Throughout life we encounter experiences that teach us valuable life lessons. One of the most profound lessons I have learned has come from my exposure to dementia. This disease has shaped my perspective of the world from my first encounter to the people in my life that suffer from it now and has deeply influenced my understanding of empathy, resilience, and the power of human connection. I remember very well the first time I ever met someone with dementia. I was about 12 years old and at summer camp where we went to a local nursing home as a service project. At the nursing home we were either assigned to bake cookies or interact with residents and I was assigned to interact. As I was sitting next to a resident she kept asking me the same questions, which I calmly answered over and over again. When I got home I asked my mom why the lady had asked me the same thing so many times and that was when she explained to me what dementia was. That moment sparked a curiosity in me that later had an influence on my career aspirations. My second significant encounter with dementia that had an impact on my life was when my great- grandma was diagnosed with it. Although the impact of her dementia was less present in my life as I did not know her well, I witnessed how deeply it affected my grandma and our family. Seeing my grandma experience the gradual loss of her mother to this disease showed me how devastating dementia is not just for the person diagnosed with it but also for the loved ones surrounding them. At 16 I obtained my CNA license due to my interest in a career in healthcare . Initially I applied for a position on a long- term care unit at a nursing home but due to the staffing demands at the time I was placed on a locked dementia unit. This experience was originally very overwhelming for me. I knew what dementia was but did not have any knowledge or experience on how to take care of the everyday needs of those who suffered from it. However, I ended up falling in love with that job and those residents and I spent over 2 years working with them. Those residents truly taught me so much about the disease and about life. They taught me how to treat people with empathy no matter how they may be treating you. They taught me how to ethically care for someone with dementia. They taught me that no matter how much dementia may take away from a person they are always capable of some version of love even if it may look a little different, and finally those residents taught me that even if they may not remember you, showing someone respect, love, and kindness can go a very long way. Even if the residents that I took care of do not remember my name or my face, the respect, love, and kindness that I showed them while taking care of them made a difference. My most recent experience with dementia has become even more personal. My grandmother has begun to show signs of the disease and although the progression has been slow it has become more and more obvious as time goes on that she is developing it. Despite having had a lot of experience working with dementia, facing it with my own family has been unexpectedly challenging. I had thought that I would be well equipped and capable of caring for and interacting with her as the dementia progressed. However, having a family member who you have known and loved since long before the disease progression starts is far different from taking care of them in a career based setting. Although these waters are uncharted for us we have been leaning on each other for support through it all. Dementia has shaped my life in ways that I never expected it to. It has greatly influenced my ability to empathize, reinforced my passion for healthcare, and taught me more about love and human connection. Through my experiences I have learned that even in the face of loss, love and kindness endure. These lessons will continue to guide me as a purse, an education and career in healthcare, determined to make a difference in the lives of those affected by all types of diseases.

The people who we are surrounded by make all the difference and that is something that I have learned being a LGBTQ person. Growing up I struggled a lot with my identity. I was Queer in a highly unaccepting family and was surrounded by highly judgmental and unaccepting people. As I approached my senior year of high school this became all too apparent when I came out and was almost immediately shunned from all of my friend groups and had to leave my parents' house while I was still a senior. Although it was a really terrible time for me, and I even spent time being homeless I learned a really important lesson during that time about myself and about the people around me. I learned that I am a very stubborn and driven person who will accomplish anything they put their mind to, and I learned that I have a passion for helping people especially those who are in situations like I was. I also learned that having people who fully support you in your life can mean the difference between life and death. During this time, I also really struggled academically even though I have always loved school. Slowly but surely, I rebuilt my life with hard work and surrounded myself with people who loved and cared about me no matter what. I almost did not graduate high school due to the events of that last year, but I pushed myself and managed to graduate. I learned very quickly that the hate and unacceptance that I saw everywhere around me growing up was not how everyone was, and I also learned that family does not have to be the people that you are related to. That brings me to my academic/ student journey. I am currently pursuing a degree in nursing and a local community college. Although I had hoped to pursue this degree at a state college that became unrealistic for me financially. I have completed some of my General Education credits at the local community college and will be pursuing my nursing degree starting in the fall. The time that I have spent so far at the local college has made me realize that I actually fit in there much better because when compared to a state college the community college has much more diversity and being someone who is Queer or who is returning to college after many years off does not matter at all. I hope to use my story and my experiences to be a safe person while working in health care and to work to get rid of the health disparities that all queer people face. I hope to be able to work towards creating a world where everyone is given fair and equal access to medical care in a place where they are welcomed, accepted, and safe.

Have you ever had a passion for something that felt unreachable? Something that you have always wanted to achieve but from the place you are at it seems impossible to achieve that passion? If so, you are certainly not alone because that is how I felt just a few years ago. Hello, my name is Kyra, and I am a 22-year-old from Wisconsin. I am returning to school this year to work towards becoming a nurse. I have always had a passion for helping people but after graduating high school while actively being homeless, I really had a hard time getting back on my feet and into a position where I could pursue that passion. I knew during my struggles that I had a strong passion for advocating for those who were not often advocated for, especially after a friend advocated for me while I was in my situation when no one else was. It was then that I developed the idea that I could use my love of science and skills in caregiving to pursue a career in health care to become an advocate for those who are often misrepresented or underrepresented. After a lot of hard work and 4 very long years I have finally found myself in a position where I am able to take my first steps towards my dream. My hope is that I will be able to make a positive impact on the world through my healthcare career by offering both physical and emotional support to people while they are experiencing a health crisis, especially women in my community as they are often underrepresented in health care. I know what it is like to not feel like you have support, and I wish to alleviate some of that for people by being a bright and comforting person for them while they experience tough times. I also hope to find or create a way to decrease the healthcare disparities that women in my community and throughout the country face. In the US and around the world women face an increased risk of chronic illness, increased healthcare expenses, higher rates of mental health problems, and the maternal death rates out of all of the first world countries. Women are also underrepresented in clinical studies and data collection in regard to health care. As a healthcare professional I hope to change this and find ways to decrease these disparities because I believe that everyone, regardless of gender, race, or sexuality should have access to quality and equal healthcare treatment. Currently, I am pursuing an associate's degree in nursing, I then plan to pursue my bachelor's degree. Following that I will pursue a higher education that allows me to have a greater impact and also use all of my skills and abilities to their fullest potential whether that is a master's or doctorate degree.

Have you ever had a passion for something that felt unreachable? Something that you have always wanted to achieve but from the place you are at it seems impossible to achieve that passion. If so, you are certainly not alone because that is how I felt just a few years ago. Hello, my name is Kyra, and I am a 22-year-old from Wisconsin. I am returning to school this year to work towards becoming a nurse. I have always had a passion for helping people but after graduating high school while actively being homeless, I really had a hard time getting back on my feet and into a position where I could pursue that passion. I knew during my struggles that I had a strong passion for advocating for those who were not often advocated for, especially after a friend advocated for me while I was in my situation when no one else was. It was then that I developed the idea that I could use my love of science and skills in caregiving to pursue a career in health care to become an advocate for those who are often misrepresented or underrepresented. After a lot of hard work and 4 very long years I have finally found myself in a position where I am able to take my first steps towards my dream. My hope is that I will be able to make a positive impact on the world through my healthcare career by offering both physical and emotional support to people while they are experiencing a health crisis, especially women as they are often underrepresented in health care. I know what it is like to not feel like you have support, and I wish to alleviate some of that for people by being a bright and comforting person for them while they experience tough times. I also hope to find or create a way to decrease the healthcare disparities that women face. In the US and around the world women face an increased risk of chronic illness, increased healthcare expenses, higher rates of mental health problems, and the maternal death rates out of all of the first world countries. Women are also underrepresented in clinical studies and data collection in regard to health care. As a healthcare professional I hope to change this and find ways to decrease these disparities because I believe that everyone, regardless of gender, race, or sexuality should have access to quality and equal healthcare treatment. Currently, I am pursuing an associate's degree in nursing, I then plan to pursue my bachelor's degree. Following that I will pursue a higher education that allows me to have a greater impact and also use all of my skills and abilities to their fullest potential whether that is a master's or doctorate degree.

Have you ever had a passion for something that felt unreachable? Something that you have always wanted to achieve but from the place you are at it seems impossible to achieve that passion. If so, you are certainly not alone because that is how I felt just a few years ago. Hello, my name is Kyra, and I am a 22-year-old from Wisconsin. I am returning to school this year to work towards becoming a nurse. I have always had a passion for helping people but after graduating high school while actively being homeless, I really struggled to get back on my feet. I faced both financial stress during this time and also emotional stress. My homelessness was due to a family situation that was out of my control and knowing that I was without support in many aspects of my life at that time took a huge toll on me. Despite this, I knew that I wanted to achieve big things and pursue a nursing degree and maybe even more, but I also had the burden of having to fully provide for myself at such a young age and with no savings to rely on. For two years I worked full time or more at a local nursing home and hospital trying to stay afloat financially and put money aside to allow me to pursue a further education. Due to my passion for science and my love of caregiving nursing seemed like the best way for me to hone in on my skills and passions while also making a contribution to the community. However, when compared to other technical school degrees it was going to be rather expensive. After supplies, textbooks, travel expenses, and having to pay rent while making sure I didn’t work too much so I could focus on my studies I knew I had to save as much as possible. After completing my general education credits and due to my hard work and passion I was able to finally start pursuing my dream career this year. My hope is that I will be able to make a positive impact on the world through my healthcare career by offering both physical and emotional support to people while they are experiencing a health crisis. I know what it is like to not feel like you have support, and I wish to alleviate some of that for people by being a bright and comforting person for them while they experience tough times. I also hope to find or create a way to decrease the healthcare disparities that people face due to things like race or gender. I have a passion for creating a healthcare environment that is a safe space for all and offers equal medical treatment to all. Currently, I am pursuing an associate's degree in nursing, I then plan to pursue my bachelor's degree. Following that I will pursue a higher education that allows me to have a greater impact and also use all of my skills and abilities to their fullest potential whether that is a master's or doctorate degree.

My experiences with mental health have influenced my beliefs, relationships, and career aspirations by giving me the goals of being an empathetic person, friend, and caregiver. Mental health struggles became a large part of my life early on and after witnessing many around me struggle and then struggling myself with mental health since middle school I learned very quickly that one of my core beliefs is to give compassion and empathy to everyone that I come into contact with. Even a small smile can change someone's day. Although my mental health has made many things much more difficult for me, the experiences that I have had personally have allowed me to connect with people in ways that would have never been possible if it had not been for my own struggles. My experiences with my own mental health have also helped me develop personal attributes such as tenacity, grit, perseverance because although I have had some really tough times, I have been able to push forward, and I am stronger because of it. My experiences with mental health have also impacted my relationships. Whether it be with friends or with family I always strive to meet the people where they are at. To lend them a helping hand or to be a listening ear when they need it. It has allowed me to look at my friendships and relationships with a strong sense of gratitude for what I have and the support that I am able to both give and receive from the relationships that have been cultivated in my life. It has also connected me with people that I would not have connect with at that level if it had not been for my own experiences with struggling with mental health. Mental health and its role in my life has also had a huge impact on my career now and my career goals. I became a Certified Nurse assistant in 2018 and in 2021 I started to work at a mental health hospital. Meeting many people who are in a mental health crisis and working with them to create safe environments and to help them work through their crisis quickly became part of my everyday life. I learned so much from the patients that I have worked with over the years. I learned that a small gesture or positive comment can brighten days. I learned that some people are capable of overcoming so much and that even when the weight and intensity of the job wears you down, even the people who are struggling the most can find ways to brighten your day. I have learned to truly meet people where they are at and to show empathy to a vast and diverse group of patients. Most importantly the patients that I have had contact with over the past 4 years working in mental health have taught me so much about myself and my passions in life. Although I do not believe I will be pursuing a career in mental health I do hope to work in an Emergency room where I will still be in contact with people who are in need of mental health help, I hope to be able to continue to brighten even the worst of their days and that I can continue learning more about how to show empathy to a diverse group of people with diverse experiences.