Hello! My name is Keianna. A little bit about me, I was born in Fairfax, VA, but have lived in Virginia Beach since 2019. I swam for 5 years and have been playing softball since 2020. I am going into my senior year at Princess Anne High School and plan to continue my education at either, The University of South Carolina, or The University of Cincinnati. Life has been like navigating a maze with no map, each turn presenting new challenges and uncertainties. The situations I’ve been put into during my life have taught me to not only care deeply for others but also cherish the little things with the people around me. On October 31st, 2022, a knock informed my mother and me of the almost life-ending crash my father experienced that completely changed our lives. The restricted environment of the hospital became our new normal. School days skipped, jobs lost, bills expected, and the final note stating, “You have 60 days to vacate this property,” all blended. I thought it was temporary, I figured everything would get better, things would go back to normal, and I would be happy again. This experience of witnessing my father's accident and the subsequent changes in our lives deeply impacted me. Seeing the compassion, skill, and ability to provide comfort during a difficult time sparked a deep desire within me to pursue nursing. I realized I wanted to be a part of a profession that makes a tangible difference in people's lives, offering support and healing when they need it most. There’s a certain surreal quality to calling a hotel room “home.” The constant change and lack of a stable environment have instilled in me a strong sense of adaptability and resilience. This experience has taught me to embrace uncertainty and to find comfort in the unfamiliar. This mindset is crucial for my future. It allows me to approach challenges with a proactive attitude, viewing them as opportunities for growth rather than obstacles. This adaptability will be invaluable in higher education, where I will encounter new subjects, diverse perspectives, and demanding workloads. Furthermore, the experience has fueled my desire for stability and a sense of belonging. This motivates me to pursue higher education, as it represents a pathway to a more secure and fulfilling future. The scholarship would reduce financial burdens, allowing me to focus on my studies and fully immerse myself in the academic environment. I plan to specialize in pediatric nursing, particularly for children with disabilities, with the long-term goal of traveling. I envision bringing my compassion and skills to different communities, always remaining mindful of cultural differences. To enhance my ability to connect with and care for these children, I am eager to learn new languages and skills, such as sign language and more. This will enable me to communicate more effectively, build trust, and bridge communication gaps. Ultimately, I strive to provide the highest standard of care to all my patients, regardless of their abilities or backgrounds.

Nursing is like planting a garden; you nurture each seed with care, providing the right conditions for growth. Similarly, my career goal as a nurse is to encourage health and well-being in my community, tending to each patient with personalized attention. Initially, as a little girl with big dreams, I wanted to be a teacher. I wanted to help shape the minds of our future generations, all thanks to the few teachers who made me love being in school myself. Later, in my middle school years, my family struggled with low income, so that's when I knew I wanted to be a lawyer to help others like me in the future. It wasn't until I connected with children with disabilities in my high school that my true calling bloomed. Volunteering in the special education building of my high school for 3 years opened my eyes to the deep impact of compassionate care. I witnessed the resilience of these children and the difference a dedicated mentor can make. Being placed into various levels of disabilities and seeing all the different types of teaching and care made me realize this is where I am supposed to be. This was further solidified during my father's stay in the ICU, where I saw firsthand the critical role nurses play in life-saving care. These experiences ignited a passion within me to combine my love for education, my desire to advocate, and my commitment to hands-on support. Now, I plan on specializing in pediatric nursing, particularly for children with disabilities. I also aspire to become a travel nurse, bringing my skills to underserved communities and gaining diverse experiences along the way. I envision creating a safe and empowering environment where they can thrive. Just as a gardener rejoices in the blossoming of their plants, I aspire to celebrate each milestone in my patients' journeys, fostering health equity and making a lasting difference in their lives. Coming from a family with a strong tradition of military service on both my mother's and father's sides, I've grown up hearing stories of dedication, sacrifice, and commitment to our country. While I'm still exploring my path and unsure if the military is the right fit for me, I deeply respect their experiences and the values they hold. My family encourages me to consider following in their footsteps, and I'm carefully weighing my options as I navigate my future, considering how I can best contribute to society and make a positive impact on the world.

Hello! My name is Keianna. I am a 1st/3rd baseman for my high school and travel softball teams. I am passionate about improving my skills and exploring new positions. I love my two main positions, but the feeling of a coach being able to rely on you in any spot is a top-tier feeling. I am proud to say that this past summer, with my 1st-year organization, we went 14-11 and finished as champions at one of our tournaments. Beyond athletics, I love being involved in the school. I've been helping the Class of 2026 since my freshman year and was recently the service and spirit chair for our junior year. I have a deep passion for psychology and was a member of our 2024-2025 psychology club, where I had the opportunity to hear many guest speakers share their experiences in the field. Another cause I am deeply passionate about and plan to continue to help with throughout college is fighting for the low-income. As a low-income student myself, I understand the struggles and hardships of having to rely on others, so when I found out about WeAreVB, a club where we would collaborate with other local schools and put together drives for students and families that needed support. I knew I had to get involved. To continue this, I have spent all 3 years and plan on continuing in my 4th year, helping the special education building that is a part of our school. I help teachers plan and organize class structures and after-school activities, like winter dances and rodeo cookouts, while also interacting with students from all different levels. This past year, I was placed into a lower functioning class, and while the students didn't interact as much, I still loved getting to know their personalities and interests. This year, I also had the pleasure of going to summer camp with some of these students after the school year ended, and seeing them in their own element in the different places outside of the school building was truly amazing. Besides athletics and academics, I love hanging out with loved ones, seeing new places, and trying new foods. I want to be a travel nurse in the future so I can experience different places, interact with new people and cultures, as well as help people from all over the world. I think it is very important to be educated on the surrounding cultures and learning the things that are important to others around us, and I think understanding this stuff will help me become a better nurse in the future.