety from calling out of the pre-discussed window. Our fun-loving, easy-going dad is never on the other end of the phone calls. I have learned a lot about mental health over the last year. I learned that my Uncle Steve was not the challenging child I had always imagined. In fact, he was valedictorian of his class, had started classes at a private college, and was marrying the love of his life when he committed suicide. His mental health disorder onset was no different than my dads - quick, out of no where, and without warning. Most importantly, what I have experienced over the last year has highlighted the importance of talking about mental health. It has forced me to have conversations with my kids and recognize that the topic of mental health doesn't have to be the way that it was in my family growing up. Experiencing this first-hand with my dad forced me to see why stigmatizing mental health disorders with labels and bias only causes more harm. My dad held onto decades of grief that he never worked through after losing his brother because discussing it was not an option. By discussing mental health disorders and teaching my kids to be kind, my hope is that my family can be one drop in an ocean of people who are advocating to change the stigma associated with mental health disorders.

From the outside looking in, I grew up in a perfect family. My parents were hard working and successful, we lived in an affluent community and went to a top school district. My parents did a phenomenal job keeping hardships away from my sisters and I, so we were blissfully unaware of any struggles they endured. I distinctly remember the day my parents told us about my uncle who died by suicide when my dad was 15 years old. My Uncle Steve was a family-kept secret, and the information we learned about him began and ended with the circumstances surrounding his death. After that day, I never heard my dad talk about his brother again. Occasionally, my Uncle Steve was brought up in a passing conversation by my grandparents, but there were always glances across the dinner table between the adults when his name was said. I knew two things about my Uncle Steve - 1. He shot himself in the head in a cornfield 2. We did not talk about it. There were plenty of stories I made up in my head about my Uncle Steve. In my mind, he was a drug-addicted, high-school drop out with life-long mental health issues who couldn't find his way in life. The Uncle Steve I made up was full of rage and delusions, and was definitely not like anyone else in our family. Last year, my whole world was flipped upside down. My dad, who has always been the most cool, calm and collected person I know, began to experience an acute mental health crisis. Looking back I can call it that, but at the time we did not know what was going on. While visiting from Georgia, we noticed his demeanor changed over the course of his stay. He went from being relaxed and easy-going to being crippled with anxiety. He had severe tremors, memory lapses, and insomnia. The nurse in me began a list of differentials - dementia, Parkinson's Disease, or any number of neurodegenerative diseases. Once he returned home, my stepmom began what would become a 5-month journey filled with scans, images, labs, specialists, and unanswered questions. Appointment after appointment cleared my dad of all physical findings that could cause his behavior change and tremors, but his delusions were getting stronger. Our nights often came with midnight phone calls from him, telling us he was going to be arrested. Our days were spent reassuring my dad that my stepmom wasn't having an affair with a famous actor or that his clean clothes in the closet really were clean. He lost interest in doing anything he used to enjoy. Working out, playing music, and reading were things that used to occupy his days, but now he could barely leave his house. My sisters and I watched helplessly over FaceTime every evening. Our phone calls used to be filled with laughter while my kids showed their Grandpa the latest racetrack they built or danced and jumped to their newest favorite song. Now, the show-and-tell was still coming, but with nothing but blank stares and silence on the receiving end. He was often sitting in dark rooms, even though it was daytime and my stepmom was in the other room cooking dinner. One night we called an emergency suicide line because we were so worried. The team went to his house and evaluated him, but cleared him of being a danger to himself or others. My dad was slipping away from me right before my eyes, and no one could tell me why or how to stop it. Finally, after a particularly challenging night, my stepmom drove my dad to a mental health emergency room. He was admitted to an acute mental health facility where they ultimately diagnosed him with severe depression, anxiety and psychosis. After a few weeks he moved to an assisted living center for continued care. I wish I could say the story ends with my dad being cured of his mental health, but I can't. My dad, at the age of 64, is still living in an assisted living home due to his severe depression and executive dysfunction. While the delusions have subsided with medication and therapy, he is still not the same person he was before, and every day feels further and further away from getting him back. This experience with mental health has broken my family. My stepmom is lonely and grieving the wonderful husband she had. My sisters and I call him during our scheduled time each day to minimize anxiety from calling out of the pre-discussed window. Our fun-loving, easy-going dad is never on the other end of the phone calls. I have learned a lot about mental health over the last year. I learned that my Uncle Steve was not the challenging child I had always imagined. In fact, he was valedictorian of his class, had started classes at a private college, and was marrying the love of his life when he committed suicide. His mental health disorder onset was no different than my dads - quick, out of no where, and without warning. Most importantly, what I have experienced over the last year has highlighted the importance of talking about mental health. It has forced me to have conversations with my kids and recognize that the topic of mental health doesn't have to be the way that it was in my family growing up. Experiencing this first-hand with my dad forced me to see why stigmatizing mental health disorders with labels and bias only causes more harm. My dad held onto decades of grief that he never worked through after losing his brother because discussing it was not an option. By discussing mental health disorders and teaching my kids to be kind, my hope is that my family can be one drop in an ocean of people who are advocating to change the stigma associated with mental health disorders.

I have been the black sheep of my family for my entire life. Not in the negative, outcast kind of way, but in the sense that I have taken my own path most of my life. Looking at my family, I am clearly the one who stands out; in a crowd of dark-haired, dark-skinned Hispanic family members, my blonde hair and white skin stick out like a sore thumb. Somehow the darker pigmentation skipped me and only went to my sisters, and I ended up being the only sibling who looks more like I belong with our Dutch side of the family than our Chilean one. Appearance is not the only thing the sets me apart from my family. I come from a family with multiple generations of proud teachers. My Abuelita, or grandma, moved to The United States as an adult with limited English speaking skills. She ended up getting her teaching degree, then her masters, as a full time working mom with a husband who also worked full time. She went on to win the Michigan's Best Teacher award and was a beloved teacher among the community. My own mom followed in her footsteps, and began her teaching career as a mom of three daughters. I have aunts on both sides of my family who are teachers. My two sisters are both teachers. When I say that the bloodline of teachers that I come from is strong, I mean it. Naturally, I spent my childhood dreaming of the classroom I would one day have and not imagining there would be any other career path for me. Then my Junior year of high school I took Human Anatomy and Physiology. I absolutely fell in love with learning about the human body. The way our organs work together for homeostasis and correct themselves during times of disease was fascinating to me. I began to think I may want to choose a career in healthcare. Around that same time, my grandparents had both gotten sick and lost their battles to cancer after years of treatment. I watched as their nurses cared for them. They brought moments of comfort during days of unease. They made small gestures that turned the mood of the entire day to a positive one. This, coupled with my new love for the human body, made me decide to go into nursing. To my surprise, my parents were not shocked when I revealed to them that I wanted to go to nursing school. They had always sensed that my calling in life may not follow the same as the many teachers in my family. I am proud to be a nurse. I am proud that I chose a career that brings me so much joy and reward. I am proud to use the skills I have learned as a pediatric nurse to treat sick children. The memories I have of my grandparents' nurses comforting them stick with me, and I hold onto those memories to remind myself to treat my patients’ families the same way. While many things about me are different than my family, there is one path I continued to follow set forth by my grandmother. As a full time working mother of two toddlers, I am now going back to school to get my doctorate of nursing practice degree. I am proud to show my sons what it means to work hard and chase after your dreams, even if they are no one else’s dreams but your own.

They say that you should consider yourself lucky if you have a job that you like. If that is true, then I am the luckiest person in the world. I have been a nurse for nearly 10 years and have fallen so in love with the career that I am now pursuing my Doctorate in Nursing Practice through Rush University to be a Clinical Nurse Specialist. My entire career has been in pediatric and pediatric ICU nursing, and there is nothing that compares to the reward of this job. I have experienced many highs and many lows in my career. I have held parents hands while they said goodbye to their child, and worked for hours with a team to resuscitate the life of a baby. I have also seen children wake up who were never expected to, and steps taken that all odds were against. The career of nursing has brought me so much fulfillment in my life. Building relationships with patients and families is something I am passionate about and find to be imperative when caring for critically ill children. While days in the pediatric ICU may be grim and dark, I find every opportunity I can to shed some light for the patient and family. Sometimes this looks like a hospital room dance party, sometimes it looks like offering to stay in the room while the parents take a coffee break, and sometimes it looks like holding a patients hand during night shift while they fall asleep so that the parents can get some rest. With my doctorate degree, my mission is to not only continue making a difference in pediatric patients lives, but also the nurses who care for them. My goal is to work as a clinical nurse specialist in a children’s hospital where I can act as a patient safety advocate and support nursing practice. My work would be dedicated to keep up to date on current literature, ensuring that nurses are performing best practice, and implementing changes aimed to improve quality of care and patient outcomes. When I am not working or studying for school, I am a mom of two busy toddler boys. They are joyful and energetic. My hope is that they will remember the years I spent studying for school, writing papers, and taking exams, and find it admirable to continue pursuing a degree while raising a family. I want to show them by example that they can do anything they put their minds to, and that some of the greatest rewards require a lot of work.

I have been the black sheep of my family for my entire life. Not in the negative, outcast kind of way, but in the sense that I have taken my own path most of my life. Looking at my family, I am clearly the one who stands out; in a crowd of dark-haired, dark-skinned Hispanic family members, my blonde hair and white skin stick out like a sore thumb. Somehow the darker pigmentation skipped me and only went to my sisters, and I ended up being the only sibling who looks more like I belong with our Dutch side of the family than our Chilean one. Appearance is not the only thing the sets me apart from my family. I come from a family with multiple generations of proud teachers. My Abuelita, or grandma, moved to The United States as an adult with limited English speaking skills. She ended up getting her teaching degree, then her masters, as a full time working mom with a husband who also worked full time. She went on to win the Michigans Best Teacher award and was a beloved teacher among the community. My own mom followed in her footsteps, and began a teaching career as a mom of three daughters. I have aunts on both sides of my family who are teachers. My two sisters are both teachers. When I say that the bloodline of teachers that I come from is string, I mean it. Naturally, I spent my childhood dreaming of the classroom I would one day have and not imagining there would be any other career path for me. Then my Junior year of high school I took Human Anatomy and Physiology. I absolutely fell in love with learning about the human body. The way our organs work together for homeostasis and correct themselves during times of disease was fascinating to me. I began to think I may want to choose a career in healthcare. Around that same time, my grandparents had both gotten sick and lost their battles to cancer after years of treatment. I watched as their nurses cared for them. They brought moments of comfort during days of unease. They made small gestures that turned the mood of the entire day to a positive one. This, coupled with my new love for the human body, made me decide to go into nursing. To my surprise, my parents were not shocked when I revealed to them that I wanted to go to nursing school. They had always sensed that my calling in life may not follow the same as the many teachers in my family. I am proud to be a nurse. I am proud that I chose a career that brings me so much joy and reward. I am proud to use the skills I have learned as a pediatric nurse to treat sick children. The memories I have of my grandparents nurses comforting them stick with me, and hold onto those to remind myself to treat my patients’ families the same way. While many things about me are different than my family, there is one path I continued to follow set forth by my grandmother. As a full time working mother of two toddlers, I am now going back to school to get my doctorate of nursing practice. I am proud to show my sons what it means to work hard and chase after your dreams, even if they are no one else’s dreams but yours.

My goal is to be a Doctorate prepared Nurse working in a children’s hospital advocating for nursing practice and patient safety while raising my healthy family and inspiring my sons that they can do whatever they put their minds to.

They say that you should consider yourself lucky if you have a job that you like. If that is true, then I am the luckiest person in the world. I have been a nurse for nearly 10 years and have fallen so in love with the career that I am now pursuing my Doctorate in Nursing Practice through Rush University to be a Clinical Nurse Specialist. My entire career has been in pediatric and pediatric ICU nursing, and there is nothing that compares to the reward of this job. I have experienced many highs and many lows in my career. I have held parents hands while they said goodbye to their child, and worked for hours with a team to resuscitate the life of a baby. I have also seen children wake up who were never expected to, and steps taken that all odds were against. The career of nursing has brought me so much fulfillment in my life. Building relationships with patients and families is something I am passionate about and find to be imperative when caring for critically ill children. While days in the pediatric ICU may be grim and dark, I find every opportunity I can to shed some light for the patient and family. Sometimes this looks like a hospital room dance party, sometimes it looks like offering to stay in the room while the parents take a coffee break, and sometimes it looks like holding a patients hand during night shift while they fall asleep so that the parents can get some rest. With my doctorate degree, I plan to not only continue making a difference in pediatric patients lives, but also the nurses who care for them. My goal is to work as a clinical nurse specialist in a children’s hospital where I can act as a patient safety advocate and support nursing practice. My work would be dedicated to keep up to date on current literature, ensuring that nurses are performing best practice, and implementing changes aimed to improve quality of care and patient outcomes. When I am not working or studying for school, I am a mom of two busy toddler boys. They are joyful and energetic. My hope is that they will remember the years I spent studying for school, writing papers, and taking exams, and find it admirable to continue pursuing a degree while raising a family. I want to show them by example that they can do anything they put their minds to, and that some of the greatest rewards require a lot of work.

As a pediatric ICU nurse, my career has been filled with a lot of highs and a lot of lows. I have experienced the pain of losing a child who I grew to know, held parents as they say their final goodbyes, and been part of a team who puts every effort possible into saving a child’s life. I have also watched miracles unfold as a child wakes up who we never expected to, steps are taken against all odds, and children are reunited with their siblings at home. One patient who I grew to know and love was a 4 year old girl with complex heart disease. We’ll call her K. K spent her life in and out of the hospital, often spending more days with hospital staff than with her brother and parents at home. She was connected to medical equipment 24/7, and took life-sustaining medications daily. Despite all that she went through, K had a wildly magnetic personality. She was tough, playful, loving, and energetic. Everyone in the ICU knew K, and everyone adored her. As K’s heart condition got worse, she spent more and more time in the hospital. Her final 4 months were in the ICU. As a nurse, when I cared for K I did all that I could to bring joy to her life between the medications, breathing treatments and therapies she was receiving. One thing that K loved was dance parties. One Thursday morning I was caring for K and she was feeling particularly down. Unbeknownst to me, it would be my last shift caring for her. Knowing that I had to do something to brighten her mood, I asked K if she wanted to have a dance party with me which she happily agreed to. We spent that morning having a dance party to Taylor Swift’s song “Shake it Off” on repeat. K couldn’t get out of bed, but she laughed and shook her hands all around with me as I bounced around her room, wildly shaking my hands to “Shake it Off”, thinking about nothing other than making this 4 year old smile and laugh as much as I could. Later that shift, K had a sudden deterioration and passed away a few days later. I am forever thankful for those memories I have with her dancing to “Shake it Off” over and over. “Shake it Off” will forever be my favorite Taylor Swift song because of the sweet memories I have of that sunny morning in the ICU. When my young children ask to play that song now and dance around our living room shaking it off, I know K is looking down on us smiling and shaking it off with us.