From a young age, I have always been captivated by anatomy facts, as understanding science concepts came naturally to me, and I enjoyed helping others; however, it wasn't until I started volunteering at my local nursing home while in middle school that I discovered that I wanted to pursue a career in geriatric nursing. I spent time with our lovely elders by calling out bingo, conversing, or helping them when needed, but I often witnessed the healthcare staff mistreating our seniors. From then on, I knew I wanted to pursue a career in nursing to improve our seniors' lives by addressing their physical, cognitive, and emotional concerns with medicine and holistic approaches. Volunteering in my community and the nursing program at my school, Cabarrus College of Health Sciences, has permitted me to partake in various experiences. While at Rowan County Early College, I was given a "passion project" assignment where I created an event at the local nursing home; I had people from the community bring their pets into the facility to spend a few hours with the residents. l recognized that it was against facility regulations to allow residents to keep pets, so I found it significant for residents to spend some therapeutic time with animals to improve their mental health, especially those forced to give up their pets to receive adequate care in a nursing home. In addition to this project, as president of the National Honor Society, my team and I developed volunteer opportunities, one in which members could participate in making treat bags and cards for Halloween. Aside from high school, I have gained most of my medical experience from my CNA 1 course with Rowan Cabarrus Community College and my current school. My CNA course has taught me the fundamental skills of nursing, the nurse's role in providing care, and crucial subjects of infection prevention and safety. Building on the elemental practices in nursing learned from my CNA course, CCHS has taught me essential subjects, including disease processes, rights of medication, and exam measurements. Additionally, clinicals have allowed me to practice safe medication administration, head-to-toe assessments, analyze lab results, and use therapeutic communication. During my clinical experience at CCHS, I also observed the outstanding surgeons in the OR perform a below-knee amputation and a coronary bypass artery graft; this allowed me to visualize the medical team's roles and infection prevention. I have accomplished many goals on my journey to become a Geriatric Nurse Practitioner. As a timid person, I often find it challenging to communicate with new individuals; on the contrary, spending time with my patients in clinicals has ameliorated my interpersonal skills exponentially. Safe medication administration, a mandatory practice, is another accomplishment. Not only was I able to perform medication math successfully, but I was also able to coach other classmates to become proficient. Thirdly, by taking Anatomy and Physiology, I could apply complex anatomy concepts to my patients to improve my comprehension of their acute and chronic conditions. I have set many goals for a successful career in nursing. With an interest in holistic nursing, I would like to find credible articles that provide new holistic approaches and be able to apply them to patients with diverse backgrounds to improve their lives. I would also like to be able to effectively use therapeutic communication with distressed, anxious, or vexed patients so they are more willing to follow through with treatment. Lastly, I would like to be able to interpret lab results to hypothesize illnesses confidently. I hope to make a difference by improving our seniors' physical and mental well-being by achieving these goals.

I was 15 when I went to my first concert, and I was astounded. The band lineup was Five Finger Death Punch, Three Days Grace, and Bad Wolves. The colorful, bright stage lights danced across the stadium, and the fire from the stage warmed my face. The bass coming from the speakers radiated throughout my body, and the adrenaline made my heart beat for what seemed like 200 beats per minute. The whole crowd, including myself, simultaneously chanted the lyrics at the top of our lungs while thrusting our fists toward the ceiling. Everyone was amazed when Jason Hook from FFDP was lifted about 25 ft in the air while playing his guitar riffs. With Ivan Moody's belting voice and the incredible drum and guitar solos, it was impossible not to headbang at least a little. This experience was superb, and I know there won't be another experience like this one. I enjoy listening to many genres of music, but I primarily listen to Hard Rock and Metal. As far as Metal goes, I listen to Slipknot, Pantera, Five Finger Death Punch, Metallica, Metal covers, and so much more. Metal is significant to me. I thoroughly enjoy the aesthetics of Metal; the compilation of the singer's belting voices, unique drum beats, and phenomenal guitar rhythms in Metal songs touch my soul. The singer's yelling makes songs have so much emotion, sincerity, and passion, creating tremendous meaning. As a timid, reticent, and outgoing individual, it is challenging to make friends; because of this, I have never had many friends, and it is hard to confide in people. Listening to Metal allows me to take my frustration or stress out because of the singer’s deep emotion throughout the song, and it doesn’t feel like I’m the only one. Other than aesthetics, I use Metal music as my source of confidence and inspiration before a stressful situation or during weightlifting sessions. My name is Lacie Gilbert, and I am a senior at Rowan County Early College in North Carolina, where I will graduate with my high school diploma and Associate in Arts. After years of volunteering in my community, I have decided to become a Geriatric Nurse Practitioner. When volunteering at my local nursing home, I was devastated and heartbroken by how the nurses and CNAs neglected and degraded our loving and wise elders, especially during COVID. On Christmas day, through the extremities of COVID, my mom, who was Business Office Manager then, and one nurse were the only people feeding, changing clothes and diapers, and cleaning over 150 residents. Because of my age, I could not help; however, by becoming a Geriatric Nurse Practitioner, I will be able to improve our seniors' mental and physical health. I have many goals in my journey to becoming a Geriatric Nurse Practitioner. While at RCEC, I plan to make straight As again for my last semester to earn my honors cord at graduation. Additionally, one goal is to maintain on top of my college Anatomy and Physiology class. After RCEC, I aim to take Nurse Aide 1 and eventually be accepted to Cabarrus College of Health Science, where I will obtain my ADN. Afterward, I would like to take online BSN and MSN classes to work in healthcare while still in school, even if I must work my way up. Even though I don't come from a low-income family, I would like to pay for my college expenses. I firmly believe people must work hard to get what they want without handouts or excuses. To pay for my college expenses, I plan to work while in school and set money aside for college (as I am doing now), continuously applying for scholarships on various scholarship platforms and from student loans, including the FAFSA. I want to receive this scholarship because it would help pay for my education, relieve some stress, and allow me to achieve my life goals, including improving the seniors' lives in a significant, meaningful way.

I was four years old when my family rescued Atticus. When I moved to the United States from Germany, my family saw an ad on Craigslist for a free, beautiful German Shepherd that lived just two hours away. However, when my family picked him up, we noticed that the German Shepherd was being abused; he was tied to a tree with a leash, creating a ring around the tree from the restricted space he had to move around; his hair was dingy and matted, and smelled god awful. My family knew that we had to take the German Shepherd with us. We decided to take Atticus to the vet two days after we picked him up. Because Atticus was being abused and wasn't sure about my family, Atticus was highly skittish when we took him. The vet told my parents they should get rid of Atticus because he would one day harm my brother and me. Shortly after the vet told my family this bad news, we found out Atticus had nasty heartworms. The veterinarian said the heartworms were so advanced that the expensive treatment could kill him, and if it did save him, it would undoubtedly take four years off his life. Even though the vet told my parents he would hurt my two-year-old brother and four-year-old me, and the treatment may or may not work, we still decided to go through with the care. Fortunately, the medication worked, and Atticus became my best friend. Because I didn't have many friends growing up, I became very attached to Atticus; Atticus was there for me when I didn't have anyone else to go to. Atticus was well-tempered, obedient, always happy, and loved playing. Playing with Atticus always cheered me up; simply brushing him made my day. My favorite memory of Atticus is whenever it snowed outside; he would always eat the thrown snowballs and run in the snow. Atticus also loved going to the lake. Like the snowballs thrown in the winter, Atticus would also try to eat the wake on the lake. Atticus was not injurious to my brother and me by any means, as the vet insisted. Whenever a stranger stopped by my family's house, Atticus ensured he was there protecting us; he always sat between the stranger and my family, making sure they didn't cause any harm to us. Whenever my family first moved into our house, and our neighbor's dogs decided to walk into our home, Atticus made sure that he scared them off to make sure that my family was safe. Whenever my family went tent camping at Uwharrie, and a family member left the campsite to use the bathroom, Atticus would freak out when he realized someone had left and didn't know. Atticus wanted to know where we were at all times. In August 2018, Atticus sadly passed away at age 13, a much longer life expectancy than the vet anticipated. I was distraught when he died; I could not stop crying when I thought about him. It was easier to accept his passing when I remembered that my family gave him a long, healthy, joyous life filled with adventures and great memories. I will never forget Atticus as my best friend, companion, guard dog, and the "Good Boy" he was.

Maintaining a healthy diet is significant for good health, both physically and mentally. As a young, timid girl, I have always struggled with self-confidence. I have never had many friends; I had very low esteem; I didn't have any hobbies. When my dad noticed this, he introduced me to weightlifting. Although learning to weightlift and healthily eating came with challenges, I persisted and began to love it. When I saw that my hard work about staying fit was paying off, my mental health improved substantially. I learned that it didn't matter what everyone else thought of me because I was proud of who I was. After learning about eating healthy and weightlifting, I began various hobbies with my dad, including dirt biking, camping, building cars, and attending drag races. Maintaining a healthy diet and forming healthy habits have improved my mental health so significantly that I voluntarily answer questions in class even if I may be wrong; I have even become President of the National Honor Society. Without gaining my confidence and improving my self-esteem through dieting and exercising, I would have never put myself in a position to speak in a crowd. There are many other benefits to healthy dieting: you will sleep better; you are less prone to getting sick; you will have more energy; you look healthier; you realize what you are putting into your body; and lastly, you learn what your body does and doesn't like. Shortly after beginning the Keto diet, I noticed dramatic changes. I immediately started sleeping better, although I had trouble sleeping, and I immediately started losing unnecessary fat. In addition to this, I felt energetic throughout the day. Learning and trying new diets —and staying consistent — is a great way to understand how your body responds to diverse food variables, such as lower carbohydrates and higher fat content. By carefully watching how your body responds, you will learn what kind of foods to avoid in the future and what foods to keep in your diet. It is vital to hold healthy eating habits for physical and mental purposes. Healthy eating habits have taught me about self-appreciation and have improved my social skills; It has also taught me how my body responds to various foods and how I can diet successfully and healthily. I am grateful that I gained healthy habits at a young age because I would not be the outgoing, adventurous person I am today.

My best skill is to help others. I am always assisting others in any shape or form. I love to help people because I want everybody to live their best lives. But, unfortunately, verbal communication is not my strong suit. I get very nervous when called on in class or when new people ask me questions. But I am doing my best to improve this because I know it will enhance my helping skill. To improve my communication skills, I have been participating more in my class by voluntarily answering questions. I have been putting myself out there by introducing myself to new people and asking questions about them. One other thing I have done is take a public speaking class at my community college. Improving my verbal communication has not been very easy. At first, It was hard getting over my nervousness, but in my public speaking class, I learned that I could transform it into positive nervousness. After I learned to utilize positive nervousness, I tried to introduce myself to other people, and it has turned out well. Improving my verbal communication will allow me to meet new people and improve the lives of others. I am so passionate about helping others that I aspire to be a nurse practitioner, specifically, a geriatric nurse practitioner. Because I want to make use of my helping skill, I want to do everything I can to make sure that I am using it to the best of my ability.

When I was in 7th grade, I decided to try volunteering at a nursing home for the first time. When I walked through the doors of the nursing home, I was very nervous and already had the mindset that I wouldn't enjoy volunteering with the elderly because of the stereotypes society has against them. Even though I thought I wouldn't like volunteering with them, I instantly fell in love with their stories and wisdom. From volunteering with the seniors in my community in 7th grade, I have never stopped. Since then, I have volunteered in activities, physical therapy, and the cafeteria, and I have even held a pet event at my local nursing home. At this pet event, I had many people bring their pets in so the residents could pet and play with them because the residents cannot have pets in the facility. I wanted to do something different to make the seniors in my community happy. During the midst of Covid-19, volunteers were not allowed to visit the facility. Although I couldn't help out my local nursing home, I still wanted to make the seniors in my community happy. So I decided to bake a birthday cake for one of the hospice residents and drop it off at Trellis Supportive Care. Although I improve the lives of the seniors in my community by volunteering, I know that there is still more I can do. I want to become a geriatric nurse practitioner to improve my elders' physical and mental wellbeing.

I would describe myself as a pragmatic, compassionate, hard-working, and adventurous person. From a young age, I have always been passionate about helping people. In the classroom, you will consistently find me assisting the teachers by grading the assignments and passing out the classwork or helping my classmates understand the homework material. At home, you will most likely find me cooking supper for my family and help out my younger sister understand her schoolwork. Although I love to help out my classmates and my family, I am most passionate about assisting the elderly, a minority group that is seldom distinguished. Ever since I began volunteering at my local nursing home, I see and hear firsthand how the elderly are discriminated against by the employees. Even the CNAs and nurses whose jobs are to care for our loved ones are neglecting them. During the rise of the Coronavirus, most CNAs and nurses quit their jobs at my local nursing home, The Citadel at Salisbury, evading approximately 100 residents with cognitive and physical disabilities that can't care for themselves. At the time, there were several occasions where only a handful of employees (this includes everyone that works at the nursing home) were accounted for, and they had to work long hours to provide support for our ailing elders. Why are we letting the elders that have cared for us since we were children lay bedridden in unchanged diapers covered with sores all day? I want to work in an underserved community during my medical career because, as a prospective geriatric nurse practitioner, I know that I can improve the lives of the elders and influence others to do the same thing. When I spent time with the residents, I valued the stories they shared of their childhood memories and their outlook on life. I also inferred that our elders want to be listened to and be appreciated. For all that our senior role models and family members have provided for the current generations, I would like to give back and show that we care. In 2023, I will be graduating from Rowan County Early College in Salisbury, North Carolina, where I will be graduating with a high school diploma and an Associate in Science. One of my favorite things to do is learn! I love to learn about different cultures, the brain, automotive restoration, world history, new skills, and anything science-related. When I am not doing schoolwork, I especially love to be active. Some of the activities I perform include weightlifting, camping, dirt biking, mountain biking, swimming, volunteering, and kayaking/canoeing. One of my favorite quotes is, "Learn to light a candle in the darkest moments of someone's life. Be the light that helps others see; it is what gives life its deepest significance." by Roy T. Bennett. Thank you so much in advance for this scholarship opportunity. This scholarship will allow me to achieve my dream of being a geriatric nurse practitioner and improve our elder's lives in a significant, meaningful way.

I would describe myself as a pragmatic, compassionate, hard-working, and adventurous person. From a young age, I have always been passionate about helping people. In the classroom, you will consistently find me assisting the teachers by grading the assignments and passing out the classwork or helping my classmates understand the homework material. At home, you will most likely find me cooking supper for my family and help out my younger sister understand her schoolwork. Although I love to help out my classmates and my family, I am most passionate about assisting the elderly, a minority group that is seldom distinguished. Ever since I began volunteering at my local nursing home, I see and hear firsthand how the elderly are discriminated against by the employees. Even the CNAs and nurses whose jobs are to care for our loved ones are neglecting them. During the rise of the Coronavirus, most CNAs and nurses quit their jobs at my local nursing home, The Citadel at Salisbury, evading approximately 100 residents with cognitive and physical disabilities that can't care for themselves. At the time, there were several occasions where only a handful of employees (this includes everyone that works at the nursing home) were accounted for, and they had to work long hours to provide support for our ailing elders. Why are we letting the elders that have cared for us since we were children lay bedridden in unchanged diapers covered with sores all day? I want to work in an underserved community during my medical career because, as a prospective geriatric nurse practitioner, I know that I can improve the lives of the elders and influence others to do the same thing. When I spent time with the residents, I valued the stories they shared of their childhood memories and their outlook on life. I also inferred that our elders want to be listened to and be appreciated. For all that our senior role models and family members have provided for the current generations, I would like to give back and show that we care. In 2023, I will be graduating from Rowan County Early College in Salisbury, North Carolina, where I will be graduating with a high school diploma and an Associate in Science. One of my favorite things to do is learn! I love to learn about different cultures, the brain, automotive restoration, world history, new skills, and anything science-related. When I am not doing schoolwork, I especially love to be active. Some of the activities I perform include weightlifting, camping, dirt biking, mountain biking, swimming, volunteering, and kayaking/canoeing. One of my favorite quotes is, "Learn to light a candle in the darkest moments of someone's life. Be the light that helps others see; it is what gives life its deepest significance." by Roy T. Bennett. Thank you so much in advance for this scholarship opportunity. This scholarship will allow me to achieve my dream of being a geriatric nurse practitioner and improve our elder's lives in a significant, meaningful way.