The first time I ever saw my father cry was over French fries. My mother takes out the freshly baked fries from the oven and while showing them to my dad, he bursts out in tears. I didn't understand why he was crying over some fries. It was explained to me that it was not the fries themselves but that my dad had built us a home from the ground up where our family could live, laugh, eat, and sleep. From that day forward I realized all the hard work my father had put in throughout his life so that I could have all I needed and all I wanted. I promised myself that I would work hard at every opportunity given to me so my dad’s sacrifices would not go overlooked. The first key opportunity given to me by my father that shaped who I am today was the opportunity to have an education. Up until the eighth grade I lived in what most people would call the “ghetto”. The houses were surrounded by barbed wire fences, stray dogs roamed the street, and run-down apartments stood around the corner. My school was an unaccredited Christian private school with one hundred and fifty students from pre-K to seniors. Though this school taught me important Christian values, it did not teach me how to write an essay, add fractions, grammar rules, or the basics of a good education. The opportunity for a proper education came when my dad’s business picked up and we were able to move to Kingwood. The town was filled with trees, perfectly cut lawns, and the smell of nature; it was the complete opposite of what I had before. The first day of school came; at least for me, the rest of my peers had been in school for a month now. I felt out of place with everyone knowing each other since elementary and me not knowing what the teacher was talking about. I'll be honest, by the end of the year my grades weren't looking too great. While trying to learn the eighth-grade content and everything from about third to seventh grade, I was behind. When high school came, I told myself no matter what class I was in, I’d try my best and work hard. I’ve come a long way from the moment of first starting my education journey and have discovered what I wish to do in my life. With the influence of my parent’s hard work, I have come to wish to be the light in people’s life. The qualities of putting others first, sacrificing yourself for others, showing people compassion, and caring for others are why I wish to become a nurse. My hands-on experience as I shadowed at the hospital has shown me how nurses can be light to people whose light is dimming. I have seen kids and adults all experience a change because of a nurse who decided and compassion for others. This plan of mine to become a nurse is not only a career plan, but a way for me to give back a piece of myself to those who need it the most. As I embark on the journey to go to college obtaining my bachelor's degree in nursing while working as a CNA to help pay for my college, I constantly remind myself of the reason I am doing it all; for those who do not have a light of their own.

The first time I ever saw my father cry was over french fries. My mother takes out the freshly baked fries from the oven and while showing them to my dad, he bursts out in tears. I didn't understand why he was crying over some fries. It was explained to me that it was not the fries themselves but that my dad had built us a home from the ground up in which our family could live, laugh, eat, and sleep. From that day forward I realized all the hard work my father had put in throughout his life so that I could have all I needed as well as all I wanted. I made a promise to myself that I would work hard at every opportunity given to me so my dad’s sacrifices would not go overlooked. The first key opportunity given to me by my father that shaped who I am today was the opportunity to have an education. Up until the eighth-grade I lived in what most people would call the “ghetto”. The houses were surrounded by barbed wire fences, stray dogs roamed the street, and run-down apartments stood around the corner. My school was an unaccredited Christian private school with one hundred and fifty students from pre-K to seniors. Though this school taught me important Christian values, it did not teach me how to write an essay, add fractions, grammar rules, or the basics of a good education. The opportunity for a proper education came when my dad’s business picked up and we were able to move to Kingwood. The town was filled with trees, perfectly cut lawns, and the smell of nature; it was the complete opposite of what I had before. The first day of school came; at least for me, the rest of my peers had been in school for a month now. I felt out of place with everyone knowing each other since elementary and me not knowing what the teacher was talking about. I'll be honest, by the end of the year my grades weren't looking too great. With trying to learn the eighth-grade content and everything from about third to seventh grade, I was behind. When high school came I told myself no matter what class I was in, I’d try my best and work hard. I’ve come a long way from the moments of first starting my education journey and have discovered what I wish to do in my life. With the influence of my parent’s hard work I have come to wish to be the light in people’s life. The qualities of putting others first, sacrificing yourself for others, showing people compassion, and caring for others is why I wish to become a nurse. I have seen kids and adults all experience a change because of a nurse who decided and compassion for others. This plan of mine to become a nurse is not only a career plan, but a way for me to give back a piece of myself to those who need it the most. Vice President of HOSA, President of NHS, President of Rho-Kappa, Secretary of National Technical Honor Society, Alumni of National Student Leadership Conference, saved Christian, recipient of the Barbara James Service Award, future nurse, and more. All of these titles were given to me because of an example of service from my Family. For this reason I will work hard in the opportunities I am given; to give back to the family that has given me everything I needed to succeed.

The first time I ever saw my father cry was over French fries. My mother was taking out freshly baked fries from the oven, and while showing them to my dad, he burst into tears. I was confused and young, so I proceeded to cry as well. I hadn't quite understood why he was crying over some fries. However, it was explained to me that it was not the fries themselves but that my dad had built us a home from the ground up where our family could live, laugh, eat, and sleep. My dad worked hard for something often overlooked: an oven cooking French fries. From that day forward I realized all the hard work my father had put in throughout his life so that I could have all I ever needed and wanted. I promised myself that I would work hard and take every opportunity given to me so my dad's sacrifices would not go overlooked. Being the first person in my family to even think about pursuing a further education past high school has always been a challenge as- unlike the other kids throughout my life-I had never been able to go to my parents for help with anything related to school. From math problems to applying for scholarships, I have gone into most situations blind and without extra guidance from my parents or siblings. Nonetheless, the only reason I can stand here today is because of my parents. They have instilled in me the values of service and hard work through their examples of sacrifice. Through this value and inspiration from my faith, I aspire to become a nurse. My hands-on experience, shadowing at the hospital, has shown me how nurses can be light to people whose light is dimming. I have seen many kids and adults all experience a change because of a nurse who decided to have a heart of compassion for others. This plan of mine to become a nurse is not only a career goal, but a mission to give back a piece of myself to those who need it the most. As I embark on the journey to college, obtaining my bachelor's degree in nursing while working as a CNA to help pay for school, I constantly remind myself that the reason I am doing it all; is for those who do not have a light of their own. The Bright Lights Scholarship has come to my attention as it not only allows me to pursue my passion for nursing but also becomes a symbol of the accomplishments obtained through all the opportunities my parents have given me. With the help of this scholarship and others, the financial burden that is on all students alike will be lessened, making it easier for me to focus more on my education, extracurricular activities, and the growth I will achieve as a person to one day give my all to anyone in need. Furthermore, if I were to be the recipient of this scholarship, I would strive to represent what it means through myself. Trying to not only bring the light into my own life but also share this light with the many I came across. Ultimately, I am one student who comes from a line of hardworking people who have taken the best opportunities given to them. Through this line, I was given the opportunity that none of them received: a chance to go further. As I embark on this new journey, I will remember Matthew 5:14: “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.”

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden” Matthew 5:14. As I head into ICU for another clinical rotation I see people with tubes up their mouths, IVs injected into their arms, and the vital signs monitor showing dangerous low readings. At the very end of the hallway sat a nurse who seemed calm and put together among all the chaos around her. We spoke for hours and in that conversation, I found that the values that I held close to my heart about my career she carried them too. Women such as us want to do this job, not to empower ourselves or make ourselves greater, but rather to give up a part of ourselves to help others. I and so many women chose to pursue a career in STEM to be the light amid darkness and to bring change where it’s needed. Firstly, being the light in the darkness for every person I come in contact with. In my time shadowing a plethora of departments at the hospital and at a living facility I have seen both times of light and darkness. Cries of joy as a healthy baby has been born and then the painful agonizing cries from a mother who just lost her child. I wish to be in both situations good and bad supporting my patients through the times they are going through just as I've seen through the many women I have shadowed. Each woman I have encountered in the medical field has shared one attribute, selflessness. We give up ourselves to hopefully make a difference in a person’s life showing them that they have someone they can count on even in the worst of times. I get this drive to give up parts of myself from the example Jesus Christ has set. Through the years my faith in God has grown and I have seen the character of God. His selflessness is shown when He gives up his one and only son to receive hate from His people. In my career if I can exemplify a portion of the sacrifice Jesus made I will know I've done my job for my patient. Secondly, I wish to ensure passion back into the medical field. Although I have many women and men who excite passion into the work they do, I also often have seen the ways a lack of passion affects the environment. The long shifts and the sleepless nights can make many professionals grow tired of their jobs. This attitude towards their work not only affects them but also the very people they are caring for. Without this passion in the medical field, it can become dull very easily for the professional and the patient. For example, I have seen patient nurses and doctors bring joy to their residents just by having a genuine passion for their work. As a woman in STEM, I wish to bring this passion I have to the medical field by influencing those around me. I hope to bring joy in every way I can to my patients and my co-workers. In short, I wish to pursue a career in STEM to be a light in the darkness and to make the change to bring passion back into the medical field. I wish to do all of this not for the money or for the degrees but rather that I may change a person’s life by being the advocate, supporter, and a light to help them overcome their challenges.