What inspired me to pursue a career in nursing began early in my childhood. My late Mom was a diabetic, and she had a home health nurse named Ms. Toni who would help her with her medicine. She would let me help her set up the supplies. Years later, I found myself helping my late Mom care for her mother, my grandmother. I helped with setting up her tube feedings and her grooming. Sometimes I would help feed her. She would ask me to rub her legs, then tell my Mom, “That girl has healing in her hands.” enjoyed those times with her. During my teenage years, I thought about my career choices and the main thing I wanted to do was become a nurse. I just wanted to help people feel better. I wasn’t sure how I would go to college although I had great grades. I had no scholarship offers, so I decided to join the US Navy. After serving 4 of my 8 year contract, I left active duty in 1996 and enrolled in a pre-nursing program. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to complete my degree due to a difficult pregnancy and delivery. I made several attempts to complete my degree due, but ultimately decided to put that plan on hold to raise my family. In 2019, my youngest child was a senior in high school. I was faced with a dilemma: what will I do with the rest of my life? I was 45 years old and single with the rest of my life ahead of me. After speaking with a friend who was already a nurse, I decided to enroll in an accelerated practical nursing program. The process wasn’t absent of its challenges; I had to take a leave of absence during the height of the pandemic. But I returned in May of 2021 and was pinned in January 2022. I passed the Practical Nurse NCLEX exam in March 2022 at age 48. God has opened many doors for me since then. I’ve been blessed to be introduced to and marry the absolute love of my life. I have a great job as a dialysis nurse. I’ve gained new daughters and sons in law. But I really wanted to continue my education and earn my Associates in Nursing degree. The opportunity came in October 2025 and I accepted the seat in an accelerated RN program at ECPI University. Tentative pinning ceremony is to be held November 2026. Being a support to my grandmother and being exposed the care from great nurses led me to this career. I truly enjoy caring for my patients. What keeps me pursuing my goals at age 52 is the love and support of my current husband and family. I want them to know that it’s never too late to pursue and achieve your dreams. It would be an honor to be a recipient of this scholarship. I believe Mr. Mighty did get to see his daughter graduate and succeed as a nurse. His generous heart is moving through her hands and heart, just like my grandmother and Mother’s caring heart is moving through my hands.

I’m a US Navy veteran, a wife, and a Mother of 3, so I’ve had to navigate difficult situations personally, with family, coworkers and patients. I’ve taken anger management courses and leadership courses during my career and have had to apply the skills to real life scenarios. I’m currently a nurse and while working in a hospital, two of my coworkers, patient care technicians (PCTs), got into an argument. It escalated quickly when one PCT got up from her chair at the nurse’s station and ran towards her counterpart. I and another nurse managed to pull them apart, and I escorted the PCT that ran towards the other PCT from the floor via the elevator. While on the elevator, I emphasized how unprofessional both of them were and how much she could lose if she had hit her coworker. I brought to her attention that she was in nursing school and could possibly be suspended for her behavior if this got back to her program director. I reminded her that she could’ve lost her job. I sat with her in the hospital lobby until she calmed down enough to go back to the floor. Once we returned, the charge nurse rearranged the assignments so the PCTs were limited in their interactions for the remainder of the shift. We had no further problems and the shift ended well. About a week later, my coworker came and thanked me for talking with her, reminding her of what she would lose if she allowed her anger to get the best of her. It helped her to reevaluate how she responds to perceived disrespect and take steps to learn how to manage her emotions. We all have choices to make in life. You may not be a supervisor or in management, but we have developed life skills that we can apply to our lives and share with others. We should want to see others around us live and operate in their best selves. If we have the opportunity to help them, then we should. In doing so, we are helping society as a whole, one person at a time. I believe helping my coworker see how her anger was affecting her and those around her gave her the confidence and strength to seek the help she needed. This in turn helped her manage her emotions in every area of her life, at home, at work, and at school.