I wear many hats as a mom to two elementary aged children, President of Cape Fear Association of Nursing Students, Girl Scouts of America Volunteer, and a full-time nursing student with a deep commitment to improving women’s health, particularly in the area of Labor and Delivery. Unfortunately, I have witnessed firsthand the disproportionate challenges faced by women of color in the healthcare system, especially in childbirth. In the United States, Black and Hispanic women are more likely to experience adverse outcomes during childbirth, a reality that I am determined to give its due attention to and affect change in this arena of healthcare. As a mother myself, my personal experiences and background have shaped my desire to specialize in nursing, and I believe this field offers me the opportunity to make a real difference and look forward to a profession that is a labor of love, not merely a means to a payday. As a first-generation college student, I take immense pride in being the first in my family to pursue a higher education degree. This accomplishment is not only significant for me but also as an example and inspiration to my young children, as it represents a breaking of barriers and the beginning of a new legacy of which I hope they will follow in my footsteps and go to college themselves one day. I am so thankful that my hard work and studying to prepare myself for a career in nursing has earned me a spot in the number one-ranked nursing school in my entire state, Cape Fear Community College's School of Nursing. This achievement is a testament to my commitment and hard work, and I am proud to be on the path toward becoming a nurse who can advocate for and care for women, especially those from underrepresented communities of which my hometown (where I intend to work) has plenty of those in need. In addition to my academic achievements, I am gaining invaluable hands-on experience as an advanced level nursing assistant (CNA II). In this role, I work directly with patients, supporting them through their healthcare journeys, and I have developed a deep sense of compassion and understanding for the needs of individuals in a clinical setting as well as have honed several useful clinical/nursing skills. My internship at my local hospital, particularly in the Labor and Delivery unit, has further prepared me for my calling. There, I am learning firsthand the complexities of childbirth and gaining the knowledge and skills necessary to provide exceptional care to mothers, especially those from marginalized communities. This experience has also reinforced my commitment to the importance of culturally competent care and to being an advocate for those whose voices may be overlooked. Being a Spanish-speaking Black woman, I feel a strong calling to serve as a bridge for those who may feel unheard or misunderstood in the healthcare system. Being able to advocate for yourself in your own mother tongue and/or feeling supported by a nurse who personally understand the cultural perspectives you hold can go such a long way in making patients feel confident about their healthcare. I want to be the change I wish to see, ensuring that all women, regardless of their background, have access to quality care during one of the most important moments of their lives. My personal, academic, and professional experiences have all prepared me for this step, and I am hopeful that the Kelly O. Memorial Nursing Scholarship will support my continued journey toward becoming a compassionate and impactful nurse in Labor and Delivery!

It's the year 2025 and we have self-driving cars, robot vacuums, digital personal assistants (Hello, Siri and Alexa!), yet disparities in healthcare access and health literacy among minorities remain a significant challenge right in our own communities. Language barriers, cultural differences, and mistrust of the healthcare system have led to poor health outcomes for many minorities that are our fellow neighbors and citizens. If I could address this alongside historical figures that I admire, I would form a task force with Florence Nightingale, Mary Seacole, and Mary Eliza Mahoney. These three pioneering women whose expertise remains highly relevant today. Florence Nightingale’s knowledge of hygiene and public health would be invaluable. As the well-known mother of modern nursing, her work in improving sanitary practices dramatically reduced infection rates. We nursing students today still study her techniques and ideas! Nightingale’s commitment to education and evidence-based care would help create programs to teach minority communities about preventative care and hygiene, empowering them to make informed health decisions. Mary Seacole, a Jamaican-born healer, would bring a culturally sensitive approach. Her expertise in traditional remedies and her ability to gain trust during the Crimean War highlight the importance of respecting cultural practices in healthcare. Integrating traditional remedies with modern treatments could help bridge cultural gaps and increase many minorities or disadvantaged individuals' trust in healthcare providers, encouraging patients to engage more confidently with the system and feel comfortable taking charge of their own health and wellness. Mary Eliza Mahoney, the first African American licensed nurse, would be the perfect member to round out my task force. Mahoney would play a key role to increase diversity in healthcare by bringing her firs-person-lived-experience to the table. Mahoney’s work as a huge change maker and ground breaker for racial equality in nursing and higher education for Black women would inspire and support more individuals from minority backgrounds to pursue healthcare careers. The success of one can be the inspiration for many! Promoting diversity in the healthcare sphere would create a more inclusive healthcare system where patients feel understood, seen, represented, and most importantly- believed. As a Spanish-speaking Black nursing student and a mother of two young children, I understand the challenges minority communities face in accessing healthcare. I also am one semester away from becoming the first college graduate of my family as I become a Registered Nurse. The combined strengths of Nightingale, Seacole, and Mahoney would address very crucial challenges I personally observe and experience through education, cultural sensitivity, and increased representation. The expertise and guidance of these three incredible women would empower minority communities to take control of their health and create lasting improvements in healthcare access and literacy. While I know this task force is only fictional, it is my goal and dream to continue carrying their torch (or, better said, nurse's lantern) as I persevere into my own journey of nursing to be the change I wish to see in my community!

I am the descendant of a long line of resilient and intelligent people, however I am not able to look back on any legacy of familial academic achievement. My father attended some or almost all his first semester at East Carolina University a few decades ago, but that’s as far as he was able to take his college career. I am proud of the dream, and soon to be fact, that I will be the first college graduate of my family. As a lifelong North Carolinian, I have a deep-rooted passion for my community and a string desire to play a role in making life better for myself and my fellow states-persons. Now that my young children are off to elementary school and need my care a little less, I am looking forward to continuing to serve and take care of people that I love by earning my degree as a Registered Nurse to work in the coastal Carolina community that I am proud to call home. I see the disparities of health care for low income and Spanish speaking people in my community, and I feel a strong call to use my skill and bilingual abilities to be the change that I wish to see. It is my goal to continue my education to the doctorate level in the future as a Doctor of Nursing Practice and I would be honored if the Sikora Drake Women in STEM Scholarship could be one of the important rungs of my ladder as I ascend towards this ambition. It is with great pleasure I find myself within the renowned Associate Degree Nursing Program at Cape Fear Community College, and I am thrilled to be on my way to making my dreams a reality with hard work and dedication. As a woman of color, I am in the minority of nursing students in my program; this makes me proud that I have the opportunity to inspire more women like me that they can also pursue this dream for themselves! Upon learning of the Sikora Drake Women in STEM Scholarship, I immediately knew that this would be a such perfect support for this academic journey I am on within this healthcare sciences as I strive to become a Registered Nurse. Receiving this scholarship would be a gust of inspiring winds within the sails of my career goals and a wonderful way to reignite the beacon of academic success my father once upheld as I continue forth to before my family’s first college graduate!