I am a mother of five, working full time as well as going to school full time to achieve my goal of becoming a registered nurse. I believe that with this degree I will positively impact people's lives because I will be able to help treat patients of all levels of society, with physical or mental health issues, I would love to eventually end up being an OB nurse. I always knew I would be a caregiver, I thought that it would only be to my children but I realized I have a passion for helping people recover and heal from their ailments or just be a comfort and listen to the stories patients are willing to tell me. After having my first child I had such a mix experience with the RNs at my hospital that I decided I wanted to pursue a nursing career so that I could be a positive impact in the nursing field. With my first child everything was new and scary, I went in to be induced cause he wasn’t coming out naturally and that turned into a 17 hour labor that ultimately landed me in the OR for a cesarean section, I was accidentally exposed to MRSA so I had to be quarantined to make sure I wasn’t sick so I did not get to see my son until he was 6 hours old. I struggled for 2 days trying to get my milks supply to work but it wasn’t working and I was struggling hard I ended up asking a nurse what to do and she said “well you chose to have a baby so figure it out” I ended crying cause I was hurt, scared, bleeding and thinking I was failing at being a mother. While I quietly sobbed a kind nurse came in and comforted me, gave me some supplements, and said some kind words and encouragement and from that day on I knew who and what I wanted to be. A great mother to my children and a RN, a nurse to girls like me that just needed a shoulder to cry on or an ear to listen to. I believe that by obtaining this degree I will be able to use my kind and caring heart to help people feel safe and recover in a positive atmosphere. I am already making an impact because I am showing my children that it is never too late to start achieving your goals. I am currently working as a Certified Nurse Assistant at a care facility, specializing in long term care as well as rehab. I think working in a care facility has helped me see more than I would have been able to in any job, as well as allows me to apply the knowledge I get from my school so that I can better keep the information. I think that by obtaining my RN I can achieve my dream of becoming a neonatal nurse. Ive had my fair share of good and bad neonatal nurses, more bad than good if I am being honest and I want to change that. I want to be the familiar and kind face that mothers, new or experienced can come to rely on during such a magical time in their life. I do not want them to be silent or fear asking questions because they think its ridiculous. I want them to be able to speak freely and know I am there to help them and give them the knowledge and care they need to get through their hospital stay.

I have five kids that depend on me and work as much as I can to provide for them and still go to school full time. My kids are the reason I am doing this, if it were not for them, I would have given up by now and just settled. My kids are my reason to continue to push myself to the limit and beyond. I have a child with Autism, and he has been the reason I want to pursue the medical field, there are too many nurses and doctors that do not fully understand how to “handle” children who are different and he is a treasure. He has humbled me and taught me how to look at the world differently and appreciate the tiny things, the little wins. My son was nonverbal until he was 4 years old, we had to endure many trials and tribulations to get him as far as he has gotten, with occupational therapy, speech therapy as well as learning American Sign Language to communicate it has been extremely hard. My husband and I did not know why our son was not speaking when he was 18 months old, we just assumed he was quiet, it was not until we took him to a theme park one year to fully understand what was going on. My son was overwhelmed by the crowds and noises and could not handle it, nor could he express his discomfort verbally and ended up dropping to his knees and slammed his head into the concrete causing him to bleed. We at once got home and called our doctor who helped us through these trying times. I am so grateful for the staff we have met during this trying time for us as a family. He is now 7 years old and is speaking beautifully and thriving academically, I could not be prouder of him. During those first years I wanted to continue my schooling to obtain my RN in nursing but decided it was best to take time off and focus on him. Since then, I have been trying to go back to school to get my RN, I have a great support system I just need a little help with finances, books, and tuition, to be successful. If I were able to obtain my RN I would be a nurse that understands that people on the spectrum have certain needs that seem “weird” to those that don’t know or understand it and I would like to be there for them to help guide them and help them feel safe and comfortable in the facility so that they can receive the care they need

I am a mother of five, working full time as well as going to school full time to achieve my goal of becoming a registered nurse. I believe that with this degree I will positively impact people's lives because I will be able to help treat patients of all levels of society, with physical or mental health issues, I would love to eventually end up being an OB nurse. I always knew I would be a caregiver, I thought that it would only be to my children but I realized I have a passion for helping people recover and heal from their ailments or just be a comfort and listen to the stories patients are willing to tell me. After having my first child I had such a mix experience with the RNs at my hospital that I decided I wanted to pursue a nursing career so that I could be a positive impact in the nursing field. With my first child everything was new and scary, I went in to be induced cause he wasn’t coming out naturally and that turned into a 17 hour labor that ultimately landed me in the OR for a cesarean section, I was accidentally exposed to MRSA so I had to be quarantined to make sure I wasn’t sick so I did not get to see my son until he was 6 hours old. I struggled for 2 days trying to get my milks supply to work but it wasn’t working and I was struggling hard I ended up asking a nurse what to do and she said “well you chose to have a baby so figure it out” I ended crying cause I was hurt, scared, bleeding and thinking I was failing at being a mother. While I quietly sobbed a kind nurse came in and comforted me, gave me some supplements, and said some kind words and encouragement and from that day on I knew who and what I wanted to be. A great mother to my children and a RN, a nurse to girls like me that just needed a shoulder to cry on or an ear to listen to. I believe that by obtaining this degree I will be able to use my kind and caring heart to help people feel safe and recover in a positive atmosphere. I am already making an impact because I am showing my children that it is never too late to start achieving your goals. I am currently working as a Certified Nurse Assistant at a care facility, specializing in long term care as well as rehab. I think working in a care facility has helped me see more than I would have been able to in any job, as well as allows me to apply the knowledge I get from my school so that I can better keep the information. I think that by obtaining my RN I can achieve my dream of becoming a neonatal nurse. Ive had my fair share of good and bad neonatal nurses, more bad than good if I am being honest and I want to change that. I want to be the familiar and kind face that mothers, new or experienced can come to rely on during such a magical time in their life. I do not want them to be silent or fear asking questions because they think its ridiculous. I want them to be able to speak freely and know I am there to help them and give them the knowledge and care they need to get through their hospital stay.

I am a mother of five, working full time as well as going to school full time to achieve my goal of becoming a registered nurse. I believe that with this degree I will positively impact people's lives because I will be able to help treat patients of all levels of society, with physical or mental health issues, I would love to eventually end up being an OB nurse. I always knew I would be a caregiver, I thought that it would only be to my children but I realized I have a passion for helping people recover and heal from their ailments or just be a comfort and listen to the stories patients are willing to tell me. After having my first child I had such a mix experience with the RNs at my hospital that I decided I wanted to pursue a nursing career so that I could be a positive impact in the nursing field. With my first child everything was new and scary, I went in to be induced cause he wasn’t coming out naturally and that turned into a 17 hour labor that ultimately landed me in the OR for a cesarean section, I was accidentally exposed to MRSA so I had to be quarantined to make sure I wasn’t sick so I did not get to see my son until he was 6 hours old. I struggled for 2 days trying to get my milks supply to work but it wasn’t working and I was struggling hard I ended up asking a nurse what to do and she said “well you chose to have a baby so figure it out” I ended crying cause I was hurt, scared, bleeding and thinking I was failing at being a mother. While I quietly sobbed a kind nurse came in and comforted me, gave me some supplements, and said some kind words and encouragement and from that day on I knew who and what I wanted to be. A great mother to my children and a RN, a nurse to girls like me that just needed a shoulder to cry on or an ear to listen to. I believe that by obtaining this degree I will be able to use my kind and caring heart to help people feel safe and recover in a positive atmosphere. I am already making an impact because I am showing my children that it is never too late to start achieving your goals. I am currently working as a Certified Nurse Assistant at a care facility, specializing in long term care as well as rehab. I think working in a care facility has helped me see more than I would have been able to in any job, as well as allows me to apply the knowledge I get from my school so that I can better keep the information. I think that by obtaining my RN I can achieve my dream of becoming a neonatal nurse. Ive had my fair share of good and bad neonatal nurses, more bad than good if I am being honest and I want to change that. I want to be the familiar and kind face that mothers, new or experienced can come to rely on during such a magical time in their life. I do not want them to be silent or fear asking questions because they think its ridiculous. I want them to be able to speak freely and know I am there to help them and give them the knowledge and care they need to get through their hospital stay.

I am a mother of five, working full time as well as going to school full time to achieve my goal of becoming a registered nurse. I believe that with this degree I will positively impact people's lives because I will be able to help treat patients with physical and mental health issues. I always knew I would be a caregiver, I thought that it would only be to my children but I realized I have a passion for helping people recover and heal from their ailments or just be a comfort and listen to the stories patients are willing to tell me. After having my first child I had such a mix experience with the RNs at my hospital that I decided I wanted to pursue a nursing career so that I could be a positive impact in the nursing field. With my first child everything was new and scary, I went in to be induced cause he wasn’t coming out naturally and that turned into a 17 hour labor that ultimately landed me in the OR for a cesarean section, I was accidentally exposed to MRSA so I had to be quarantined to make sure I wasn’t sick so I did not get to see my son until he was 6 hours old. I struggled for 2 days trying to get my milks supply to work but it wasn’t working and I was struggling hard I ended up asking a nurse what to do and she said “well you chose to have a baby so figure it out” I ended crying cause I was hurt, scared, bleeding and thinking I was failing at being a mother. While I quietly sobbed a kind nurse came in and comforted me and gave me some supplements and said some kind words and encouragement and from that day on I knew who and what I wanted to be. A great mother to my children and a RN, a nurse to girls like me that just needed a shoulder to cry on or an ear to listen to. I believe that by obtaining this degree I will be able to use my kind and caring heart to help people feel safe and recover in a positive atmosphere. I am currently working as a Certified Nurse Assistant at a care facility, specializing in long term care as well as rehab. Most of my shifts I work on the rehab side of the facility. I usually see the same patients for a while so I have gotten to know them fairly well, they ask me about my school, what type of degree I am working towards and I cannot think of a single one I spoke to that did not have a reason or response as to why I would be bad at it. A patient once told me that they have been in the facility a long time and so they have seen a lot of healthcare workers and there were good ones, but very few and far between, but they said that if anyone deserved the title RN, it would be me. The patient told me of how kind hearted and caring I am to them. That it did not matter how big or small the task was I was always smiling and eager to do the job. I found this essay through Bold

I am a mother of five, working full time as well as going to school full time to achieve my goal of becoming a registered nurse. I believe that with this degree I will positively impact people's lives because I will be able to help treat patients with physical and mental health issues. I always knew I would be a caregiver, I thought that it would only be to my children but I realized I have a passion for helping people recover and heal from their ailments or just be a comfort and listen to the stories patients are willing to tell me. After having my first child I had such a mix experience with the RNs at my hospital that I decided I wanted to pursue a nursing career so that I could be a positive impact in the nursing field. With my first child everything was new and scary, I went in to be induced cause he wasn’t coming out naturally and that turned into a 17 hour labor that ultimately landed me in the OR for a cesarean section, I was accidentally exposed to MRSA so I had to be quarantined to make sure I wasn’t sick so I did not get to see my son until he was 6 hours old. I struggled for 2 days trying to get my milks supply to work but it wasn’t working and I was struggling hard I ended up asking a nurse what to do and she said “well you chose to have a baby so figure it out” I ended crying cause I was hurt, scared, bleeding and thinking I was failing at being a mother. While I quietly sobbed a kind nurse came in and comforted me and gave me some supplements and said some kind words and encouragement and from that day on I knew who and what I wanted to be. A great mother to my children and a RN, a nurse to girls like me that just needed a shoulder to cry on or an ear to listen to. I believe that by obtaining this degree I will be able to use my kind and caring heart to help people feel safe and recover in a positive atmosphere.

I am a single mother of 4 beautiful children and I have tried to work, go to school and take care of my kids for the past ten years and unfortunately it's gotten too hard to afford it all and I unfortunately had to leave school so I could care for my kids and pay the bills. Though that has been a challenge and disheartening, I would not change it for the world. My kids are my everything. My 8 year old son is my biggest cheerleader helping me as much as he can to succeed in my goals because he knows I am not just doing this for myself but for them. I want to achieve my RN to help people and better provide for my children. After getting accepted to Simpson University, my five year old daughter has been telling everyone that I am a "doctor" she is already proud and excited for this new journey we have all been working towards for a long time. After so many years and going through a few different programs and colleges I have finally found a school that works with my kids' school hours as well as my work hours. The only thing I would need help with is tuition and books. If I could afford to pay my tuition it would completely change my life and my kids' lives. I would be able to provide a better life for my children as well as work the job of my dreams. I have always wanted to be a pediatric RN and with this degree I will be able to achieve that goal. This journey has been tough but up to this point it has been rewarding because it's showing my kids that no matter your age you can still accomplish anything you put your mind to, and that never giving up builds character, patience and humility. As hard as it has been I am thankful everything has not been handed to me because I feel I would have taken this opportunity for granted and shown my kids that money is the answer to all, and even though money does help, it's better to have earned the dollar rather than be handed it. If awarded this scholarship I would be able to achieve my goals and be able to finish my schooling and make my children proud as well as proud of myself for sticking with it and not quitting again due to not being able to afford it.

My greatest loss that I have ever experienced was the loss of my best friend, she was like a sister to me. It was in high school, I met her my freshman year, I only had a few year’s worth of knowing this beautiful soul and she was in a terrible car accident that killed her instantly our junior/senior year. This changed my view on life greatly. She was a “live fast die young” kind of mentality, always the life of the party. She was the smartest person I knew, I was sure she would either be the greatest lawyer anyone could dream of or the one who cured cancer, she had so much to give and live for, it was a devastating loss that left me pretty empty for a long while. I feel like I was just going through the motions for a long time when it came to “living” because if someone with so much to live for died so young and me being such an “average Joe” kind of person, what was the point of striving? She was the top of our class and I was just barely making it so other than no degree jobs what other jobs could I strive for? Once I started having kids, I named one of them after her, I began to wonder where she would’ve been at this point in her life if she was still here and what she would have to say about my life, and I know she would support me in all I have done up until now but she always pushed me to get a career. So I decided that now that all my kids were grown enough to go to school it was time I took the plunge and went back myself. I surprised myself in showing myself and others that if you put your mind to it you can achieve anything, Ive been keeping good grades at the classes I have taken so far. I am going to a university to get my BSN in Nursing and I think my friend is looking down on me just proud of me for doing all I am, having 4 beautiful children while going to school and working full time to provide for them. I need this scholarship to be able to afford to go to school and provide for my family while doing so. If awarded this scholarship I can focus on my schooling and not worry about finances so that I can obtain this degree and give back where I can.

I am a mother of five, working full time as well as going to school full time to achieve my goal of becoming a registered nurse. I believe that with this degree I will positively impact people's lives because I will be able to help treat patients with physical and mental health issues. I always knew I would be a caregiver, I thought that it would only be to my children but I realized I have a passion for helping people recover and heal from their ailments. After having my first child I had such a mix experience with the RNs at my hospital that I decided I wanted to pursue a nursing career so that I could be a positive impact in the nursing field. I believe that by obtaining this degree I will be able to use my kind and caring heart to help people feel safe and recover in a positive atmosphere. I would like to believe I am already making an impact because I am showing my children that it is never too late to start achieving your goals. That you are not too old to start from the bottom. I am showing students almost half my age that I can keep up. I am proving to myself and my peers that if you put in enough effort and planning you can achieve all, school, work and family, it can be done. I am currently working as a Certified Nurse Assistant at a care facility, specializing in long term care as well as rehab. Most of my shifts I work on the rehab side of the facility. I usually see the same patients for a while so I have gotten to know them fairly well, they ask me about my school, what type of degree I am working towards and I cannot think of a single one I spoke to that did not have a reason or response as to why I would be bad at it. A patient once told me that they have been in the facility a long time and so they have seen a lot of healthcare workers and there were good ones, but very few and far between, but they said that if anyone deserved the title RN, it would be me. The patient told me of how kind hearted and caring I am to them. That it did not matter how big or small the task was I was always smiling and eager to do the job. I have also had many patients and coworkers comment on how I always have a smile on my face and have an approachable attitude all the time. I think that by obtaining my RN I can use this to help me in my career path. I would very much like to become a neonatal nurse. Ive had my fair share of good and bad neonatal nurses, more bad then good if I am being honest and I want to change that. I want to be the familiar and kind face that mothers, new or experienced can come to rely on during such a magical time in their life. I do not want them to be silent or fear asking questions because they think its ridiculous. I want them to be able to speak freely and know I am there to help them and give them the knowledge and care they need to get through their hospital stay.

I am a mother of five, working full time as well as going to school full time to achieve my goal of becoming a registered nurse. I believe that with this degree I will positively impact people's lives because I will be able to help treat patients with physical and mental health issues. I always knew I would be a caregiver, I thought that it would only be to my children but I realized I have a passion for helping people recover and heal from their ailments. After having my first child I had such a mix experience with the RNs at my hospital that I decided I wanted to pursue a nursing career so that I could be a positive impact in the nursing field. I believe that by obtaining this degree I will be able to use my kind and caring heart to help people feel safe and recover in a positive atmosphere. Il like to believe I am already making an impact because I am showing my children that it is never too late to start achieving your goals. That you are not too old to start from the bottom. I am showing students almost half my age that I can keep up. I am proving to myself and my peers that if you put in enough effort and planning you can achieve all, school, work and family, it can be done. I am currently working as a Certified Nurse Assistant at a care facility, specializing in long term care as well as rehab. Most of my shifts I work on the rehab side of the facility. I usually see the same patients for a while so I have gotten to know them fairly well, they ask me about my school, what type of degree I am working towards and I cannot think of a single one I spoke to that did not have a reason or response as to why I would be bad at it. A patient once told me that they have been in the facility a long time and so they have seen a lot of healthcare workers and there were good ones, but very few and far between, but they said that if anyone deserved the title RN, it would be me. The patient told me of how kind hearted and caring I am to them. That it did not matter how big or small the task was I was always smiling and eager to do the job. I have also had many patients and coworkers comment on how I always have a smile on my face and have an approachable attitude all the time. I think that by obtaining my RN I can use this to help me in my career path. I would very much like to become a neonatal nurse. Ive had my fair share of good and bad neonatal nurses, more bad then good if I am being honest and I want to change that. I want to be the familiar and kind face that mothers, new or experienced can come to rely on during such a magical time in their life. I do not want them to be silent or fear asking questions because they think its ridiculous. I want them to be able to speak freely and know I am there to help them and give them the knowledge and care they need to get through their hospital stay.

I am a mother of five, working full time as well as going to school full time to achieve my goal of becoming a registered nurse. I believe that with this degree I will positively impact people's lives because I will be able to help treat patients with physical and mental health issues. I always knew I would be a caregiver, I thought that it would only be to my children but I realized I have a passion for helping people recover and heal from their ailments. After having my first child I had such a mix experience with the RNs at my hospital that I decided I wanted to pursue a nursing career so that I could be a positive impact in the nursing field. I believe that by obtaining this degree I will be able to use my kind and caring heart to help people feel safe and recover in a positive atmosphere. Il like to believe I am already making an impact because I am showing my children that it is never too late to start achieving your goals. That you are not too old to start from the bottom. I am showing students almost half my age that I can keep up. I am proving to myself and my peers that if you put in enough effort and planning you can achieve all, school, work and family, it can be done. I am currently working as a CNA at a care facility, specializing in long term. Most of my shifts I work on the rehab side of the facility. I usually see the same patients for a while so I have gotten to know them fairly well, they ask me about my school, what type of degree I am working towards and I cannot think of a single one I spoke to that did not have a reason or response as to why I would be bad at it. A patient once told me that they have been in the facility a long time and so they have seen a lot of healthcare workers and there were good ones, but very few and far between, but they said that if anyone deserved the title RN, it would be me. The patient told me of how kind hearted and caring I am to them. That it did not matter how big or small the task was I was always smiling and eager to do the job. I have also had many patients and coworkers comment on how I always have a smile on my face and have an approachable attitude all the time. I think that by obtaining my RN I can use this to help me in my career path. I would very much like to become a neonatal nurse. Ive had my fair share of good and bad neonatal nurses, more bad then good if I am being honest and I want to change that. I want to be the familiar and kind face that mothers, new or experienced can come to rely on during such a magical time in their life. I do not want them to be silent or fear asking questions because they think its ridiculous. I want them to be able to speak freely and know I am there to help them and give them the knowledge and care they need to get through their hospital stay. This degree will help me financially support my family as well as be able to give back to my church and community and be able to serve god wherever he leads me.

I am a mother of five, working full time as well as going to school full time to achieve my goal of becoming a registered nurse. I believe that with this degree I will positively impact people's lives because I will be able to help treat patients with physical and mental health issues. I always knew I would be a caregiver, I thought that it would only be to my children but I realized I have a passion for helping people recover and heal from their ailments. After having my first child I had such a mix experience with the RNs at my hospital that I decided I wanted to pursue a nursing career so that I could be a positive impact in the nursing field. I believe that by obtaining this degree I will be able to use my kind and caring heart to help people feel safe and recover in a positive atmosphere. Il like to believe I am already making an impact because I am showing my children that it is never too late to start achieving your goals. That you are not too old to start from the bottom. I am showing students almost half my age that I can keep up. I am proving to myself and my peers that if you put in enough effort and planning you can achieve all, school, work and family, it can be done. I am currently working as a Certified Nurse Assistant at a care facility, specializing in long term care as well as rehab. Most of my shifts I work on the rehab side of the facility. I usually see the same patients for a while so I have gotten to know them fairly well, they ask me about my school, what type of degree I am working towards and I cannot think of a single one I spoke to that did not have a reason or response as to why I would be bad at it. A patient once told me that they have been in the facility a long time and so they have seen a lot of healthcare workers and there were good ones, but very few and far between, but they said that if anyone deserved the title RN, it would be me. The patient told me of how kind hearted and caring I am to them. That it did not matter how big or small the task was I was always smiling and eager to do the job. I have also had many patients and coworkers comment on how I always have a smile on my face and have an approachable attitude all the time. I think that by obtaining my RN I can use this to help me in my career path. I would very much like to become a neonatal nurse. Ive had my fair share of good and bad neonatal nurses, more bad then good if I am being honest and I want to change that. I want to be the familiar and kind face that mothers, new or experienced can come to rely on during such a magical time in their life. I do not want them to be silent or fear asking questions because they think its ridiculous. I want them to be able to speak freely and know I am there to help them and give them the knowledge and care they need to get through their hospital stay.

I am a mother of 4 beautiful children and I have tried to work, go to school and take care of my kids for the past ten years and unfortunately it's gotten too hard to afford it all and I unfortunately had to leave school so I could care for my kids and pay the bills. Though that has been a challenge and disheartening, I would not change it for the world. My kids are my everything. My 8-year-old son is my biggest cheerleader helping me as much as he can to succeed in my goals because he knows I am not just doing this for myself but for them. I want to achieve my RN to help people and better provide for my children. After getting into Simpson University, my five-year-old daughter has been telling everyone that I am a "doctor" she is already proud and excited for this new journey we have all been working towards for a long time. After so many years and going through a few different programs and colleges I have finally found a school that works with my kids' school hours as well as my work hours. The only thing I would need help with is tuition and books. If I could afford to pay my tuition it would completely change my life and my kids' lives. I would be able to provide a better life for my children as well as work the job of my dreams. I have always wanted to be a pediatric RN and with this degree I will be able to achieve that goal. This journey has been tough but up to this point it has been rewarding because it's showing my kids that no matter your age you can still accomplish anything you put your mind to, and that never giving up builds character, patience and humility. This all ties into LGBTQ for me because my partner and I identify as bisexual. Growing up I was always labeled a “tomboy” because of the way I dressed or acted and high school was a very weird time for me because I found both boys and girls attractive but it was not socially acceptable for same sex relationships so I hid that part away for so long I did not feel like I was always 100% me, until I met my partner and he shared his story with me. We continue to raise our kids to never be afraid to express themselves and to be unapologetically themselves, and I feel like that is what the LGBTQ community really stands for, is to be different, dare to be bold and never apologize for being unique.

1 am a single mother of 4 beautiful children and I have tried to work, go to school and take care of my kids for the past ten years and unfortunately it's gotten too hard to afford it all and I unfortunately had to leave school so I could care for my kids and pay the bills. Though that has been a challenge and disheartening, I would not change it for the world. My kids are my everything. My 8 year old son is my biggest cheerleader helping me as much as he can to succeed in my goals because he knows I am not just doing this for myself but for them. I want to achieve my RN to help people and better provide for my children. After getting accepted to Simpson University, my five year old daughter has been telling everyone that I am a "doctor" she is already proud and excited for this new journey we have all been working towards for a long time. After so many years and going through a few different programs and colleges I have finally found a school that works with my kids' school hours as well as my work hours. If I could afford to pay my tuition it would completely change my life and my kids' lives. I would be able to provide a better life for my children as well as work the job of my dreams. I have always wanted to be a pediatric RN and with this degree I will be able to achieve that goal. This journey has been tough but up to this point it has been rewarding because it's showing my kids that with hard work you can make your dreams come true.

The professional field I would like to be in is the medical. I want to be an RN, specifically a OB RN. I need this scholarship because i cannot afford my tuition and school supplies without help due to the size of my family. I have 5 kids that depend on me and work as much as I can to provide for them and still go to school full time. My kids are the reason I am doing this, if it was not for them I would’ve given up by now and just settled. My kids are my reason to continue to push myself to the limit and beyond. I have a child with Autism and he has been the reason I want to pursue the medical field, there are too many nurses and doctors that don’t fully understand how to “handle” children who are different and he is a treasure. He has humbled me and taught me how to look at the world differently and appreciate the little things, the little wins. I listen to metal because my husband got me into it but mostly because it takes me to a different place than where I am when I listen to it. I love reading books and listening to music, especially metal music, I feel like im in another world. I would say my favorite is more like Post Hardcore Metal. I love screams and squeals but I also love that artist can sing cleans as well. I think my favorites have to be Bring Me The Horizon, Linkin Park, Catch Your Breath, Mangolia Park, Escape the Fate and Falling in Reverse. Other talents like Skillet and Billmuri are good too. I like to go to Aftershock because then I get to enjoy all my favorite artists at a festival for four days. I think that being in a crowd of people tha love the same music as you or is just experiencing them for the first time is an amazing feeling.

1 am a single mother of 4 beautiful children and I have tried to work, go to school and take care of my kids for the past ten years and unfortunately it's gotten too hard to afford it all and I unfortunately had to leave school so I could care for my kids and pay the bills. Though that has been a challenge and disheartening, I would not change it for the world. My kids are my everything. My 8 year old son is my biggest cheerleader helping me as much as he can to succeed in my goals because he knows I am not just doing this for myself but for them. I want to achieve my RN to help people and better provide for my children. After getting accepted to Simpson University, my five year old daughter has been telling everyone that I am a "doctor" she is already proud and excited for this new journey we have all been working towards for a long time. After so many years and going through a few different programs and colleges I have finally found a school that works with my kids' school hours as well as my work hours. The only thing I would need help with is tuition and books. If I could afford to pay my tuition it would completely change my life and my kids' lives. I would be able to provide a better life for my children as well as work the job of my dreams. I have always wanted to be a pediatric RN and with this degree I will be able to achieve that goal. This journey has been tough but up to this point it has been rewarding because it's showing my kids that no matter your age you can still accomplish anything you put your mind to, and that never giving up builds character, patience and humility. As hard as it has been 1 am thankful everything has not been handed to me because I feel I would have taken this opportunity for granted and shown my kids that money is the answer to all, and even though money does help, it's better to have earned the dollar rather than be handed it. If awarded this scholarship I would be able to achieve my goals and be able to finish my schooling and make my children proud as well as proud of myself for sticking with it and not quitting again due to not being able to afford it.

Growing up I always had a “motherly” instinct that my mother always said I would be a great mom, my dad was probably my real reason for an interest in healthcare since he was a paramedic. I never really thought I would pursue healthcare like my father but after seeing my step mother be a ER nurse most of her life I thought maybe to give my hand at being a CNA since I loved helping people, but it wasnt until I had my kids that I decided to pursue being a nurse. My first child was a very scary time for me, my husband and I were in a new relationship when I got pregnant and he had had a child before but wasnt allowed in the room after his child was born, so we both panicked when it came time for breastfeeding. I was struggling to produce and had frantically tried everything and had sheepishly asked a nurse what i could do cause I was cracked and bleeding and unsure if it was good for the baby and her response was “well you signed up for this so suck it up and feed your baby, bleeding or not just suffer through it or dont have kids” needless to say I began to cry cause only 6 hours into motherhood and already felt like I was failing my son, but before I could get completely down on myself a different nurse came into my room and offered me some advice and said “some moms produce and some do not and that’s okay, you can use formula when its needed and it wont hurt your baby.” After that the lactation nurse came into and helped me out and everything turned out fine, I had 3 more after. I never forgot that encounter with the two different nurses and told myself that I wanted to become a nurse so that I could become half the nurse that the second one was because being a first time mother is hard we dont need more mean nurses in this world. I have since been trying to raise my kids and work towards achieving my dream to become a nurse. It has been a long and hard road, nearly 10 years in the making but every minute has been worth it because I could not imagine being anything else but a nurse. I hope you can consider me

Growing up I have always enjoyed having my hair a different color, having piercings and when I was of age, getting tattoos. I felt these things helped me express who I am as a person, unfortunately though, my chosen career has always frowned on it. I have always dreamed of working in the medical field and though recently things have changed, but I feel the medical field still has a long way to go before I think I would be happy. I started my career path in the medical field more than 10 years ago and when I started you could not have any tattoos, your hair had to be a natural color, and piercings were limited to only on the ears. Now i understand certain piercings are prohibited for safety purposes so I had no issue with that but my concern was always towards the hair color and tattoos being considered as unacceptable. I remember a time where I had dyed my hair an “unnatural” color and I had tattoos, not as many as I do now, and I was looking for employment. I had just had a baby and needed extra money to care for him, I was reliable, had a care, daycare set up as well as alternative transportation and an on call babysitter if something were to happen, I am educated, polite and professional, I was practically over qualified for the jobs I had applied to, which was a total of 10 different jobs and facilities and all but one refused to even interview me when they saw me drop my resume off with them. One place in particular I heard the manager tell the clerk I had handed my resume to that never in a million years would they ever hire a person who looked like me because, to them, I looked like “trailer trash” that I must have lied on my resume to try to get employment. Even the job that did end up giving me the chance asked me to dye my hair a natural color before starting my first shift. I think as a society we are closing ourselves off by not allowing people to express themselves in the way they look. I should not have to wear a wig to hide my dyed hair or wear turtlenecks to hide my ink. Being a woman with piercings and tattoos does not make me illiterate or mean that I am stupid or untrustworthy. As a matter of fact, the facility I work for now as a part time CNA, there are patients and visitors who actively seek me out to care for them or their loved ones because they know I know how to do my job, and I do it well. I have had patients tell me that with my smarts and caring heart I will be an exceptional nurse, and I intend to be, and I hope that by the time I fulfill my dream that the stigma piercings, tattoos and dyed hair have are all mostly if not completely erased. My purple hair and tattoos do not define my education or skill to do my job, and I should not be judged for it, and pray one day I will not be considered a “low life” for the way I choose to express myself.

I unfortunately have had many challenges occur in my life but I think a challenge for me that led me to personal growth was dealing with my speech impediment. When I was younger I had a very bad stutter, that my mother swears my older sister created within me due to talking over me, making me anxious so I would blurt out words, smooshing them together or stuttering on certain parts of words (like “statistically.”) It became so embarrassing stumbling over words that it would cause me so much anxiety and stress that I inevitably tried not to speak to people unless I felt very comfortable around them, otherwise I just avoided conversation completely. When I was young certain words would make my stutter come out and kids being kids, would make fun of me. I would get embarrassed and turn tomato red which would make kids laugh at me even more so I would try to avoid the words that exposed my stutter. I used to be really good at avoiding them or switching words that meant the same thing, but realized I was not doing myself any favors by avoiding the words. In ways avoiding the words helped me grow my vocabulary as well as making me an exceptionally good writer and reader. Which in my eyes is a win and helped with personal growth but it did not give me fulfillment because I was just avoiding words, so I used to take the words I had trouble with and I would look at myself in the mirror and repeat the words until I would no longer get tongue tied on them. When I became confident with the words, I moved on to tongue twisters to help myself not get so hung up on certain words. As I worked on this I slowly would reintroduce the words and phrases into my daily vocabulary which gave me more confidence and in turn, helped me to not stutter on the words anymore. As I have grown I have come across people who have had similar speech impediments and who have helped me embrace mine, to where I do not get as self conscious as I used to when I stutter or mess words up. It is still embarrassing every so often when I misspeak a word or phrase but through learning and growing I have come to understand that nobody is perfect, we all have our flaws and we all choose to accept them, hide them, or just roll with it.

I am a single mother of 4 beautiful children and I have tried to work, go to school and take care of my kids for the past ten years and unfortunately it's gotten too hard to afford it all and I unfortunately had to leave school so I could care for my kids and pay the bills. Though that has been a challenge and disheartening, I would not change it for the world. My kids are my everything. My 8 year old son is my biggest cheerleader helping me as much as he can to succeed in my goals because he knows I am not just doing this for myself but for them. I want to achieve my RN to help people and better provide for my children. After getting accepted to Simpson University, my five year old daughter has been telling everyone that I am a “doctor” she is already proud and excited for this new journey we have all been working towards for a long time. After so many years and going through a few different programs and colleges I have finally found a school that works with my kids’ school hours as well as my work hours. The only thing I would need help with is tuition and books. If I could afford to pay my tuition it would completely change my life and my kids' lives. I would be able to provide a better life for my children as well as work the job of my dreams. I have always wanted to be a pediatric RN and with this degree I will be able to achieve that goal. This journey has been tough but up to this point it has been rewarding because it's showing my kids that no matter your age you can still accomplish anything you put your mind to, and that never giving up builds character, patience and humility. As hard as it has been I am thankful everything has not been handed to me because I feel I would have taken this opportunity for granted and shown my kids that money is the answer to all, and even though money does help, it’s better to have earned the dollar rather than be handed it. If awarded this scholarship I would be able to achieve my goals and be able to finish my schooling and make my children proud as well as proud of myself for sticking with it and not quitting again due to not being able to afford it.

I am a mother of five, working full time as well as going to school full time to achieve my goal of becoming a registered nurse. I believe that with this degree I will positively impact people’s lives because I will be able to help treat patients with physical and mental health issues. I always knew I would be a caregiver, I thought that it would only be to my children but I realized I have a passion for helping people recover and heal from their ailments. After having my first child I had such a mix experience with the RNs at my hospital that I decided I wanted to pursue a nursing career so that I could be a positive impact in the nursing field. I believe that by obtaining this degree I will be able to use my kind and caring heart to help people feel safe and recover in a positive atmosphere. II like to believe I am already making an impact because I am showing my children that it is never too late to start achieving your goals. That you are not too old to start from the bottom. I am showing students almost half my age that I can keep up. I am proving to myself and my peers that if you put in enough effort and planning you can achieve all, school, work and family, it can be done. I am currently working as a Certified Nurse Assistant at a care facility, specializing in long term care as well as rehab. Most of my shifts I work on the rehab side of the facility. I usually see the same patients for a while so I have gotten to know them fairly well, they ask me about my school, what type of degree I am working towards and I cannot think of a single one I spoke to that did not have a reason or response as to why I would be bad at it. A patient once told me that they have been in the facility a long time and so they have seen a lot of healthcare workers and there were good ones, but very few and far between, but they said that if anyone deserved the title RN, it would be me. The patient told me of how kind hearted and caring I am to them. That it did not matter how big or small the task was I was always smiling and eager to do the job. I have also had many patients and coworkers comment on how I always have a smile on my face and have an approachable attitude all the time. I think that by obtaining my RN I can use this to help me in my career path. I would very much like to become a neonatal nurse. Ive had my fair share of good and bad neonatal nurses, more bad then good if I am being honest and I want to change that. I want to be the familiar and kind face that mothers, new or experienced can come to rely on during such a magical time in their life. I do not want them to be silent or fear asking questions because they think its ridiculous. I want them to be able to speak freely and know I am there to help them and give them the knowledge and care they need to get through their hospital stay.