“You will face many defeats in life, but never let yourself be defeated.” -Maya Angelou. When I was seven years old my life would be changed forever. My older sister Emily had been diagnosed with Leukemia and passed away at the young age of fourteen. My sister was my role model, my hero, and I looked up to her more than anyone else I knew. I admired how hard the doctors and nurses worked to try and save my sister. I watched them in and out of her room trying as hard as they could to think of anything to help her. When she passed, I knew they did everything they could do. I think a lot of people do not credit nurses as much as they should. Nurses are an essential part of the medical field. They do a lot behind the scenes of doctors to help them perform their best. When it was time to start thinking about my future career, I had many different ideas. No matter what I thought I wanted to do, or what I could possibly be good at, my mind always came back to pediatric nursing. My dream career is to be a pediatric nurse, specifically in a hospital. I want to work in a hospital because I want to see the kids daily. I want to be there when they have good days and bad. I know what it is like for a kid to be in a hospital for an extended period of time, and it is not fun. It is hard on the patient and their family, so I hope as a nurse I will be able to provide comfort and help my patients to make everything easier for them. As a nurse, I will be able to help the kids who have to fight every day to survive, just like my sister's nurses helped her. If I can help just one kid become healthy, and not go through what my sister went through, I will know I am making a difference. By becoming a nurse I will be able to have an impact on a countless number of children. This fall I will attend The University of Oklahoma and then continue on to the OU College of Nursing, where I can get the best education for myself. The nursing program values many of the same things I do such as inclusiveness, respect, and creativity.

“You will face many defeats in life, but never let yourself be defeated.” -Maya Angelou. When I was seven years old my life would be changed forever. My older sister Emily had been diagnosed with Leukemia and passed away at the young age of fourteen. My sister was my role model, my hero, and I looked up to her more than anyone else I knew. I admired how hard the doctors and nurses worked to try and save my sister. I watched them in and out of her room trying as hard as they could to think of anything to help her. When she passed, I knew they did everything they could do. I think a lot of people do not credit nurses as much as they should. Nurses are an essential part of the medical field. They do a lot behind the scenes of doctors to help them perform their best. When it was time to start thinking about my future career, I had many different ideas. No matter what I thought I wanted to do, or what I could possibly be good at, my mind always came back to pediatric nursing. My dream career is to be a pediatric nurse, specifically in a hospital. I want to work in a hospital because I want to see the kids daily. I want to be there when they have good days and bad. I know what it is like for a kid to be in a hospital for an extended period of time, and it is not fun. It is hard on the patient and their family, so I hope as a nurse I will be able to provide comfort and help my patients to make everything easier for them. As a nurse, I will be able to help the kids who have to fight every day to survive, just like my sister's nurses helped her. If I can help just one kid become healthy, and not go through what my sister went through, I will know I am making a difference. By becoming a nurse I will be able to have an impact on a countless number of children. This fall I will attend The University of Oklahoma and then continue on to the OU College of Nursing, where I can get the best education for myself. The nursing program values many of the same things I do such as inclusiveness, respect, and creativity.

“You will face many defeats in life, but never let yourself be defeated.” -Maya Angelou. When I was seven years old my life would be changed forever. My older sister Emily had been diagnosed with Leukemia and passed away at the young age of fourteen. My sister was my role model, my hero, and I looked up to her more than anyone else I knew. I live by this phrase because I was so defeated and heartbroken when my sister passed. There were many challenges I have had to face after, such as my parents getting divorced soon after. Despite all that I have dealt with, I will never be defeated. I will continue to stay positive and move forward because I believe you never know when your last day on this beautiful earth will come. This is why I try to live every day to its fullest. I admired how hard the doctors and nurses worked to try and save my sister. I watched them in and out of her room trying as hard as they could to think of anything to help her. When she passed, I knew they did everything they could do. I think a lot of people do not credit nurses as much as they should. Nurses are an essential part of the medical field. They do a lot behind the scenes of doctors to help them perform their best. When it was time to start thinking about my future career, I had many different ideas. No matter what I thought I wanted to do, or what I could possibly be good at, my mind always came back to pediatric nursing. My dream career is to be a pediatric nurse, specifically in a hospital. I want to work in a hospital because I want to see the kids daily. I want to be there when they have good days and bad. I know what it is like for a kid to be in a hospital for an extended period of time, and it is not fun. It is hard on the patient and their family, so I hope as a nurse I will be able to provide comfort and help my patients to make everything easier for them. As a nurse, I will be able to help the kids who have to fight every day to survive, just like my sister's nurses helped her. If I can help just one kid become healthy, and not go through what my sister went through, I will know I am making a difference. I want to bring positivity and joy to people in any way I can. Whether that is becoming a nurse and helping children, or simply being there for a friend who is going through a hard time. By becoming a nurse I will be able to have an impact on a countless number of children. This fall I will attend The University of Oklahoma and then continue on to the OU College of Nursing, where I can get the best education for myself. The nursing program values many of the same things I do such as inclusiveness, respect, and creativity.

“You will face many defeats in life, but never let yourself be defeated.” -Maya Angelou. When I was seven years old my life would be changed forever. My older sister Emily had been diagnosed with Leukemia and passed away at the young age of fourteen. My sister was my role model, my hero, and I looked up to her more than anyone else I knew. I admired how hard the doctors and nurses worked to try and save my sister. I watched them in and out of her room trying as hard as they could to think of anything to help her. When she passed, I knew they did everything they could do. I think a lot of people do not credit nurses as much as they should. Nurses are an essential part of the medical field. They do a lot behind the scenes of doctors to help them perform their best. When it was time to start thinking about my future career, I had many different ideas. No matter what I thought I wanted to do, or what I could possibly be good at, my mind always came back to pediatric nursing. My dream career is to be a pediatric nurse, specifically in a hospital. I want to work in a hospital because I want to see the kids daily. I want to be there when they have good days and bad. I know what it is like for a kid to be in a hospital for an extended period of time, and it is not fun. It is hard on the patient and their family, so I hope as a nurse I will be able to provide comfort and help my patients to make everything easier for them. As a nurse, I will be able to help the kids who have to fight every day to survive, just like my sister's nurses helped her. If I can help just one kid become healthy, and not go through what my sister went through, I will know I am making a difference. By becoming a nurse I will be able to have an impact on a countless number of children. This fall I will attend The University of Oklahoma and then continue on to the OU College of Nursing, where I can get the best education for myself. The nursing program values many of the same things I do such as inclusiveness, respect, and creativity.

“You will face many defeats in life, but never let yourself be defeated.” -Maya Angelou. When I was seven years old my life would be changed forever. My older sister Emily had been diagnosed with Leukemia and passed away at the young age of fourteen. My sister was my role model, my hero, and I looked up to her more than anyone else I knew. I admired how hard the doctors and nurses worked to try and save my sister. I watched them in and out of her room trying as hard as they could to think of anything to help her. When she passed, I knew they did everything they could do. I think a lot of people do not credit nurses as much as they should. Nurses are an essential part of the medical field. They do a lot behind the scenes of doctors to help them perform their best. When it was time to start thinking about my future career, I had many different ideas. No matter what I thought I wanted to do, or what I could possibly be good at, my mind always came back to pediatric nursing. My dream career is to be a pediatric nurse, specifically in a hospital. I want to work in a hospital because I want to see the kids daily. I want to be there when they have good days and bad. I know what it is like for a kid to be in a hospital for an extended period of time, and it is not fun. It is hard on the patient and their family, so I hope as a nurse I will be able to provide comfort and help my patients to make everything easier for them. As a nurse, I will be able to help the kids who have to fight every day to survive, just like my sister's nurses helped her. If I can help just one kid become healthy, and not go through what my sister went through, I will know I am making a difference. By becoming a nurse I will be able to have an impact on a countless number of children. This fall I will attend The University of Oklahoma and then continue on to the OU College of Nursing, where I can get the best education for myself. The nursing program values many of the same things I do such as inclusiveness, respect, and creativity.

“You will face many defeats in life, but never let yourself be defeated.” -Maya Angelou. When I was seven years old my life would be changed forever. My older sister Emily had been diagnosed with Leukemia and passed away at the young age of fourteen. My sister was my role model, my hero, and I looked up to her more than anyone else I knew. I admired how hard the doctors and nurses worked to try and save my sister. I watched them in and out of her room trying as hard as they could to think of anything to help her. When she passed, I knew they did everything they could do. I think a lot of people do not credit nurses as much as they should. Nurses are an essential part of the medical field. They do a lot behind the scenes of doctors to help them perform their best. When it was time to start thinking about my future career, I had many different ideas. No matter what I thought I wanted to do, or what I could possibly be good at, my mind always came back to pediatric nursing. My dream career is to be a pediatric nurse, specifically in a hospital. I want to work in a hospital because I want to see the kids daily. I want to be there when they have good days and bad. I know what it is like for a kid to be in a hospital for an extended period of time, and it is not fun. It is hard on the patient and their family, so I hope as a nurse I will be able to provide comfort and help my patients to make everything easier for them. As a nurse, I will be able to help the kids who have to fight every day to survive, just like my sister's nurses helped her. If I can help just one kid become healthy, and not go through what my sister went through, I will know I am making a difference. By becoming a nurse I will be able to have an impact on a countless number of children. This fall I will attend The University of Oklahoma and then continue on to the OU College of Nursing, where I can get the best education for myself. The nursing program values many of the same things I do such as inclusiveness, respect, and creativity.

It was 6:30 a.m. and suddenly I saw many smiling little faces walking down the stairs to greet us. I was volunteering for the Lions Club Christmas shopping spree. The Lions Club is a community service club in my town. They have certain events and fundraising for the community that they are constantly doing. They sometimes have projects that other community members can help with, and the shopping spree is one of them. They hold this event every year, and I love being able to volunteer for it. This shopping spree is for young kids to be able to go shopping for as much as they can in a short amount of time. Most kids love Christmas and all the joy it brings. Even though we were waking up before the sun, the kids were full of excitement. Many volunteers came, and we would each be paired up with a few kids to guide through the shopping spree. I always do this event with my mom. We got paired up with a little brother and sister. We talked a little and got to know each other while we were standing in the basement of a church waiting for our ride. Once the school bus pulled up to the church, we all got on with the kids we were assigned to. We then took a short drive to a breakfast buffet where we would all be served for free thanks to the donations made by generous members of the community. I helped the kids I was paired up with get their food and sit, and then I got my own. I thought it was so sweet how everyone was just talking and getting to know their kids. I enjoyed getting to hear from the kids in my group. We then left the restaurant on the buses and headed to Walmart. In my small town, getting to pick out a toy from Walmart is a very big deal to kids. When the kids were told they would each get $150 to spend on themselves and their family members, they were ecstatic. They instantly started thinking about everything they wanted to get. I took a pen and paper around with my kids and kept track of how much money they had left. The kids wanted to only spend their money on their family members. While this was sweet and thoughtful, I reminded them that $150 is a lot and they should pick out something for themselves too. When it was time to check out, they had gotten everything they could dream of getting for each other. We waited in line behind all the other eager kids and volunteers, where I then helped them checkout and bag everything. We then went outside to the school bus and back to the church we headed. Their parents were all waiting outside for them. The little girl told me thank you for a great morning and it made my heart melt. I was sad to see them go because we had bonded in just a few short hours. I look forward to the honor of being able to do this again this Christmas. This volunteer project is one of my favorites to do. I think volunteering is very important because it can give you a sense of purpose in your life. It is good for people to sometimes help out other people. I know by volunteering I can bring joy into others lives which is something I try to do on a daily basis. It is very crucial to me and who I am as a person.

“You will face many defeats in life, but never let yourself be defeated.” -Maya Angelou. When I was seven years old my life would be changed forever. My older sister Emily had been diagnosed with Leukemia and passed away at the young age of fourteen. My sister was my role model, my hero, and I looked up to her more than anyone else I knew. I admired how hard the doctors and nurses worked to try and save my sister. I watched them in and out of her room trying as hard as they could to think of anything to help her. When she passed, I knew they did everything they could do. I think a lot of people do not credit nurses as much as they should. Nurses are an essential part of the medical field. They do a lot behind the scenes of doctors to help them perform their best. When it was time to start thinking about my future career, I had many different ideas. No matter what I thought I wanted to do, or what I could possibly be good at, my mind always came back to pediatric nursing. My dream career is to be a pediatric nurse, specifically in a hospital. I want to work in a hospital because I want to see the kids daily. I want to be there when they have good days and bad. I know what it is like for a kid to be in a hospital for an extended period of time, and it is not fun. It is hard on the patient and their family, so I hope as a nurse I will be able to provide comfort and help my patients to make everything easier for them. As a nurse, I will be able to help the kids who have to fight every day to survive, just like my sister's nurses helped her. If I can help just one kid become healthy, and not go through what my sister went through, I will know I am making a difference. By becoming a nurse I will be able to have an impact on a countless number of children. This fall I will attend The University of Oklahoma and then continue on to the OU College of Nursing, where I can get the best education for myself. The nursing program values many of the same things I do such as inclusiveness, respect, and creativity.

“You will face many defeats in life, but never let yourself be defeated.” -Maya Angelou. When I was seven years old my life would be changed forever. My older sister Emily had been diagnosed with Leukemia and passed away at the young age of fourteen. My sister was my role model, my hero, and I looked up to her more than anyone else I knew. I admired how hard the doctors and nurses worked to try and save my sister. I watched them in and out of her room trying as hard as they could to think of anything to help her. When she passed, I knew they did everything they could do. I think a lot of people do not credit nurses as much as they should. Nurses are an essential part of the medical field. They do a lot behind the scenes for doctors to help them perform their best. When it was time to start thinking about my future career, I had many different ideas. No matter what I thought I wanted to do, or what I could possibly be good at, my mind always came back to pediatric nursing. My dream career is to be a pediatric nurse, specifically in a hospital. I want to work in a hospital because I want to see the kids daily. I want to be there when they have good days and bad. I know what it is like for a kid to be in a hospital for an extended period of time, and it is not fun. It is hard on the patient and their family, so I hope as a nurse I will be able to provide comfort and help my patients to make everything easier for them. As a nurse, I will be able to help the kids who have to fight every day to survive, just like my sister's nurses helped her. If I can help just one kid become healthy, and not go through what my sister went through, I will know I am making a difference. I do not have any past medical experience besides witnessing what my sister went through. Despite this, by becoming a nurse I will be able to have an impact on a countless number of children. This fall I will attend The University of Oklahoma and then continue on to the OU College of Nursing, where I can get the best education for myself. The nursing program values many of the same things I do such as inclusiveness, respect, and creativity.

“You will face many defeats in life, but never let yourself be defeated.” -Maya Angelou. When I was seven years old my life would be changed forever. My older sister Emily had been diagnosed with Leukemia and passed away at the young age of fourteen. My sister was my role model, my hero, and I looked up to her more than anyone else I knew. I admired how hard the doctors and nurses worked to try and save my sister. I watched them in and out of her room trying as hard as they could to think of anything to help her. When she passed, I knew they did everything they could do. I think a lot of people do not credit nurses as much as they should. Nurses are an essential part of the medical field. They do a lot behind the scenes of doctors to help them perform their best. When it was time to start thinking about my future career, I had many different ideas. No matter what I thought I wanted to do, or what I could possibly be good at, my mind always came back to pediatric nursing. My dream career is to be a pediatric nurse, specifically in a hospital. I want to work in a hospital because I want to see the kids daily. I want to be there when they have good days and bad. I know what it is like for a kid to be in a hospital for an extended period of time, and it is not fun. It is hard on the patient and their family, so I hope as a nurse I will be able to provide comfort and help my patients to make everything easier for them. As a nurse, I will be able to help the kids who have to fight every day to survive, just like my sister's nurses helped her. If I can help just one kid become healthy, and not go through what my sister went through, I will know I am making a difference. By becoming a nurse I will be able to have an impact on a countless number of children. This fall I will attend The University of Oklahoma and then continue on to the OU College of Nursing, where I can get the best education for myself. The nursing program values many of the same things I do such as inclusiveness, respect, and creativity.