For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to be a nurse. It could stem from the passion that I have for helping people. It could also come from the fact that I almost died. I was born with a ventricular septal defect - a hole in the wall of the heart’s lower chamber. Although it usually presents itself at birth, it was unknown to my parents and even the doctors. So for the first two months of my life, it was a constant battle for each breath. After a couple of hospital visits, still, no one knew what was happening. What saved me was when a traveling nurse saw my mother on the way out of the hospital as I had slipped into cardiac failure. Had she not seen me, I would not have made it home alive. I was then rushed to a hospital to do immediate open-heart surgery to save my life. I spent a couple of months in recovery after that, but it was not soon later that I needed another immediate surgery. As a result of the first surgery, I had a patent ductus arteriosus, which is an opening between the two blood vessels leading from the heart and coarctation, which blocked blood flow throughout the body. The doctors and nurses that took care of me for months in the hospital are the reason for my passion. They inspire me to want to help people and be the reason for another life in this world. I do not remember it, but the nurse that saved me gave me a second chance at life. Her knowledge allowed her to see what trained doctors missed. To me, following in those footsteps and being a nurse will allow me to give that service to someone else. Nurses truly are the backbone of this country. They are the most essential workers, and this past year has only proven just how much we need them. By going to Nursing School, I can go into a field where every single day, I can help someone. Whether it may be being a friend through a scary time, or being the caregiver to someone in need of help, I want to be that person who makes a difference. My dream is to reach the level of a nurse practitioner so that I can help as many people as possible in any way that I can. The dedication that I have for helping people, and the passion that I have to learn are both reasons why nursing is the best option in order for me to fulfill my lifelong dream. As far as inspiration goes, I use what happened to me as a child to be the foundation of my morals. I also use the inspiration from that traveling nurse that saved me to be the blueprint of who I want to be once I enter the field. I aspire to be as hardworking, and attentive when caring for all of my patients to prove to the unnamed nurse that I was worth saving. Through my practice, I intended to show compassion, empathy, and endless reassurance to all of my patients. As an African American nurse, I believe that my presence will have an immense impact due to our lack of representation within the field. Although I can not see the future, I can only hope that my inspirations will lead to a nursing practice that is both heart-warming to myself, as well as enjoyable to my patients.