I have been a nurse for almost 10 years. During my time in the healthcare industry I have had the opportunity to care for many different patients. I have cared for NICU babies and their families, laboring mothers and then their newborns, children and their families in outpatient clinics, and students in school ranging from preschool to high school. I have experienced firsthand just how beneficial or detrimental our healthcare system can be. During my time as a nurse one passion has remained constant, mental health. I have seen just how damaging a lack of affordable and accessible mental health care can be. Whether that was the mother of a drug dependent NICU baby, who desperately needed addiction counseling. Or the laboring mother who is going to deliver a baby that passed away in utero, that desperately needs bereavement therapy. Or the middle school student who has been bullied and ostracized for their sexual orientation, who can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel and feels there is no way out. Or the elementary school student who struggles with a mental illness, but whose parents are in denial that anything is wrong. I have seen each and every one of these scenarios. I have seen how the lack of mental health care can devastate an entire family unit. Our mental health system in this country is fatally flawed. There is a lack of providers, a lack of understanding, a lack of support. A stigma still runs rampant in our society. My goal is to become a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner so I can be part of the change. I believe I can make a difference in my community. After graduating I will focus my practice on caring for those who are part of the underserved population. Whether that is the homeless drug addict, the new mother in a domestic violence situation, the refugee child, the immigrant. Everyone deserves to have access to affordable, unbiased healthcare. But even more specifically, everyone deserves access to mental health care. Everyone deserves having someone to listen. Everyone deserves having someone on their team. I want to be that someone. I want to be part of the change. This scholarship would be so meaningful in helping me achieve my goal of becoming a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. It would allow me to reach and serve the vulnerable individuals in my community. It would help me save lives.

I have been a nurse for almost 10 years. During my time in the healthcare industry I've had the opportunity to care for many different patients. I have cared for NICU babies and their families, laboring mothers and then their newborns, children and their families in outpatient clinics, and students in school ranging from preschool to high school. I have experienced firsthand just how beneficial or detrimental our healthcare system can be. During my time as a nurse one passion has remained constant, mental health. I have seen just how damaging a lack of affordable and accessible mental health care can be. Whether that was the mother of a drug dependent NICU baby, who desperately needed addiction counseling. Or the laboring mother who is going to deliver a baby that passed away in utero, that desperately needs bereavement therapy. Or the middle school student who has been bullied and ostracized for their sexual orientation, who can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel and feels there is no way out. Or the elementary school student who struggles with a mental illness, but whose parents are in denial that anything is wrong. I have seen each and every one of these scenarios. I have seen how the lack of mental health care can devastate an entire family unit. Our mental health system in this country is fatally flawed. There is a lack of providers, a lack of understanding, a lack of support. A stigma still runs rampant in our society. My goal is to become a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner so I can be part of the change. I believe I can make a difference in my community. After graduating I will focus my practice on caring for those who are part of the underserved population. Whether that is the homeless drug addict, the new mother in a domestic violence situation, the refugee child, the immigrant. Everyone deserves to have access to affordable, unbiased healthcare. But even more specifically, everyone deserves access to mental health care. Everyone deserves having someone to listen, having someone on their team. I want to be that someone, to be part of the change. This scholarship would be meaningful in helping me achieve my goal of becoming a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. It would allow me to reach and serve the vulnerable individuals in my community. It would help me save lives.

I have been a nurse for almost 9 years. During my time in the healthcare industry I have had the opportunity to care for many different patients. I have cared for NICU babies and their families, laboring mothers and then their newborns, children and their families in outpatient clinics, and students in school ranging from preschool to high school. I have experienced firsthand just how beneficial or detrimental our healthcare system can be. During my time as a nurse one passion has remained constant, mental health. I have seen just how damaging a lack of affordable and accessible mental health care can be. Whether that was the mother of a drug dependent NICU baby, who desperately needed addiction counseling. Or the laboring mother who is going to deliver a baby that passed away in utero, that desperately needs bereavement therapy. Or the middle school student who has been bullied and ostracized for their sexual orientation, who can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel and feels there is no way out. Or the elementary school student who struggles with a mental illness, but whose parents are in denial that anything is wrong. I have seen each and every one of these scenarios. I have seen how the lack of mental health care can devastate an entire family unit. Our mental health system in this country is fatally flawed. There is a lack of providers, a lack of understanding, a lack of support. A stigma still runs rampant in our society. My goal is to become a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner so I can be part of the change. I believe I can make a difference in my community. After graduating I will focus my practice on caring for those who are part of the underserved population. Whether that is the homeless drug addict, the new mother in a domestic violence situation, the refugee child, the immigrant. Everyone deserves to have access to affordable, unbiased healthcare. But even more specifically, everyone deserves access to mental health care. Everyone deserves having someone to listen. Everyone deserves having someone on their team. I want to be that someone. I want to be part of the change. This scholarship would be so meaningful in helping me achieve my goal of becoming a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. It would allow me to reach and serve the vulnerable individuals in my community. It would help me save lives.

I have been a nurse for almost 9 years. During my time in the healthcare industry I have had the opportunity to care for many different patients. I have cared for NICU babies and their families, laboring mothers and then their newborns, children and their families in outpatient clinics, and students in school ranging from preschool to high school. I have experienced firsthand just how beneficial or detrimental our healthcare system can be. During my time as a nurse one passion has remained constant, mental health. I have seen just how damaging a lack of affordable and accessible mental health care can be. Whether that was the mother of a drug dependent NICU baby, who desperately needed addiction counseling. Or the laboring mother who is going to deliver a baby that passed away in utero, that desperately needs bereavement therapy. Or the middle school student who has been bullied and ostracized for their sexual orientation, who can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel and feels there is no way out. Or the elementary school student who struggles with a mental illness, but whose parents are in denial that anything is wrong. I have seen each and every one of these scenarios. I have seen how the lack of mental health care can devastate an entire family unit. Our mental health system in this country is fatally flawed. There is a lack of providers, a lack of understanding, a lack of support. A stigma still runs rampant in our society. My goal is to become a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner so I can be part of the change. I believe I can make a difference in my community. After graduating I will focus my practice on caring for those who are part of the underserved population. Whether that is the homeless drug addict, the new mother in a domestic violence situation, the refugee child, the immigrant. Everyone deserves to have access to affordable, unbiased healthcare. But even more specifically, everyone deserves access to mental health care. Everyone deserves having someone to listen. Everyone deserves having someone on their team. I want to be that someone. I want to be part of the change. This scholarship would be so meaningful in helping me achieve my goal of becoming a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. It would allow me to reach and serve the vulnerable individuals in my community. It would help me save lives.

I have been a nurse for almost 9 years. During my time in the healthcare industry I have had the opportunity to care for many different patients. I have cared for NICU babies and their families, laboring mothers and then their newborns, children and their families in outpatient clinics, and students in school ranging from preschool to high school. I have experienced firsthand just how beneficial or detrimental our healthcare system can be. During my time as a nurse one passion has remained constant, mental health. I have seen just how damaging a lack of affordable and accessible mental health care can be. Whether that was the mother of a drug dependent NICU baby, who desperately needed addiction counseling. Or the laboring mother who is going to deliver a baby that passed away in utero, that desperately needs bereavement therapy. Or the middle school student who has been bullied and ostracized for their sexual orientation, who can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel and feels there is no way out. Or the elementary school student who struggles with a mental illness, but whose parents are in denial that anything is wrong. I have seen each and every one of these scenarios. I have seen how the lack of mental health care can devastate an entire family unit. Our mental health system in this country is fatally flawed. There is a lack of providers, a lack of understanding, a lack of support. A stigma still runs rampant in our society. My goal is to become a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner so I can be part of the change. I believe I can make a difference in my community. After graduating I will focus my practice on caring for those who are part of the underserved population. Whether that is the homeless drug addict, the new mother in a domestic violence situation, the refugee child, the immigrant. Everyone deserves to have access to affordable, unbiased healthcare. But even more specifically, everyone deserves access to mental health care. Everyone deserves having someone to listen. Everyone deserves having someone on their team. I want to be that someone. I want to be part of the change. This scholarship would be so meaningful in helping me achieve my goal of becoming a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. It would allow me to reach and serve the vulnerable individuals in my community. It would help me save lives.

I have been a nurse for almost 9 years. During my time in the healthcare industry I have had the opportunity to care for many different patients. I have cared for NICU babies and their families, laboring mothers and then their newborns, children and their families in outpatient clinics, and students in school ranging from preschool to high school. I have experienced firsthand just how beneficial or detrimental our healthcare system can be. During my time as a nurse one passion has remained constant, mental health. I have seen just how damaging a lack of affordable and accessible mental health care can be. Whether that was the mother of a drug dependent NICU baby, who desperately needed addiction counseling. Or the laboring mother who is going to deliver a baby that passed away in utero, that desperately needs bereavement therapy. Or the middle school student who has been bullied and ostracized for their sexual orientation, who can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel and feels there is no way out. Or the elementary school student who struggles with a mental illness, but whose parents are in denial that anything is wrong. I have seen each and every one of these scenarios. I have seen how the lack of mental health care can devastate an entire family unit. Our mental health system in this country is fatally flawed. There is a lack of providers, a lack of understanding, a lack of support. A stigma still runs rampant in our society. My goal is to become a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner so I can be part of the change. I believe I can make a difference in my community. After graduating I will focus my practice on caring for those who are part of the underserved population. Whether that is the homeless drug addict, the new mother in a domestic violence situation, the refugee child, the immigrant. Everyone deserves to have access to affordable, unbiased healthcare. But even more specifically, everyone deserves access to mental health care. Everyone deserves having someone to listen. Everyone deserves having someone on their team. I want to be that someone. I want to be part of the change. This scholarship would be so meaningful in helping me achieve my goal of becoming a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. It would allow me to reach and serve the vulnerable individuals in my community. It would help me save lives.

I have been a nurse for almost 9 years. During my time in the healthcare industry I have had the opportunity to care for many different patients. I have cared for NICU babies and their families, laboring mothers and then their newborns, children and their families in outpatient clinics, and students in school ranging from preschool to high school. I have experienced firsthand just how beneficial or detrimental our healthcare system can be. During my time as a nurse one passion has remained constant, mental health. I have seen just how damaging a lack of affordable and accessible mental health care can be. Whether that was the mother of a drug dependent NICU baby, who desperately needed addiction counseling. Or the laboring mother who is going to deliver a baby that passed away in utero, that desperately needs bereavement therapy. Or the middle school student who has been bullied and ostracized for their sexual orientation, who can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel and feels there is no way out. Or the elementary school student who struggles with a mental illness, but whose parents are in denial that anything is wrong. I have seen each and every one of these scenarios. I have seen how the lack of mental health care can devastate an entire family unit. Our mental health system in this country is fatally flawed. There is a lack of providers, a lack of understanding, a lack of support. A stigma still runs rampant in our society. My goal is to become a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner so I can be part of the change. I believe I can make a difference in my community. After graduating I will focus my practice on caring for those who are part of the underserved population. Whether that is the homeless drug addict, the new mother in a domestic violence situation, the refugee child, the immigrant. Everyone deserves to have access to affordable, unbiased healthcare. But even more specifically, everyone deserves access to mental health care. Everyone deserves having someone to listen. Everyone deserves having someone on their team. I want to be that someone. I want to be part of the change. This scholarship would be so meaningful in helping me achieve my goal of becoming a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. It would allow me to reach and serve the vulnerable individuals in my community. It would help me save lives.

I have been a nurse for almost 9 years. During my time in the healthcare industry I have had the opportunity to care for many different patients. I have cared for NICU babies and their families, laboring mothers and then their newborns, children and their families in outpatient clinics, and students in school ranging from preschool to high school. I have experienced firsthand just how beneficial or detrimental our healthcare system can be. During my time as a nurse one passion has remained constant, mental health. I have seen just how damaging a lack of affordable and accessible mental health care can be. Whether that was the mother of a drug dependent NICU baby, who desperately needed addiction counseling. Or the laboring mother who is going to deliver a baby that died in utero, that desperately needs bereavement therapy. Or the middle school student who has been bullied and ostracized for their sexual orientation, who can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel and feels there is no way out. Or the elementary school student who struggles with a mental illness, but whose parents are in denial that anything is wrong. I have seen every one of these scenarios. I have seen how the lack of mental health care can devastate an entire family. Our mental health system in this country is fatally flawed. There is a lack of providers, a lack of understanding, a lack of support. A stigma still runs rampant. My goal is to become a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner so I can be part of the change. I believe I can make a difference in my community. After graduating I will focus my practice on caring for those who are part of the underserved population. Whether that is the homeless drug addict, the new mother in a domestic violence situation, the refugee child, the immigrant. Everyone deserves to have access to affordable, unbiased healthcare. But even more specifically, everyone deserves access to mental health care. Everyone deserves having someone to listen. Everyone deserves having someone on their team. I want to be that someone. I want to be part of the change. This scholarship would be so meaningful in helping me achieve my goal of becoming a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. It would allow me to reach and serve the vulnerable individuals in my community. It would help me save lives.

If you looked at me from the outside, you wouldn't see my struggles. The label of sexual abuse survivor probably wouldn't even cross your mind. You might be able to tell I'm a Mom if my boys are running circles around me. You might be able to tell I'm a nurse if you see me at work. You might be able to tell I'm the wife of a firefighter, as I kiss my husband goodbye as he heads off to a shift. For a very long time I did not make my mental health a priority. My struggles started in middle school as anxiety. They escalated in high school. When I was just sixteen years old, I was raped by my eighteen-year-old boyfriend. He was my first boyfriend. I didn't know how to say no, but I definitely didn't say yes. He told me his last girlfriend let him, that if I loved him I would too. I didn't know what love was, but I didn't want to lose him, so I did it anyway. There were multiple times. At the local community pool, in the back of his brother's car, his parents' house. I didn't realize until much, much later that what I went through was sexual abuse. Even with the dawn of the "Me too" era, I denied that I was a victim. I didn't want to admit that I had let someone take advantage of me. I took my anxiety and shame out on myself. I cut my wrists to let the pain escape. Everything culminated in a suicide attempt my freshman year of college. It wasn't until I finally went to therapy and my therapist told me: "You were raped." "This was not your fault." that my healing process began. Since then I have always tried to make my mental health a priority. It is much easier said than done though. Things significantly worsened for me following the birth of my first son. My anxiety and depression became life changing. I couldn't see the light of motherhood, all I saw was darkness. Through all of my postpartum appointments, I was never asked how I was feeling emotionally, mentally. They checked my stitches and sent me on my way. I wasn't started on treatment until my son was almost a year old. That was a year of his life I will never get back. I made a conscious decision at that point to try my hardest not to miss any more time with my loved ones, to not get lost in the darkness. I make sure that I take time out of my day to simply breathe, to calm my mind. My family and I also have time every night where we say what we're grateful for. I make sure I continue on my medications and if things start to get dark again, I go to therapy. My goal is to become a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner so I can help moms to see the light. No mother deserves to be alone in the darkness. I believe I can make a difference in my community. After graduating I will focus my practice on maternal mental health care, with a focus on moms in underserved populations. Everyone deserves to have access to affordable, unbiased healthcare. But even more specifically, everyone deserves access to mental health care. Everyone deserves having someone to listen. Everyone deserves having someone on their team. I want to be that someone. I want to be part of the change. This scholarship would be so meaningful in that it would help me save lives.

I have been a nurse for almost 9 years. During my time in the healthcare industry I have had the opportunity to care for many different patients. I have cared for NICU babies and their families, laboring mothers and then their newborns, children and their families in outpatient clinics, and students in school ranging from preschool to high school. I have experienced firsthand just how beneficial or detrimental our healthcare system can be. During my time as a nurse one passion has remained constant, mental health. I have seen just how damaging a lack of affordable and accessible mental health care can be. Whether that was the mother of a drug dependent NICU baby, who desperately needed addiction counseling. Or the laboring mother who is going to deliver a baby that passed away in utero, that desperately needs bereavement therapy. Or the middle school student who has been bullied and ostracized for their sexual orientation, who can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel and feels there is no way out. Or the elementary school student who struggles with a mental illness, but whose parents are in denial that anything is wrong. I have seen each and every one of these scenarios. I have seen how the lack of mental health care can devastate an entire family unit. Our mental health system in this country is fatally flawed. There is a lack of providers, a lack of understanding, a lack of support. A stigma still runs rampant in our society. My goal is to become a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner so I can be part of the change. I believe I can make a difference in my community. After graduating I will focus my practice on caring for those who are part of the underserved population. Whether that is the homeless drug addict, the new mother in a domestic violence situation, the refugee child, the immigrant. Everyone deserves to have access to affordable, unbiased healthcare. But even more specifically, everyone deserves access to mental health care. Everyone deserves having someone to listen. Everyone deserves having someone on their team. I want to be that someone. I want to be part of the change. This scholarship would be so meaningful in helping me achieve my goal of becoming a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. It would allow me to reach and serve the vulnerable individuals in my community. It would help me save lives.

If you looked at me from the outside, you wouldn't see my struggles. The label of sexual abuse survivor probably wouldn't even cross your mind. You might be able to tell I'm a Mom if my boys are running circles around me. You might be able to tell I'm a nurse if you see me at work. You might be able to tell I'm the wife of a firefighter, as I kiss my husband goodbye as he heads off to a shift. For a very long time I did not make my mental health a priority. My struggles started in middle school as anxiety. They escalated in high school. When I was just sixteen years old, I was raped by my eighteen-year-old boyfriend. He was my first boyfriend. I didn't know how to say no, but I definitely didn't say yes. He told me his last girlfriend let him, that if I loved him I would too. I didn't know what love was, but I didn't want to lose him, so I did it anyway. There were multiple times. At the local community pool, in the back of his brother's car, his parents' house. I didn't realize until much, much later that what I went through was sexual abuse. Even with the dawn of the "Me too" era, I denied that I was a victim. I didn't want to admit that I had let someone take advantage of me. I took my anxiety and shame out on myself. I cut my wrists to let the pain escape. Everything culminated in a suicide attempt my freshman year of college. It wasn't until I finally went to therapy and my therapist told me: "You were raped." "This was not your fault." that my healing process began. Since then I have always tried to make my mental health a priority. It is much easier said than done though. Things significantly worsened for me following the birth of my first son. My anxiety and depression became life changing. I couldn't see the light of motherhood, all I saw was darkness. Through all of my postpartum appointments, I was never asked how I was feeling emotionally, mentally. They checked my stitches and sent me on my way. I wasn't started on treatment until my son was almost a year old. That was a year of his life I will never get back. I made a conscious decision at that point to try my hardest not to miss any more time with my loved ones, to not get lost in the darkness. I make sure that I take time out of my day to simply breathe, to calm my mind. My family and I also have time every night where we say what we're grateful for. I make sure I continue on my medications and if things start to get dark again, I go to therapy. My goal is to become a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner so I can help moms to see the light. No mother deserves to be alone in the darkness. I believe I can make a difference in my community. After graduating I will focus my practice on maternal mental health care, with a focus on moms in underserved populations. Everyone deserves to have access to affordable, unbiased healthcare. But even more specifically, everyone deserves access to mental health care. Everyone deserves having someone to listen. Everyone deserves having someone on their team. I want to be that someone. I want to be part of the change. This scholarship would be so meaningful in that it would help me save lives.

If you looked at me from the outside, you wouldn't see my struggles. The label of sexual abuse survivor probably wouldn't even cross your mind. You might be able to tell I'm a Mom if my boys are running circles around me. You might be able to tell I'm a nurse if you see me at work. You might be able to tell I'm the wife of a firefighter, as I kiss my husband goodbye as he heads off to a shift. For a very long time I did not make my mental health a priority. My struggles started in middle school as anxiety. They escalated in high school. When I was just sixteen years old, I was raped by my eighteen-year-old boyfriend. He was my first boyfriend. I didn't know how to say no, but I definitely didn't say yes. He told me his last girlfriend let him, that if I loved him I would too. I didn't know what love was, but I didn't want to lose him, so I did it anyway. There were multiple times. At the local community pool, in the back of his brother's car, his parents' house. I didn't realize until much, much later that what I went through was sexual abuse. Even with the dawn of the "Me too" era, I denied that I was a victim. I didn't want to admit that I had let someone take advantage of me. I took my anxiety and shame out on myself. I cut my wrists to let the pain escape. Everything culminated in a suicide attempt my freshman year of college. It wasn't until I finally went to therapy and my therapist told me: "You were raped." "This was not your fault." that my healing process began. Since then I have always tried to make my mental health a priority. It is much easier said than done though. Things significantly worsened for me following the birth of my first son. My anxiety and depression became life changing. I couldn't see the light of motherhood, all I saw was darkness. Through all of my postpartum appointments, I was never asked how I was feeling emotionally, mentally. They checked my stitches and sent me on my way. I wasn't started on treatment until my son was almost a year old. That was a year of his life I will never get back. I made a conscious decision at that point to try my hardest not to miss any more time with my loved ones, to not get lost in the darkness. I make sure that I take time out of my day to simply breathe, to calm my mind. My family and I also have time every night where we say what we're grateful for. I make sure I continue on my medications and if things start to get dark again, I go to therapy. My goal is to become a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner so I can help moms to see the light. No mother deserves to be alone in the darkness. I believe I can make a difference in my community. After graduating I will focus my practice on maternal mental health care, with a focus on moms in underserved populations. Everyone deserves to have access to affordable, unbiased healthcare. But even more specifically, everyone deserves access to mental health care. Everyone deserves having someone to listen. Everyone deserves having someone on their team. I want to be that someone. I want to be part of the change. This scholarship would be so meaningful in that it would help me save lives.

I have been a nurse for almost 9 years. During my time in the healthcare industry I have had the opportunity to care for many different patients. I have cared for NICU babies and their families, laboring mothers and then their newborns, children and their families in outpatient clinics, and students in school ranging from preschool to high school. I have experienced firsthand just how beneficial or detrimental our healthcare system can be. During my time as a nurse one passion has remained constant, mental health. I have seen just how damaging a lack of affordable and accessible mental health care can be. Whether that was the mother of a drug dependent NICU baby, who desperately needed addiction counseling. Or the laboring mother who is going to deliver a baby that passed away in utero, that desperately needs bereavement therapy. Or the middle school student who has been bullied and ostracized for their sexual orientation, who can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel and feels there is no way out. Or the elementary school student who struggles with a mental illness, but whose parents are in denial that anything is wrong. I have seen each and every one of these scenarios. I have seen how the lack of mental health care can devastate an entire family unit. Our mental health system in this country is fatally flawed. There is a lack of providers, a lack of understanding, a lack of support. A stigma still runs rampant in our society. My goal is to become a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner so I can be part of the change. I believe I can make a difference in my community. After graduating I will focus my practice on caring for those who are part of the underserved population. Whether that is the homeless drug addict, the new mother in a domestic violence situation, the refugee child, the immigrant. Everyone deserves to have access to affordable, unbiased healthcare. But even more specifically, everyone deserves access to mental health care. Everyone deserves having someone to listen. Everyone deserves having someone on their team. I want to be that someone. I want to be part of the change. This scholarship would be so meaningful in helping me achieve my goal of becoming a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. It would allow me to reach and serve the vulnerable individuals in my community. It would help me save lives.

If you looked at me, you wouldn't see my struggles. You might see I'm a Mom if my boys are running circles around me. You might see I'm a nurse. You might see I'm the wife of a firefighter, as I kiss my husband goodbye. You won't see my long list of medical diagnoses. Or the number of prescriptions I take to get through the day, the doctors appointments, the procedures and surgeries. You wouldn't see my anxiety and depression caused by my disabilities. You wouldn't see how I struggle to find light in the darkness. During my time as a nurse I've seen countless patients struggle in the darkness. I've seen how damaging a lack of affordable and accessible mental health care is. My goal is to become a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner so I can help others see the light. No one deserves to be alone in the darkness, especially if you have a disability. I believe I can make a difference in my community. I want to focus my practice on adolescent mental health care. Everyone deserves to have appropriate mental healthcare. This scholarship would be so meaningful in that it would help me save lives.

If you looked at me from the outside, you wouldn't see my struggles. The label of sexual abuse survivor probably wouldn't even cross your mind. You might be able to tell I'm a Mom if my boys are running circles around me. You might be able to tell I'm a nurse if you see me at work. You might be able to tell I'm the wife of a firefighter, as I kiss my husband goodbye as he heads off to a shift. For a very long time I did not make my mental health a priority. My struggles started in middle school as anxiety. They escalated in high school. When I was just sixteen years old, I was raped by my eighteen-year-old boyfriend. He was my first boyfriend. I didn't know how to say no, but I definitely didn't say yes. He told me his last girlfriend let him, that if I loved him I would too. I didn't know what love was, but I didn't want to lose him, so I did it anyway. There were multiple times. At the local community pool, in the back of his brother's car, his parents' house. I didn't realize until much, much later that what I went through was sexual abuse. Even with the dawn of the "Me too" era, I denied that I was a victim. I didn't want to admit that I had let someone take advantage of me. I took my anxiety and shame out on myself. I cut my wrists to let the pain escape. Everything culminated in a suicide attempt my freshman year of college. It wasn't until I finally went to therapy and my therapist told me: "You were raped." "This was not your fault." that my healing process began. Since then I have always tried to make my mental health a priority. It is much easier said than done though. Things significantly worsened for me following the birth of my first son. My anxiety and depression became life changing. I couldn't see the light of motherhood, all I saw was darkness. Through all of my postpartum appointments, I was never asked how I was feeling emotionally, mentally. They checked my stitches and sent me on my way. I wasn't started on treatment until my son was almost a year old. That was a year of his life I will never get back. I made a conscious decision at that point to try my hardest not to miss any more time with my loved ones, to not get lost in the darkness. I make sure that I take time out of my day to simply breathe, to calm my mind. My family and I also have time every night where we say what we're grateful for. I make sure I continue on my medications and if things start to get dark again, I go to therapy. My goal is to become a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner so I can help moms to see the light. No mother deserves to be alone in the darkness. I believe I can make a difference in my community. After graduating I will focus my practice on maternal mental health care, with a focus on moms in underserved populations. Everyone deserves to have access to affordable, unbiased healthcare. But even more specifically, everyone deserves access to mental health care. Everyone deserves having someone to listen. Everyone deserves having someone on their team. I want to be that someone. I want to be part of the change. This scholarship would be so meaningful in that it would help me save lives.

If you looked at me from the outside, you wouldn't see my struggles. The label of sexual abuse survivor probably wouldn't even cross your mind. You might be able to tell I'm a Mom if my boys are running circles around me. You might be able to tell I'm a nurse if you see me at work. You might be able to tell I'm the wife of a firefighter, as I kiss my husband goodbye as he heads off to a shift. For a very long time I did not make my mental health a priority. My struggles started in middle school as anxiety. They escalated in high school. When I was just sixteen years old, I was raped by my eighteen-year-old boyfriend. He was my first boyfriend. I didn't know how to say no, but I definitely didn't say yes. He told me his last girlfriend let him, that if I loved him I would too. I didn't know what love was, but I didn't want to lose him, so I did it anyway. There were multiple times. At the local community pool, in the back of his brother's car, his parents' house. I didn't realize until much, much later that what I went through was sexual abuse. Even with the dawn of the "Me too" era, I denied that I was a victim. I didn't want to admit that I had let someone take advantage of me. I took my anxiety and shame out on myself. I cut my wrists to let the pain escape. Everything culminated in a suicide attempt my freshman year of college. It wasn't until I finally went to therapy and my therapist told me: "You were raped." "This was not your fault." that my healing process began. Since then I have always tried to make my mental health a priority. It is much easier said than done though. Things significantly worsened for me following the birth of my first son. My anxiety and depression became life changing. I couldn't see the light of motherhood, all I saw was darkness. Through all of my postpartum appointments, I was never asked how I was feeling emotionally, mentally. They checked my stitches and sent me on my way. I wasn't started on treatment until my son was almost a year old. That was a year of his life I will never get back. I made a conscious decision at that point to try my hardest not to miss any more time with my loved ones, to not get lost in the darkness. I make sure that I take time out of my day to simply breathe, to calm my mind. My family and I also have time every night where we say what we're grateful for. I make sure I continue on my medications and if things start to get dark again, I go to therapy. My goal is to become a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner so I can help moms to see the light. No mother deserves to be alone in the darkness. I believe I can make a difference in my community. After graduating I will focus my practice on maternal mental health care, with a focus on moms in underserved populations. Everyone deserves to have access to affordable, unbiased healthcare. But even more specifically, everyone deserves access to mental health care. Everyone deserves having someone to listen. Everyone deserves having someone on their team. I want to be that someone. I want to be part of the change. This scholarship would be so meaningful in that it would help me save lives.

I have been a nurse for almost ten years. During my time in the healthcare industry I have had the opportunity to care for many different patients. I have cared for NICU babies and their families, laboring mothers and then their newborns, children and their families in outpatient clinics, and students in school ranging from preschool to high school. I have experienced firsthand just how beneficial or detrimental our healthcare system can be. During my time as a nurse one passion has remained constant, mental health. I have seen just how damaging a lack of affordable and accessible mental health care can be. Whether that was the mother of a drug dependent NICU baby, who desperately needed addiction counseling. Or the laboring mother who is going to deliver a baby that passed away in utero, that desperately needs bereavement therapy. Or the middle school student who has been bullied and ostracized for their sexual orientation, who can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel and feels there is no way out. Or the elementary school student who struggles with a mental illness, but whose parents are in denial that anything is wrong. I have seen each and every one of these scenarios. I have seen how the lack of mental health care can devastate an entire family unit. Our mental health system in this country is fatally flawed. There is a lack of providers, a lack of understanding, a lack of support. A stigma still runs rampant in our society. My goal is to become a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner so I can be part of the change. I believe I can make a difference in my community. After graduating I will focus my practice on caring for those who are part of the underserved population. Whether that is the homeless drug addict, the new mother in a domestic violence situation, the refugee child, the immigrant. Everyone deserves to have access to affordable, unbiased healthcare. But even more specifically, everyone deserves access to mental health care. Everyone deserves having someone to listen. Everyone deserves having someone on their team. I want to be that someone. I want to be part of the change. This scholarship would be so meaningful in helping me achieve my goal of becoming a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. It would allow me to reach and serve the vulnerable individuals in my community. It would help me save lives.

Whenever someone asks me about myself two words come to mind: mom and nurse. I have been a nurse for almost 9 years. During my time in the healthcare industry I have had the opportunity to care for many different patients. I have cared for NICU babies and their families, laboring mothers and then their newborns, children and their families in outpatient clinics, and students in school ranging from preschool to high school. I have experienced firsthand just how beneficial or detrimental our healthcare system can be. During my time as a nurse one passion has remained constant, mental health. I have seen just how damaging a lack of affordable and accessible mental health care can be. Whether that was the mother of a drug dependent NICU baby, who desperately needed addiction counseling. Or the laboring mother who is going to deliver a baby that passed away in utero, that desperately needs bereavement therapy. Or the middle school student who has been bullied and ostracized for their sexual orientation, who can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel and feels there is no way out. Or the elementary school student who struggles with a mental illness, but whose parents are in denial that anything is wrong. I have seen each and every one of these scenarios. I have seen how the lack of mental health care can devastate an entire family unit. Our mental health system in this country is fatally flawed. There is a lack of providers, a lack of understanding, a lack of support. A stigma still runs rampant in our society. I became a mom in August of 2015. I have always had some anxiety; however, following the birth of my son my anxiety and depression became life changing. I couldn't see the light of motherhood, all I saw was darkness. Through all of my postpartum appointments, I was never asked how I was feeling emotionally, mentally. They checked my stitches and sent me on my way. I wasn't started on treatment until my son was almost a year old. That was a year of his life I feel like I will never get back. My goal is to become a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner so I can help moms to see the light. No mother deserves to be alone in the darkness. I believe I can make a difference in my community. After graduating I will focus my practice on maternal mental health care, with a focus on moms in underserved populations. Everyone deserves to have access to affordable, unbiased healthcare. But even more specifically, everyone deserves access to mental health care. Everyone deserves having someone to listen. Everyone deserves having someone on their team. I want to be that someone. I want to be part of the change. This scholarship would be so meaningful in helping me achieve my goal of becoming a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. It would allow me to reach and serve the vulnerable individuals in my community. It would help me save lives.

I have been a nurse for almost ten years. During my time in the healthcare industry I have had the opportunity to care for many different patients. I have cared for NICU babies and their families, laboring mothers and then their newborns, children and their families in outpatient clinics, and students in school ranging from preschool to high school. I have experienced firsthand just how beneficial or detrimental our healthcare system can be. During my time as a nurse one passion has remained constant, mental health. I have seen just how damaging a lack of affordable and accessible mental health care can be. Whether that was the mother of a drug dependent NICU baby, who desperately needed addiction counseling. Or the laboring mother who is going to deliver a baby that passed away in utero, that desperately needs bereavement therapy. Or the middle school student who has been bullied and ostracized for their sexual orientation, who can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel and feels there is no way out. Or the elementary school student who struggles with a mental illness, but whose parents are in denial that anything is wrong. I have seen each and every one of these scenarios. I have seen how the lack of mental health care can devastate an entire family unit. Our mental health system in this country is fatally flawed. There is a lack of providers, a lack of understanding, a lack of support. A stigma still runs rampant in our society. My goal is to become a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner so I can be part of the change. I believe I can make a difference in my community. After graduating I plan to practice in maternal mental health, with a focus on moms in underserved populations. Whether that is the homeless drug addict, the new mother in a domestic violence situation, the refugee, the immigrant. Everyone deserves to have access to affordable, unbiased healthcare. But even more specifically, everyone deserves access to mental health care. Everyone deserves having someone to listen. Everyone deserves having someone on their team. I want to be that someone. I want to be part of the change. This scholarship would be so meaningful in helping me achieve my goal of becoming a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. It would allow me to reach and serve the vulnerable individuals in my community. It would help me save lives.

I have been a nurse for almost ten years. During my time in the healthcare industry I have had the opportunity to care for many different patients. I have cared for NICU babies and their families, laboring mothers and then their newborns, children and their families in outpatient clinics, and students in school ranging from preschool to high school. I have experienced firsthand just how beneficial or detrimental our healthcare system can be. During my time as a nurse one passion has remained constant, mental health. I have seen just how damaging a lack of affordable and accessible mental health care can be. Whether that was the mother of a drug dependent NICU baby, who desperately needed addiction counseling. Or the laboring mother who is going to deliver a baby that passed away in utero, that desperately needs bereavement therapy. Or the middle school student who has been bullied and ostracized for their sexual orientation, who can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel and feels there is no way out. Or the elementary school student who struggles with a mental illness, but whose parents are in denial that anything is wrong. I have seen each and every one of these scenarios. I have seen how the lack of mental health care can devastate an entire family unit. Our mental health system in this country is fatally flawed. There is a lack of providers, a lack of understanding, a lack of support. A stigma still runs rampant in our society. My goal is to become a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner so I can be part of the change. I believe I can make a difference in my community. After graduating I will focus my practice on caring for those who are part of the underserved population. Whether that is the homeless drug addict, the new mother in a domestic violence situation, the refugee child, the immigrant. Everyone deserves to have access to affordable, unbiased healthcare. But even more specifically, everyone deserves access to mental health care. Everyone deserves having someone to listen. Everyone deserves having someone on their team. I want to be that someone. I want to be part of the change. This scholarship would be so meaningful in helping me achieve my goal of becoming a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. It would allow me to reach and serve the vulnerable individuals in my community. It would help me save lives.

I have been a nurse for almost ten years. During my time in the healthcare industry I have had the opportunity to care for many different patients. I have cared for NICU babies and their families, laboring mothers and then their newborns, children and their families in outpatient clinics, and students in school ranging from preschool to high school. I have experienced firsthand just how beneficial or detrimental our healthcare system can be. During my time as a nurse one passion has remained constant, mental health. I have seen just how damaging a lack of affordable and accessible mental health care can be. Whether that was the mother of a drug dependent NICU baby, who desperately needed addiction counseling. Or the laboring mother who is going to deliver a baby that passed away in utero, that desperately needs bereavement therapy. Or the middle school student who has been bullied and ostracized for their sexual orientation, who can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel and feels there is no way out. Or the elementary school student who struggles with a mental illness, but whose parents are in denial that anything is wrong. I have seen each and every one of these scenarios. I have seen how the lack of mental health care can devastate an entire family unit. Our mental health system in this country is fatally flawed. There is a lack of providers, a lack of understanding, a lack of support. A stigma still runs rampant in our society. My goal is to become a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner so I can be part of the change. I believe I can make a difference in my community. After graduating I will focus my practice on caring for those who are part of the underserved population. Whether that is the homeless drug addict, the new mother in a domestic violence situation, the refugee child, the immigrant. Everyone deserves to have access to affordable, unbiased healthcare. But even more specifically, everyone deserves access to mental health care. Everyone deserves having someone to listen. Everyone deserves having someone on their team. I want to be that someone. I want to be part of the change. This scholarship would be so meaningful in helping me achieve my goal of becoming a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. It would allow me to reach and serve the vulnerable individuals in my community. It would help me save lives.

Success is making a difference. Success is being part of the change. It is being able to leave this world saying that you made some sort of positive impact. I have been a nurse for almost 9 years. During my time in the healthcare industry I have had the opportunity to care for many different patients. I have cared for NICU babies and their families, laboring mothers and then their newborns, children and their families in outpatient clinics, and students in school ranging from preschool to high school. I have experienced firsthand just how beneficial or detrimental our healthcare system can be. During my time as a nurse one passion has remained constant, mental health. I have seen just how damaging a lack of affordable and accessible mental health care can be. Whether that was the mother of a drug dependent NICU baby, who desperately needed addiction counseling. Or the laboring mother who is going to deliver a baby that passed away in utero, that desperately needs bereavement therapy. Or the middle school student who has been bullied and ostracized for their sexual orientation, who can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel and feels there is no way out. Or the elementary school student who struggles with a mental illness, but whose parents are in denial that anything is wrong. I have seen each and every one of these scenarios firsthand. I have seen how the lack of mental health care can devastate an entire family unit, even an entire community. Our mental health system in this country is fatally flawed. There is a lack of providers, a lack of understanding, a lack of support. A stigma still runs rampant in our society. My goal is to become a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner so I can be part of the change. After graduating I will focus my practice on caring for those who are part of the underserved population. Whether that is the homeless drug addict, the new mother in a domestic violence situation, the refugee child, the immigrant. I believe I can make a difference in my community. I believe I can achieve success, by having an impact on each one of my patient's lives. By helping my patient's see the light, I will be able to not only make a difference in their life, but in the life of their families, their friends, everyone around them. That is success. Everyone deserves to have access to affordable, unbiased healthcare. But even more specifically, everyone deserves access to mental health care. Everyone deserves having someone to listen. Everyone deserves having someone on their team. I want to be that someone. I want to be part of the change. This scholarship would be so meaningful in helping me achieve my goal of becoming a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. It would allow me to reach and serve the vulnerable individuals in my community. It would help me save lives. And what could be more successful than saving a life?

Whenever someone asks me about myself two words come to mind: mom and nurse. I have been a nurse for almost 9 years. During my time in the healthcare industry I have had the opportunity to care for many different patients. I have cared for NICU babies and their families, laboring mothers and then their newborns, children and their families in outpatient clinics, and students in school ranging from preschool to high school. I have experienced firsthand just how beneficial or detrimental our healthcare system can be. During my time as a nurse one passion has remained constant, mental health. I have seen just how damaging a lack of affordable and accessible mental health care can be. Whether that was the mother of a drug dependent NICU baby, who desperately needed addiction counseling. Or the laboring mother who is going to deliver a baby that passed away in utero, that desperately needs bereavement therapy. Or the middle school student who has been bullied and ostracized for their sexual orientation, who can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel and feels there is no way out. Or the elementary school student who struggles with a mental illness, but whose parents are in denial that anything is wrong. I have seen each and every one of these scenarios. I have seen how the lack of mental health care can devastate an entire family unit. Our mental health system in this country is fatally flawed. There is a lack of providers, a lack of understanding, a lack of support. A stigma still runs rampant in our society. I became a mom in August of 2015. I have always had some anxiety; however, following the birth of my son my anxiety and depression became life changing. I couldn't see the light of motherhood, all I saw was darkness. Through all of my postpartum appointments, I was never asked how I was feeling emotionally, mentally. They checked my stitches and sent me on my way. I wasn't started on treatment until my son was almost a year old. That was a year of his life I feel like I will never get back. My goal is to become a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner so I can help moms to see the light. No mother deserves to be alone in the darkness. I believe I can make a difference in my community. After graduating I will focus my practice on maternal mental health care, with a focus on moms in underserved populations. Everyone deserves to have access to affordable, unbiased healthcare. But even more specifically, everyone deserves access to mental health care. Everyone deserves having someone to listen. Everyone deserves having someone on their team. I want to be that someone. I want to be part of the change. This scholarship would be so meaningful in helping me achieve my goal of becoming a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. It would allow me to reach and serve the vulnerable individuals in my community. It would help me save lives.

Whenever someone asks me about myself two words come to mind: mom and nurse. I have been a nurse for almost 9 years. During my time in the healthcare industry I have had the opportunity to care for many different patients. I have cared for NICU babies and their families, laboring mothers and then their newborns, children and their families in outpatient clinics, and students in school ranging from preschool to high school. I have experienced firsthand just how beneficial or detrimental our healthcare system can be. During my time as a nurse one passion has remained constant, mental health. I have seen just how damaging a lack of affordable and accessible mental health care can be. Whether that was the mother of a drug dependent NICU baby, who desperately needed addiction counseling. Or the laboring mother who is going to deliver a baby that passed away in utero, that desperately needs bereavement therapy. Or the middle school student who has been bullied and ostracized for their sexual orientation, who can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel and feels there is no way out. Or the elementary school student who struggles with a mental illness, but whose parents are in denial that anything is wrong. I have seen each and every one of these scenarios. I have seen how the lack of mental health care can devastate an entire family unit. Our mental health system in this country is fatally flawed. There is a lack of providers, a lack of understanding, a lack of support. A stigma still runs rampant in our society. I became a mom in August of 2015. I have always had some anxiety; however, following the birth of my son my anxiety and depression became life changing. I couldn't see the light of motherhood, all I saw was darkness. Through all of my postpartum appointments, I was never asked how I was feeling emotionally, mentally. They checked my stitches and sent me on my way. I wasn't started on treatment until my son was almost a year old. That was a year of his life I feel like I will never get back. My goal is to become a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner so I can help moms to see the light. No mother deserves to be alone in the darkness. I believe I can make a difference in my community. After graduating I will focus my practice on maternal mental health care, with a focus on moms in underserved populations. Everyone deserves to have access to affordable, unbiased healthcare. But even more specifically, everyone deserves access to mental health care. Everyone deserves having someone to listen. Everyone deserves having someone on their team. I want to be that someone. I want to be part of the change. This scholarship would be so meaningful in helping me achieve my goal of becoming a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. It would allow me to reach and serve the vulnerable individuals in my community. It would help me save lives.

I have been a nurse for almost 9 years. During my time in the healthcare industry I have had the opportunity to care for many different patients. I have cared for NICU babies and their families, laboring mothers and then their newborns, children and their families in outpatient clinics, and students in school ranging from preschool to high school. I have experienced firsthand just how beneficial or detrimental our healthcare system can be. During my time as a nurse one passion has remained constant, mental health. I have seen just how damaging a lack of affordable and accessible mental health care can be. Whether that was the mother of a drug dependent NICU baby, who desperately needed addiction counseling. Or the laboring mother who is going to deliver a baby that passed away in utero, that desperately needs bereavement therapy. Or the middle school student who has been bullied and ostracized for their sexual orientation, who can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel and feels there is no way out. Or the elementary school student who struggles with a mental illness, but whose parents are in denial that anything is wrong. I have debated going back to school for more than 5 years. I kept finding excuses to put it off. I am a Mom of two young, busy boys and I also work full-time. My husband was actually who inspired me to finally take that big leap. He decided in 2022 to have a complete career change and to follow his dream of becoming a firefighter. He didn't let our busy life or his fears stop him. In April 2023 his dream came true and he graduated the fire academy, the same month I chose to pursue my dream and started graduate school. I have seen how the lack of mental health care can devastate an entire family unit. Our mental health system in this country is fatally flawed. There is a lack of providers, a lack of understanding, a lack of support. A stigma still runs rampant in our society. My goal is to become a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner so I can be part of the change. I believe I can make a difference in my community. After graduating I will focus my practice on caring for those who are part of the underserved population. Whether that is the homeless drug addict, the new mother in a domestic violence situation, the refugee child, the immigrant. Everyone deserves to have access to affordable, unbiased healthcare. But even more specifically, everyone deserves access to mental health care. Everyone deserves having someone to listen. Everyone deserves having someone on their team. I want to be that someone. I want to be part of the change. This scholarship would be so meaningful in helping me achieve my goal of becoming a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. It would allow me to reach and serve the vulnerable individuals in my community. It would help me save lives. In closing, my "aha" nursing moment wasn't a profound moment where I just knew. It came over time. It started in high school when I volunteered at the hospital and the hospital just felt like home. It continued to grow throughout nursing school as my professors and preceptors confirmed that this was the right career choice for me. My "aha" moment is reasserted every time someone asks me what I do and I couldn't be more proud to say "I'm a nurse."

If you looked at me from the outside, you wouldn't see my struggles. The label of sexual abuse survivor probably wouldn't even cross your mind. You might be able to tell I'm a Mom if my boys are running circles around me. You might be able to tell I'm a nurse if you see me at work. You might be able to tell I'm the wife of a firefighter, as I kiss my husband goodbye as he heads off to a shift. But I doubt survivor would come to your mind. When I was just sixteen years old, I was raped by my eighteen-year-old boyfriend. He was my first boyfriend. I didn't know how to say no, but I definitely didn't say yes. He told me his last girlfriend let him, that if I loved him I would too. I didn't know what love was, but I didn't want to lose him, so I did it anyway. There were multiple times. At the local community pool, in the back of his brother's car, his parents' house. I didn't realize until much, much later that what I went through was sexual abuse. Even with the dawn of the "Me too" era, I denied that it applied to me. I didn't want to admit that I had let someone take advantage of me. It wasn't until I finally went to therapy and my therapist told me: "You were raped." "This was not your fault." that I finally let those words apply to me: Survivor. I have been a nurse for almost 9 years. During my time in healthcare, I have had the opportunity to care for many different patients. I have cared for NICU babies and their families, laboring mothers and then their newborns, children and their families in outpatient clinics, and students in school ranging from preschool to high school. During my time as a nurse one passion has remained constant, mental health. I have seen just how damaging a lack of affordable and accessible mental health care can be. Whether that was the mother of a drug dependent NICU baby, who desperately needed addiction counseling. Or the laboring mother who is going to deliver a baby that passed away in utero, that desperately needs bereavement therapy. Or the middle school student who has been bullied and ostracized for their sexual orientation, who can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel and feels there is no way out. Or the elementary school student who struggles with a mental illness, but whose parents are in denial that anything is wrong. I have seen each and every one of these scenarios. I have seen how the lack of mental health care can devastate an entire family unit. Our mental health system in this country is fatally flawed. My goal is to become a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner so I can be part of the change. I believe I can make a difference in my community. After graduating I will focus my practice on caring for those who are part of the underserved population. Whether that is the homeless drug addict, the new mother in a domestic violence situation, the refugee child, the immigrant. Everyone deserves access to mental health care, to have someone who listens, to have someone on their team. I want to be that someone. This scholarship would be so meaningful in helping me achieve my goal of becoming a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. It would allow me to reach and serve the vulnerable individuals in my community. It would help me save lives.

My goal is to become a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner so I can be part of the change in our mental health crisis, I can save lives.

During my time as a nurse one passion has remained constant, mental health. I have seen just how damaging a lack of affordable and accessible mental health care can be. Whether that was the mother of a drug-dpendent NICU baby, who desperately needed addiction counseling. Or the laboring mother who is going to deliver a baby that passed away in utero, that desperately needs bereavement therapy. Or the middle school student who has been bullied and ostracized for their sexual orientation, who can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel and feels there is no way out. Or the elementary school student who struggles with a mental illness, but whose parents are in denial that anything is wrong. I have seen each and every one of these scenarios. I have seen how the lack of mental health care can devastate an entire family unit. Our mental health system in this country is fatally flawed. There is a lack of providers, a lack of understanding, a lack of support. A stigma still runs rampant in our society. My goal is to become a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner so I can be part of the change. I believe I can make a difference in my community. I have struggled with my own mental wellness for as long as I can remember. For the longest time, I tried to ignore my anxiety. I couldn't be seen as weak or less than perfect. It wasn't until a suicide attempt in my freshman year of college that I realized that having mental health struggles wasn't a weakness. It took years of therapy and medications to finally begin to see the light. Now, I make sure that I take time to myself to reflect on my emotions and feelings. I have also learned the importance of letting my family and friends help support me, letting them see my struggles. One of the most important things I have done for my mental wellness is learning how to say "no". I was a compulsive perfectionist people pleaser and would do anything to make someone else happy, even if it led to my own suffering. I now consider myself a recovering perfectionist people pleaser. I frequently have to remind myself that I don't have to be perfect, I don't always have to say yes, I can make mistakes. For my mental wellness, I make sure that I take time for myself. Whether that is curling up with a good book, meditating, going for a walk. I set aside a time when no one needs me and I can just be present with myself. Everyone deserves to have someone who listens. Everyone deserves to have someone on their team. I want to be that someone. I want to be part of the change. This scholarship would be so meaningful in helping me achieve my goal of becoming a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. It would allow me to reach and serve the vulnerable individuals in my community. It would help me save lives.

Nurses save lives. I have been a nurse for almost 9 years. During my time in healthcare I have had the opportunity to care for many different patients. I have cared for NICU babies and their families, laboring mothers and then their newborns, children and families in outpatient clinics, and students in school ranging from preschool to high school. I have experienced firsthand just how beneficial or detrimental our healthcare system can be. During my time as a nurse one passion has remained constant, mental health. I have seen just how damaging a lack of affordable and accessible mental health care can be. Whether that was the mother of a drug dependent NICU baby, who desperately needed addiction counseling. Or the laboring mother who is going to deliver a baby that passed away in utero, that desperately needed bereavement therapy. Or the middle school student who has been bullied and ostracized for their sexual orientation, who can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel and feels there is no way out. Or the elementary school student who struggles with a mental illness, but whose parents are in denial that anything is wrong. I have seen each and every one of these scenarios. I have seen how the lack of mental health care can devastate an entire family unit. Our mental health system in this country is fatally flawed. There is a lack of providers, a lack of understanding, a lack of support. A stigma still runs rampant in our society. My goal is to become a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner so I can be part of the change. I believe I can make a difference in my community. I will focus my practice on caring for those who are part of the underserved population. Whether that is the homeless drug addict, the new mother in a domestic violence situation, the refugee child, the immigrant. My nursing experience is not the only factor that led me to be so passionate about mental healthcare. My own struggles with anxiety and depression are a huge contributing factor. I have had anxiety since I was young. However, due to the stigma surrounding mental health I kept my struggles silent. In high school I began using self-injury to cope. Finally, in my first year of college I attempted suicide. Thankfully, I was unsuccessful. I started counseling but I had become so good at hiding my struggles that I was quickly discharged. I didn’t get true help until after having my first son in 2016, when I suffered from paralyzing postpartum depression and anxiety. I finally realized how much my mental health was impacting my family, especially my own baby. But even then, it was me as the patient who had to bring up mental health at my OB follow-ups. I was never asked by a provider how I was doing emotionally. If someone had thought to ask, maybe I wouldn’t have suffered for so long. I was started on medication and counseling, I was finally able to see the light. Everyone deserves to have access to affordable, unbiased healthcare. But even more specifically, everyone deserves equal access to mental health care. Everyone deserves having someone to listen. Everyone deserves having someone on their team. I want to be that someone. I want to be part of the change. This scholarship would be so meaningful in helping me achieve my goal of becoming a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. It would allow me to reach and serve the vulnerable individuals in my community. It would help me save lives.

Nurses save lives. I have been a nurse for almost 9 years. During my time in the healthcare industry I have had the opportunity to care for many different patients. I have cared for NICU babies and their families, laboring mothers and then their newborns, children and their families in outpatient clinics, and students in school ranging from preschool to high school. I have experienced firsthand just how beneficial or detrimental our healthcare system can be. During my time as a nurse one passion has remained constant, mental health. I have seen just how damaging a lack of affordable and accessible mental health care can be. Whether that was the mother of a drug dependent NICU baby, who desperately needed addiction counseling. Or the laboring mother who is going to deliver a baby that passed away in utero, that desperately needs bereavement therapy. Or the middle school student who has been bullied and ostracized for their sexual orientation, who can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel and feels there is no way out. Or the elementary school student who struggles with a mental illness, but whose parents are in denial that anything is wrong. I have seen each and every one of these scenarios. I have seen how the lack of mental health care can devastate an entire family unit. Our mental health system in this country is fatally flawed. There is a lack of providers, a lack of understanding, a lack of support. A stigma still runs rampant in our society. My goal is to become a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner so I can be part of the change. I believe I can make a difference in my community. After graduating I will focus my practice on caring for those who are part of the underserved population. Whether that is the homeless drug addict, the new mother in a domestic violence situation, the refugee child, the immigrant. Everyone deserves to have access to affordable, unbiased healthcare. But even more specifically, everyone deserves access to mental health care. Everyone deserves having someone to listen. Everyone deserves having someone on their team. I want to be that someone. I want to be part of the change. This scholarship would be so meaningful in helping me achieve my goal of becoming a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. My husband is a disabled veteran, who served in the United States Marine Corps. Being a military spouse truly taught me that I can do anything. I had our first son while my husband was still serving. He was actually attached to the President's helicopter squadron and would frequently be deployed to different countries. Following my son's birth I suffered from postpartum depression and anxiety. I was completely alone. I wasn't diagnosed until a year after his birth, when I finally realized I needed help, that it was okay to need help. This scholarship would help me reach others in my community who feel like they're alone and have nowhere to turn. It would help me save lives.

Nurses save lives. I have been a nurse for almost 9 years. During my time in the healthcare industry I have had the opportunity to care for many different patients. I have cared for NICU babies and their families, laboring mothers and then their newborns, children and their families in outpatient clinics, and students in school ranging from preschool to high school. I have experienced firsthand just how beneficial or detrimental our healthcare system can be. During my time as a nurse one passion has remained constant, mental health. I have seen just how damaging a lack of affordable and accessible mental health care can be. Whether that was the mother of a drug dependent NICU baby, who desperately needed addiction counseling. Or the laboring mother who is going to deliver a baby that passed away in utero, that desperately needs bereavement therapy. Or the middle school student who has been bullied and ostracized for their sexual orientation, who can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel and feels there is no way out. Or the elementary school student who struggles with a mental illness, but whose parents are in denial that anything is wrong. I have seen each and every one of these scenarios. I have seen how the lack of mental health care can devastate an entire family unit. Our mental health system in this country is fatally flawed. There is a lack of providers, a lack of understanding, a lack of support. A stigma still runs rampant in our society. My goal is to become a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner so I can be part of the change. I believe I can make a difference in my community. After graduating I will focus my practice on caring for those who are part of the underserved population. Whether that is the homeless drug addict, the new mother in a domestic violence situation, the refugee child, the immigrant. Everyone deserves to have access to affordable, unbiased healthcare. But even more specifically, everyone deserves access to mental health care. Everyone deserves having someone to listen. Everyone deserves having someone on their team. I want to be that someone. I want to be part of the change. This scholarship would be so meaningful in helping me achieve my goal of becoming a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. It would allow me to reach and serve the vulnerable individuals in my community. It would help me save lives.

Nurses save lives. I have been a nurse for almost 9 years. During my time in the healthcare industry I have had the opportunity to care for many different patients. I have cared for NICU babies and their families, laboring mothers and then their newborns, children and their families in outpatient clinics, and students in school ranging from preschool to high school. I have experienced firsthand just how beneficial or detrimental our healthcare system can be. During my time as a nurse one passion has remained constant, mental health. I have seen just how damaging a lack of affordable and accessible mental health care can be. Whether that was the mother of a drug dependent NICU baby, who desperately needed addiction counseling. Or the laboring mother who is going to deliver a baby that passed away in utero, that desperately needs bereavement therapy. Or the middle school student who has been bullied and ostracized for their sexual orientation, who can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel and feels there is no way out. Or the elementary school student who struggles with a mental illness, but whose parents are in denial that anything is wrong. I have seen each and every one of these scenarios. I have seen how the lack of mental health care can devastate an entire family unit. Our mental health system in this country is fatally flawed. There is a lack of providers, a lack of understanding, a lack of support. A stigma still runs rampant in our society. My goal is to become a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner so I can be part of the change. I believe I can make a difference in my community. After graduating I will focus my practice on caring for those who are part of the underserved population. Whether that is the homeless drug addict, the new mother in a domestic violence situation, the refugee child, the immigrant. Everyone deserves to have access to affordable, unbiased healthcare. But even more specifically, everyone deserves access to mental health care. Everyone deserves having someone to listen. Everyone deserves having someone on their team. I want to be that someone. I want to be part of the change. This scholarship would be so meaningful in helping me achieve my goal of becoming a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. It would allow me to reach and serve the vulnerable individuals in my community. It would help me save lives. I am privileged to have been offered admission to Frontier Nursing University. Their mission is to prepare practitioners to be competent, ethical, entrepreneurial, and compassionate leaders who serve the women and families in diverse, rural and underserved populations. The university’s mission so closely mirrors my own. I feel that it was fate for me to be admitted to this program and I cannot wait to see where this degree takes me.

I have battled with mental health for most of my life. I can remember being anxious from my earliest days. During high school I suffered from severe depression and suicidal thoughts. There is one moment in particular that I remember where I was lying on the bathroom floor sobbing, just having written my suicide . I couldn't understand why no one saw what I was going through, why no one asked me if I was okay. I felt so alone. Thankfully, I did not go through with the attempt. I went on to graduate from nursing school in 2014. I have had two children and had severe postpartum anxiety after both. Yet again, I was left on my own. No one asked me if I was experiencing any symptoms of postpartum anxiety or depression, no one asked me how things were going, no one offered any mental health support. They checked my stitches and sent me on my way. I was alone, again. The lack of maternal mental health care in this country is astounding. I am currently enrolled at Frontier Nursing University in their Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program. My dream is that after graduating from this program I can make a difference in someone's life. No one deserves to be alone. Everyone deserves having someone to listen. Everyone deserves to have someone on their team. My goal as a Nurse Practitioner is to also make mental health care accessible for all. In my nursing career, I have seen just how detrimental the lack of both physical and mental health care can be for our underserved populations. Our system is undoubtedly broken. Each and every person deserves accessible, adequate mental health care. A lack of proper health care can affect so much more than the patient. The entire family unit can be traumatized. I feel like I missed out on so much joy in my children's lives by having undiagnosed, untreated anxiety and depression. Moments where I should have felt joy, I felt crushing worry. In moments when I should be laughing and smiling, my face was wrought with distress. I spent hours awake at night dealing with paralyzing fears. I had moments where the thought crossed my mind, would my family be better off without me? I am so grateful that my best friend finally asked. She finally asked what was going through my mind. Then she said those few simple words: I'm here to listen. Those words made the biggest difference in my life. She convinced me to go see someone and I've since been on medication. I've been in therapy. Those words saved my life. They saved my children from having to grow up without a mother. Just like my best friend saved my life, I want to save someone's life. I want to tell my patients: I'm here for you, I'm listening. I truly feel that I can make a difference in someone's outcome. This scholarship would be so helpful in me achieving that dream.

What is your word of the year for 2023? Mine is balance. I have many labels that define me: mother (of two rambunctious boys), wife, nurse, daughter, sister, aunt, chronic illness warrior. I am sure there are more that I haven't mentioned. I decided why not add one more? Student. Motherhood has been one of the biggest challenges I have faced when going back to school. For the past five years, it has been my dream to go back to school. I graduated from nursing school in 2014. The same week of my graduation, I found out I was pregnant with our first son. Two years later, we had another. My children's needs and wants have been repeatedly been placed above my own. My youngest son is diagnosed with Autism and requires multiple therapy appointments per week. It takes a huge part of me to be able to coordinate all of his care. But I also have to be sure my oldest son is getting attention as well. He plays sports so then I have to add his practices to my schedule as well. My husband is a disabled military veteran. He got out of the Marine Corps in 2017. Since then he has gone through the police academy and is now finishing up 9 months in the firefighter academy. During these times I have had to take on more responsibility in the family. Thus again, putting myself on the back burner. In addition to being a full-time Mom and wife, I'm also a full-time nurse. I spend over 40 hours a week caring for students in four different schools. I love being a nurse. It is my passion, but my dream is to take my career further. I have spent my entire life, struggling with chronic illnesses. I was diagnosed as an infant with a bleeding disorder. I have also been diagnosed with a connective tissue disorder and a cardiac disorder. All of these combined have led to countless doctors' appointments, tests, treatments, surgeries. After all of these things combined, I have been putting off going back to school for years. I had opened the application so many times, I even started to fill it out once. But I always stopped. I always put everyone else's needs and wants, even my own health needs, in front of my dream. Finally, after choosing my 2023 word, balance, I decided it was time. It is time for me to balance all of the different aspects of my life, but to also not let my dream suffer. I am privileged to have been offered admission to Frontier Nursing University. Their mission is to prepare practitioners to be competent, ethical, entrepreneurial, and compassionate leaders who serve the women and families in diverse, rural and underserved populations. The university’s mission so closely mirrors my own. I feel that it was fate for me to be admitted to this program and I cannot wait to see where this degree takes me. Everyone deserves to have access to affordable, unbiased healthcare. But even more specifically, everyone deserves access to mental health care. Everyone deserves having someone to listen. Everyone deserves having someone on their team. I want to be that someone. I want to be part of the change. This scholarship would be so meaningful in helping me achieve my goal of becoming a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. It would allow me to reach and serve the vulnerable individuals in my community. It would help me save lives.

Nurses save lives. I have been a nurse for almost 9 years. During my time in the healthcare industry I have had the opportunity to care for many different patients. I have cared for NICU babies and their families, laboring mothers and then their newborns, children and their families in outpatient clinics, and students in school ranging from preschool to high school. I have experienced firsthand just how beneficial or detrimental our healthcare system can be. During my time as a nurse one passion has remained constant, mental health. I have seen just how damaging a lack of affordable and accessible mental health care can be. Whether that was the mother of a drug dependent NICU baby, who desperately needed addiction counseling. Or the laboring mother who is going to deliver a baby that passed away in utero, that desperately needs bereavement therapy. Or the middle school student who has been bullied and ostracized for their sexual orientation, who can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel and feels there is no way out. Or the elementary school student who struggles with a mental illness, but whose parents are in denial that anything is wrong. I have seen each and every one of these scenarios. I have seen how the lack of mental health care can devastate an entire family unit. Our mental health system in this country is fatally flawed. There is a lack of providers, a lack of understanding, a lack of support. A stigma still runs rampant in our society. My goal is to become a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner so I can be part of the change. I believe I can make a difference in my community. After graduating I will focus my practice on caring for those who are part of the underserved population. Whether that is the homeless drug addict, the new mother in a domestic violence situation, the refugee child, the immigrant. Everyone deserves to have access to affordable, unbiased healthcare. But even more specifically, everyone deserves access to mental health care. Everyone deserves having someone to listen. Everyone deserves having someone on their team. I want to be that someone. I want to be part of the change. This scholarship would be so meaningful in helping me achieve my goal of becoming a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. It would allow me to reach and serve the vulnerable individuals in my community. It would help me save lives. I am privileged to have been offered admission to Frontier Nursing University. Their mission is to prepare practitioners to be competent, ethical, entrepreneurial, and compassionate leaders who serve the women and families in diverse, rural and underserved populations. The university’s mission so closely mirrors my own. I feel that it was fate for me to be admitted to this program and I cannot wait to see where this degree takes me.

I have battled with mental health for most of my life. I can remember being anxious from my earliest days. During high school I suffered from severe depression and suicidal thoughts. There is one moment in particular that I remember where I was lying on the bathroom floor sobbing, just having written my suicide . I couldn't understand why no one saw what I was going through, why no one asked me if I was okay. I felt so alone. Thankfully, I did not go through with the attempt. I went on to graduate from nursing school in 2014. I have had two children and had severe postpartum anxiety after both. Yet again, I was left on my own. No one asked me if I was experiencing any symptoms of postpartum anxiety or depression, no one asked me how things were going, no one offered any mental health support. They checked my stitches and sent me on my way. I was alone, again. The lack of maternal mental health care in this country is astounding. I am currently enrolled at Frontier Nursing University in their Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program. My dream is that after graduating from this program I can make a difference in someone's life. No one deserves to be alone. Everyone deserves having someone to listen. Everyone deserves to have someone on their team. My goal as a Nurse Practitioner is to also make mental health care accessible for all. In my nursing career, I have seen just how detrimental the lack of both physical and mental health care can be for our underserved populations. Our system is undoubtedly broken. Each and every person deserves accessible, adequate mental health care. A lack of proper health care can affect so much more than the patient. The entire family unit can be traumatized. I feel like I missed out on so much joy in my children's lives by having undiagnosed, untreated anxiety and depression. Moments where I should have felt joy, I felt crushing worry. In moments when I should be laughing and smiling, my face was wrought with distress. I spent hours awake at night dealing with paralyzing fears. I had moments where the thought crossed my mind, would my family be better off without me? I am so grateful that my best friend finally asked. She finally asked what was going through my mind. Then she said those few simple words: I'm here to listen. Those words made the biggest difference in my life. She convinced me to go see someone and I've since been on medication. I've been in therapy. Those words saved my life. They saved my children from having to grow up without a mother. Just like my best friend saved my life, I want to save someone's life. I want to tell my patients: I'm here for you, I'm listening. I truly feel that I can make a difference in someone's outcome. This scholarship would be so helpful in me achieving that dream.

Nurses save lives. I have been a nurse for almost 9 years. During my time in the healthcare industry I have had the opportunity to care for many different patients. I have cared for NICU babies and their families, laboring mothers and then their newborns, children and their families in outpatient clinics, and students in school ranging from preschool to high school. I have experienced firsthand just how beneficial or detrimental our healthcare system can be. During my time as a nurse one passion has remained constant, mental health. I have seen just how damaging a lack of affordable and accessible mental health care can be. Whether that was the mother of a drug dependent NICU baby, who desperately needed addiction counseling. Or the laboring mother who is going to deliver a baby that passed away in utero, that desperately needs bereavement therapy. Or the middle school student who has been bullied and ostracized for their sexual orientation, who can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel and feels there is no way out. Or the elementary school student who struggles with a mental illness, but whose parents are in denial that anything is wrong. I have seen each and every one of these scenarios. I have seen how the lack of mental health care can devastate an entire family unit. Our mental health system in this country is fatally flawed. There is a lack of providers, a lack of understanding, a lack of support. A stigma still runs rampant in our society. My goal is to become a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner so I can be part of the change. I believe I can make a difference in my community. After graduating I will focus my practice on caring for those who are part of the underserved population. Whether that is the homeless drug addict, the new mother in a domestic violence situation, the refugee child, the immigrant. Everyone deserves to have access to affordable, unbiased healthcare. But even more specifically, everyone deserves access to mental health care. Everyone deserves having someone to listen. Everyone deserves having someone on their team. I want to be that someone. I want to be part of the change. This scholarship would be so meaningful in helping me achieve my goal of becoming a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. It would allow me to reach and serve the vulnerable individuals in my community. It would help me save lives. I am privileged to have been offered admission to Frontier Nursing University. Their mission is to prepare practitioners to be competent, ethical, entrepreneurial, and compassionate leaders who serve the women and families in diverse, rural and underserved populations. The university’s mission so closely mirrors my own. I feel that it was fate for me to be admitted to this program and I cannot wait to see where this degree takes me.

Nurses save lives. I have been a nurse for almost 9 years. During my time in the healthcare industry I have had the opportunity to care for many different patients. I have cared for NICU babies and their families, laboring mothers and then their newborns, children and their families in outpatient clinics, and students in school ranging from preschool to high school. I have experienced firsthand just how beneficial or detrimental our healthcare system can be. During my time as a nurse one passion has remained constant, mental health. I have seen just how damaging a lack of affordable and accessible mental health care can be. Whether that was the mother of a drug dependent NICU baby, who desperately needed addiction counseling. Or the laboring mother who is going to deliver a baby that passed away in utero, that desperately needs bereavement therapy. Or the middle school student who has been bullied and ostracized for their sexual orientation, who can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel and feels there is no way out. Or the elementary school student who struggles with a mental illness, but whose parents are in denial that anything is wrong. I have seen each and every one of these scenarios. I have seen how the lack of mental health care can devastate an entire family unit. Our mental health system in this country is fatally flawed. There is a lack of providers, a lack of understanding, a lack of support. A stigma still runs rampant in our society. My goal is to become a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner so I can be part of the change. I believe I can make a difference in my community. After graduating I will focus my practice on caring for those who are part of the underserved population. Whether that is the homeless drug addict, the new mother in a domestic violence situation, the refugee child, the immigrant. Everyone deserves to have access to affordable, unbiased healthcare. But even more specifically, everyone deserves access to mental health care. Everyone deserves having someone to listen. Everyone deserves having someone on their team. I want to be that someone. I want to be part of the change. This scholarship would be so meaningful in helping me achieve my goal of becoming a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. It would allow me to reach and serve the vulnerable individuals in my community. It would help me save lives. I am privileged to have been offered admission to Frontier Nursing University. Their mission is to prepare practitioners to be competent, ethical, entrepreneurial, and compassionate leaders who serve the women and families in diverse, rural and underserved populations. The university’s mission so closely mirrors my own. I feel that it was fate for me to be admitted to this program and I cannot wait to see where this degree takes me.

Nurses save lives. I have been a nurse for almost 9 years. During my time in the healthcare industry I have had the opportunity to care for many different patients. I have cared for NICU babies and their families, laboring mothers and then their newborns, children and their families in outpatient clinics, and students in school ranging from preschool to high school. I have experienced firsthand just how beneficial or detrimental our healthcare system can be. During my time as a nurse one passion has remained constant, mental health. I have seen just how damaging a lack of affordable and accessible mental health care can be. Whether that was the mother of a drug dependent NICU baby, who desperately needed addiction counseling. Or the laboring mother who is going to deliver a baby that passed away in utero, that desperately needs bereavement therapy. Or the middle school student who has been bullied and ostracized for their sexual orientation, who can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel and feels there is no way out. Or the elementary school student who struggles with a mental illness, but whose parents are in denial that anything is wrong. I have seen each and every one of these scenarios. I have seen how the lack of mental health care can devastate an entire family unit. Our mental health system in this country is fatally flawed. There is a lack of providers, a lack of understanding, a lack of support. A stigma still runs rampant in our society. My goal is to become a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner so I can be part of the change. I believe I can make a difference in my community. After graduating I will focus my practice on caring for those who are part of the underserved population. Whether that is the homeless drug addict, the new mother in a domestic violence situation, the refugee child, the immigrant. Everyone deserves to have access to affordable, unbiased healthcare. But even more specifically, everyone deserves access to mental health care. Everyone deserves having someone to listen. Everyone deserves having someone on their team. I want to be that someone. I want to be part of the change. This scholarship would be so meaningful in helping me achieve my goal of becoming a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. It would allow me to reach and serve the vulnerable individuals in my community. It would help me save lives. I am privileged to have been offered admission to Frontier Nursing University. Their mission is to prepare practitioners to be competent, ethical, entrepreneurial, and compassionate leaders who serve the women and families in diverse, rural and underserved populations. The university’s mission so closely mirrors my own. I feel that it was fate for me to be admitted to this program and I cannot wait to see where this degree takes me.

Nurses save lives. I have been a nurse for almost 9 years. During my time in the healthcare industry I have had the opportunity to care for many different patients. I have cared for NICU babies and their families, laboring mothers and then their newborns, children and their families in outpatient clinics, and students in school ranging from preschool to high school. I have experienced firsthand just how beneficial or detrimental our healthcare system can be. During my time as a nurse one passion has remained constant, mental health. I have seen just how damaging a lack of affordable and accessible mental health care can be. Whether that was the mother of a drug dependent NICU baby, who desperately needed addiction counseling. Or the laboring mother who is going to deliver a baby that passed away in utero, that desperately needs bereavement therapy. Or the middle school student who has been bullied and ostracized for their sexual orientation, who can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel and feels there is no way out. Or the elementary school student who struggles with a mental illness, but whose parents are in denial that anything is wrong. I have seen each and every one of these scenarios. I have seen how the lack of mental health care can devastate an entire family unit. Our mental health system in this country is fatally flawed. There is a lack of providers, a lack of understanding, a lack of support. A stigma still runs rampant in our society. My goal is to become a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner so I can be part of the change. I believe I can make a difference in my community. After graduating I will focus my practice on caring for those who are part of the underserved population. Whether that is the homeless drug addict, the new mother in a domestic violence situation, the refugee child, the immigrant. Everyone deserves to have access to affordable, unbiased healthcare. But even more specifically, everyone deserves access to mental health care. Everyone deserves having someone to listen. Everyone deserves having someone on their team. I want to be that someone. I want to be part of the change. This scholarship would be so meaningful in helping me achieve my goal of becoming a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. It would allow me to reach and serve the vulnerable individuals in my community. It would help me save lives. I am privileged to have been offered admission to Frontier Nursing University. Their mission is to prepare practitioners to be competent, ethical, entrepreneurial, and compassionate leaders who serve the women and families in diverse, rural and underserved populations. The university’s mission so closely mirrors my own. I feel that it was fate for me to be admitted to this program and I cannot wait to see where this degree takes me.

Nurses save lives. I have been a nurse for almost 9 years. During my time in the healthcare industry I have had the opportunity to care for many different patients. I have cared for NICU babies and their families, laboring mothers and then their newborns, children and their families in outpatient clinics, and students in school ranging from preschool to high school. I have experienced firsthand just how beneficial or detrimental our healthcare system can be. During my time as a nurse one passion has remained constant, mental health. I have seen just how damaging a lack of affordable and accessible mental health care can be. Whether that was the mother of a drug dependent NICU baby, who desperately needed addiction counseling. Or the laboring mother who is going to deliver a baby that passed away in utero, that desperately needs bereavement therapy. Or the middle school student who has been bullied and ostracized for their sexual orientation, who can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel and feels there is no way out. Or the elementary school student who struggles with a mental illness, but whose parents are in denial that anything is wrong. I have seen each and every one of these scenarios. I have seen how the lack of mental health care can devastate an entire family unit. Our mental health system in this country is fatally flawed. There is a lack of providers, a lack of understanding, a lack of support. A stigma still runs rampant in our society. My goal is to become a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner so I can be part of the change. I believe I can make a difference in my community. After graduating I will focus my practice on caring for those who are part of the underserved population. Whether that is the homeless drug addict, the new mother in a domestic violence situation, the refugee child, the immigrant. Everyone deserves to have access to affordable, unbiased healthcare. But even more specifically, everyone deserves access to mental health care. Everyone deserves having someone to listen. Everyone deserves having someone on their team. I want to be that someone. I want to be part of the change. This scholarship would be so meaningful in helping me achieve my goal of becoming a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. It would allow me to reach and serve the vulnerable individuals in my community. It would help me save lives. I am privileged to have been offered admission to Frontier Nursing University. Their mission is to prepare practitioners to be competent, ethical, entrepreneurial, and compassionate leaders who serve the women and families in diverse, rural and underserved populations. The university’s mission so closely mirrors my own. I feel that it was fate for me to be admitted to this program and I cannot wait to see where this degree takes me.

Nurses save lives. I have been a nurse for almost 9 years. During my time in the healthcare industry I have had the opportunity to care for many different patients. I have cared for NICU babies and their families, laboring mothers and then their newborns, children and their families in outpatient clinics, and students in school ranging from preschool to high school. I have experienced firsthand just how beneficial or detrimental our healthcare system can be. During my time as a nurse one passion has remained constant, mental health. I have seen just how damaging a lack of affordable and accessible mental health care can be. Whether that was the mother of a drug-dependent NICU baby, who desperately needed addiction counseling. Or the laboring mother who is going to deliver a baby that passed away in utero, that desperately needs bereavement therapy. Or the middle school student who has been bullied and ostracized for their sexual orientation, who can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel and feels there is no way out. Or the elementary school student who struggles with a mental illness, but whose parents are in denial that anything is wrong. I have seen each and every one of these scenarios. I have seen how the lack of mental health care can devastate an entire family unit. Our mental health system in this country is fatally flawed. There is a lack of providers, a lack of understanding, a lack of support. A stigma still runs rampant in our society. My goal is to become a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner so I can be part of the change. I believe I can make a difference in my community. After graduating I will focus my practice on caring for those who are part of the underserved population. Whether that is the homeless drug addict, the new mother in a domestic violence situation, the refugee child, the immigrant. Everyone deserves to have access to affordable, unbiased healthcare. But even more specifically, everyone deserves access to mental health care. Everyone deserves having someone to listen. Everyone deserves having someone on their team. I want to be that someone. I want to be part of the change. This scholarship would be so meaningful in helping me achieve my goal of becoming a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. It would allow me to reach and serve the vulnerable individuals in my community. It would help me save lives.

I have battled with mental health for most of my life. I can remember being anxious from my earliest days. During high school I suffered from severe depression and suicidal thoughts. There is one moment in particular that I remember where I was lying on the bathroom floor sobbing, just having written my suicide . I couldn't understand why no one saw what I was going through, why no one asked me if I was okay. I felt so alone. Thankfully, I did not go through with the attempt. I went on to graduate from nursing school in 2014. I have had two children and had severe postpartum anxiety after both. Yet again, I was left on my own. No one asked me if I was experiencing any symptoms of postpartum anxiety or depression, no one asked me how things were going, no one offered any mental health support. They checked my stitches and sent me on my way. I was alone, again. The lack of maternal mental health care in this country is astounding. I am currently enrolled at Frontier Nursing University in their Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program. My dream is that after graduating from this program I can make a difference in someone's life. No one deserves to be alone. Everyone deserves having someone to listen. Everyone deserves to have someone on their team. My goal as a Nurse Practitioner is to also make mental health care accessible for all. In my nursing career, I have seen just how detrimental the lack of both physical and mental health care can be for our underserved populations. Our system is undoubtedly broken. Each and every person deserves accessible, adequate mental health care. A lack of proper health care can affect so much more than the patient. The entire family unit can be traumatized. I feel like I missed out on so much joy in my children's lives by having undiagnosed, untreated anxiety and depression. Moments where I should have felt joy, I felt crushing worry. In moments when I should be laughing and smiling, my face was wrought with distress. I spent hours awake at night dealing with paralyzing fears. I had moments where the thought crossed my mind, would my family be better off without me? I am so grateful that my best friend finally asked. She finally asked what was going through my mind. Then she said those few simple words: I'm here to listen. Those words made the biggest difference in my life. She convinced me to go see someone and I've since been on medication. I've been in therapy. Those words saved my life. They saved my children from having to grow up without a mother. Just like my best friend saved my life, I want to save someone's life. I want to tell my patients: I'm here for you, I'm listening. I truly feel that I can make a difference in someone's outcome. This scholarship would be so helpful in me achieving that dream.