I am currently an undergraduate nursing student working toward my Bachelor of Science in Nursing at The University of Texas at Arlington. I am also a single mother, and becoming a mother has become one of the biggest reasons I want to succeed in school and build a career in healthcare. My son has changed the way I look at my future because everything I do now is not only for me, but for him too. Continuing my education while raising my son has not always been easy. There are days when I have to balance being a mom, keeping up with school, studying, and everything else that comes with being a young mother. There have definitely been times when I have felt overwhelmed, but I remind myself why I started. I want my son to grow up seeing that having responsibilities or facing challenges does not mean you have to give up on the goals you have for yourself. I chose nursing because I want to help people when they need someone the most. I have always been interested in the medical field, but becoming a mother has given me an even stronger appreciation for healthcare and the people who provide it. I want to be someone who can make a patient feel comfortable, listened to, and cared for during a time that may be one of the hardest moments of their life. My goal is to graduate with my BSN and become a nurse in an intensive care setting. I am especially interested in critical care because I want to help patients who are vulnerable and facing serious medical conditions. I want to be there for patients and their families during some of the most difficult moments of their lives and provide compassionate, attentive care when they need it most. After gaining experience as a nurse, I hope to continue my education and eventually become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. I know that this is a long road and will require a lot of dedication, but I am willing to work for it. My son is a huge part of the reason I have so much ambition. I want to give him a good life, but I also want to show him what it looks like to work toward something even when it is difficult. I want him to be proud of his mom and to know that becoming a mother at a young age did not stop me from going to college or pursuing the career I wanted. Receiving this scholarship would help take some of the financial pressure off of me while I continue my education and raise my son. It would also mean a lot to know that someone believes in my goals and the future I am working toward. In the future, I hope to use my career to make a difference not only through the care I provide to my patients, but also by encouraging other young mothers who may feel like their dreams have to be put on hold. I want to show them that motherhood can be a reason to work harder, not a reason to give up. My goal is to build a career I am proud of, provide a good future for my son, and make a positive difference in the lives of the people I care for.

My passion to pursue a career in nursing started back in August 2024. My grandfather battled prostate cancer that rapidly spread throughout his body. I was able to experience what it was like being a caregiver by traveling to Mexico with my mother. We were there for a month bathing, changing, and feeding my grandfather. Witnessing firsthand the impact of being there for people who need it the most really influenced my decision to pursue nursing. Seeing how grateful he was for everything we did warms my heart. He fought as hard as he could, but the cancer won, and my grandfather passed away in April 2025. After this moment, my interest in nursing grew, not only because I got to experience what it was like being a caregiver but also through my personal experiences. I found out I was pregnant at 16, during the second semester of my junior year in high school. I learned that I was around seven weeks pregnant. This news came with fears and uncertainties, especially since my pregnancy was high-risk due to a rapidly growing tumor in my right ovary. Not knowing whether the tumor was benign and the potential impact of losing my baby and my ability to have children made it a very challenging time filled with many decisions to make and being in the hospital every other week due to the rapid growth. In May, at the end of the school year, I underwent surgery to remove the tumor. I was really nervous. It was finally the day that we all were preparing for, and it was then that the severity I once tried not to think about came back like a slap to the face. Thankfully, the team that was working on my procedure was nothing but kind and positive, specifically the CRNA on my case, I remember going into the room where they put me to sleep and I was so nervous that I started crying she then held my hand and reassured me it was all going to be okay, that they were going to be with me every step of the way. Once the tumor was removed and tested, the results came back as a benign tumor, and my pregnancy then proceeded normally and healthily. This experience was what really deepened my commitment to becoming a nurse. Being there, caring for, and supporting people through difficult times was what I wanted to do; it was my calling. I found this scholarship through Bord.org