I am interested in pursing nursing because I myself have had a fair share of hospital visits. I was born with an aortic stenosis and mild bicuspid stenosis. I was also born with two club feet that to this day are not completely straight but I am still able to have a normal life. My mother was given a 15% probability that I could survive the heart surgery but here we are 23 years later. I know first hand how fearful and dreadful going to hospitals daily can be and I know how important it is to have nurses and doctors who care for you truly. I have experience the most amazing nurses and doctors, but I have also met harsh and insincere nurses in my time there. Its not a good experience because you expect your healthcare providers to be nothing but sincere and genuine. When I experienced healthcare providers like this it made me hate visiting the hospital and at times made me stay quiet about how I felt health wise. Moreover, I have also experience the most genuine people at said appointments. They make it easy to go to dreadful visits in which you do not know what your diagnosis will be. It takes the edge off feeling as though going to a hospital is always bad. This is why I decided to go into the nursing field. As I stated before I am used to going to hospitals and I want to be part of a system that allows patients to feel cared for and taken care of. Furthermore, as I continue my journey in the nursing field I will lead with my faith and heart. I am interested in going into the Cardiac Pediatric specialty because it hits close to home. I want to be able to resonate with my patients and be a voice of guidance and fortitude in their hardest time of their lives. I know first hand how hopeless one can feel and how much they need to hear everything will be okay. Lastly, I wish that my experiences allow me to be the nurse my patients deserve. Being a nurse requires compassion, understanding, and a genuine heart to care for all patients in need. Nursing is a field with a lot of turbulence and a need for adaptation. I like to take on tasks that I know will be a learning experience and that is what nursing is to mostly if not all nurses. As I grow and learn and adapt my skills I will also put forth my heart and dedication to each patient I come in contact with.

Hello, my name is Mau, and I am the third child out of four and the eldest daughter in a Hispanic household. Growing up in a single-mother household came with many challenges, as we all had to grow up quickly. There were so many moments when my mother could have easily given up, but she didn’t, and that shaped who I am today. To begin, my mother left my father when my sister was just a couple of months old. She left with all four children and managed to get a townhome with three bedrooms and three bathrooms all on her own. This meant she had to work to provide that home, as well as food and necessities. She did not have money for childcare, so the people and friends she met along the way became her village. For example, my mother would drop us off at our cafeteria lady’s house because she had to be at work at 6 a.m., and school didn’t start until 7:30. She became good friends with my mother, and to this day we visit and maintain a relationship with her. We also went home with her after school because my mom’s shift didn’t end until two hours later. At times, we didn’t even get to go home. We accompanied my mother to her second job, which was cleaning vacant apartments and churches. Like I said, she was the only provider for that townhome, our food, and our necessities. Growing up and watching all of this really instilled determination and hard work in me. In this life, nothing comes easily, but if my immigrant single mother could manage to take care of four kids, then I certainly can as well. I want to be a force to be reckoned with. Moving forward in life, I want to live by the values instilled in me and follow my faith wherever it guides me. I plan to become a pediatric cardiology RN and hope to bring comfort to many kids who are just like me. I was born with a congenital heart disease and was in and out of hospitals growing up. I know how hard that can be on a child, especially one who only has their mother to comfort them. It’s not easy on the parent, but the child feels those same emotions and tries not to be a bigger burden on their mother. I know because I felt those emotions myself. I hope to be a source of comfort and a confidant to my future patients.

There are many things I wish to accomplish in this world. For starters, my name is Mau, and I am currently a nursing student with a minor in child development. I come from a low-income, single-parent household and am proud to be the first in my family to attend college. Growing up in a Hispanic household and being the eldest daughter, I have carried many responsibilities and expectations from a young age. Those experiences have shaped me into someone who is determined, resilient, and deeply committed to caring for others. As I move forward in my career, I want to channel those responsibilities and expectations into my passion for nursing. In the future I want to care for those who are less fortunate and often overlooked. I aim to let my faith and my beliefs guide me on this journey, trusting that they will lead me where I am meant to go. Too often, when people “make it,” their focus shifts to making money and climbing the social ladder. I don’t want that to be my story. Instead, I want my work to reflect my values. I don't want to choose a workplace for the paycheck but for the opportunity to serve people in need. Moreover, travel nursing also allows me to go where I am needed most. It is a way to be stationed at a location where my presence is invaluable. My overall goal is to do travel nursing and later work at a pro bono clinics or low-income facilities, where my presence and efforts make a difference. The current state of the world makes this mission even more important. Many pro bono clinics and hospitals will be struggling to stay open. In times like these, we need healthcare providers who are selfless and passionate about their work, even when the pay is low and the job comes with uncertainties. It is understandable why many avoid these paths, especially as the cost of living continues to rise. Even so, I set this expectation for myself: to care for the less fortunate and to remain grounded in my faith. I wholeheartedly believe everything happens for a reason, and I want to be a blessing to my patients. More than anything, I want to make a real difference. I do not want to feel burnt out, but feel fulfilled knowing that I am changing lives and bringing hope to those who need it most.

Since I was a child, I have had a big love for dogs. It helped that my mom pretty much ingrained the idea that they are one of the purest and most innocent creatures on this planet. During the recent years I have been able to interact and speak up more about the large population of strays on the streets. I've done it through rescuing any stray dogs I come in contact with. By being able to get them off the street I'm able to guarantee they are either returned to their respective owners; or gotten them into a shelter where they can be cared for. Oftentimes prior to calling the shelter I resort to other options. I have all the neighborhood apps I can possibly download to get the word out. Most times these posts reach owners and they are reunited as soon as they see my post. Moreover, if they do not reply quickly I have taken them home and cared for them. Sometimes I have not been able to take them in so my last resort is always taking them to the shelter. When taken to the shelter we find if they have been microchipped, however, there are times when owners do not answer, leaving the dogs to fend for themselves. I see them later in the adoption page and I try to stay updated with their wellbeing, in hopes they find a good home. I myself have 6 dogs and hope that if for whatever reason they got out, someone reached out and tried their best in getting them back home with me . A big part of why I started doing this lies with my babies. There was a time in which 2 of my older ones got out, and some of the puppies followed them. I came home and they were gone. I drove around the neighborhood in areas we would take our walks on, and there was no sign of them. I checked all the neighborhood apps, praying someone posted my children, but no one did. They were out for about an hour and a half, which felt like an eternity as I was losing my mind. After a few more rounds around the neighborhood and many lookups on the app, we finally found them. They were standing at a busy crossroad, unsure of whether to cross or not. The puppies were sitting in between our older dog’s feet, as everything outside was very new to them. This experience opened my eyes that not everyone cares to post missing animals and how more people should be inclined to do so. I take it upon myself to try and help as many dogs as I can that. I post on my socials to bring awareness to the vast number of strays and fosters who are desperately looking for their forever home. I do this in hopes that all dogs go home at the end of the day. This is my way of contributing to my community and it helps me keep faith that others would do the same for me.

Growing up I was always an anxious person. I came from an immigrant family, had my own limitations because of my defects, and was the eldest daughter in a hispanic home. All of this warrants the anxiety. As I grew older I found myself having extremely difficult panic attacks. I was not aware what this was, didn't even know what anxiety entailed. Moreover, my mother started sending us to Jesus camp at the age of 8. This started my relationship with God and my beliefs started to take a form of their own. I found myself going towards God in moments I felt out of control where my emotions hijacked my mind. It allowed me to speak to someone about my struggles. It allowed me to see that it was not just in my head but my emotions and stress are very real. That they had a name. Moreover, I believe diving into my faith helped me see what I was dealing with but as I grew older I became aware of professional help. I started seeing a psychologist. Obviously I learned so much about myself and why I react, act, or feel the way I do. It has helped me understand who I am as a person and what triggers my reactions. From birth I lived with defects and congenital conditions; which was a huge part of that anxiety. Not wanting to do anything because of the fear I could harm what the doctors tried so hard to fix. I found myself not enjoying what others my age were doing. For example, six flags I had to wait at the bottom of the ride because I couldn't ride with everyone. Little things in my life I would worry could possibly be bad for my heart. I realized at that point I wasn't living. What was the point of the doctors doing their all for me to live if I myself wasn't living. Slowly, I've tried to give myself some grace. Allow myself to enjoy things the doctors said I could enjoy without fearing it. Things like riding on a plane. I get so anxious to fly because of the altitude I feel as though my heart will pop. I know I've been told otherwise but my mind can't help but feel as though it's in fight or flight 24/7. Lastly, I knew I wanted to go into the health field because of these emotions. I know other kids in my circumstances feel that weight, and anxiety over their bodies and conditions. I know first hand the emotions and thoughts running through their minds. I want to be able to ease those thoughts and reassure them that living their life is good. Being able to continue to experience new things isn't something to fear. Although they might have limitations, they get to live another day and enjoy the good in life. I want to be the voice of reason that often I didn't have growing up in hospitals.

Just like Kylee, I’ve had my fair share of hurdles to jump, starting from the ripe age of 3 months old. I was born with two club feet and, from the get-go, had to have surgery to fix my feet. I was then given a Ponseti brace — a special shoes I had to wear until the age of 5. I had to wear them at all times, even to sleep. The only time I could remove them was when I bathed. The braces didn’t fix my feet completely, but they did straighten them out as much as possible. Thanks to that, I am able to walk and run on my own with little to no discomfort in my everyday life. On top of that, at 3 months I was diagnosed with a bicuspid mitral valve and aortic stenosis, which turned my mother’s world upside down. She was a single mother of three and wasn’t prepared to deal with so many defects in her defenseless 3-month-old baby. I was rushed into surgery to get a catheter placed, and doctors gave my mother only a 15% chance that I would survive. Here I am, 23 years later, as healthy as can be. I was born resilient, and I like to think these challenges have made me who I am today. I still have some restrictions like not being able to ride rollercoasters, jump out of airplanes, or eat certain foods but I get to live. Living has always come with some anxiety for me. I’ve worried that I might do something to hurt my heart, the same heart that caused my mom so many tears and cost so much. But as I’ve grown older, that anxiety has started to fade, because I’ve chosen not to live in fear. If I was fearless at 3 months old, I should be fearless at 23. I want to use these qualities to show other kids that even though they’re sick right now, they are capable of fighting whatever illness they’re facing and coming out stronger. I am living proof of that. I want to show compassion to my patients, just like my nurses showed me all those years ago. My experiences give me insight into what young patients are feeling, and I know what I can say and do to be a light for them during their darkest times. Lastly, I think one of the most important things I can do as a nurse is to simply listen to them and treat them like any other kid; because that’s what they are. They deserve to feel normal, no matter what they’re going through. Just as I struggled with anxiety about my own future, I want to help ease that anxiety in my patients. I’ll remind them that they’re allowed to live a full, joyful life while being cautious, and not to strip themselves of the chance to enjoy the life they’ve been given.

Growing up in a Hispanic community has shaped who I am and how I see the world. In my community, everyone is always there for each other no matter the time or date. Once you meet someone they are family regardless of the blood. That sense of connection and unconditional support has given me so much hope for the future and taught me the power of kindness and resilience. Growing up in this community shaped who I am as a person and I believe is the reason why I try to be that person for everyone I meet. One of the moments that really showed me how strong and loving my community is happened while I was volunteering at the Center for Hope. The Center is a thrift store where the clothes and items sold come from donations made by the community, and all the profits go right back into helping people who need it most. When I started volunteering there, I helped set up appointments for people to apply for SNAP benefits, and helped pay off outstanding home bills. The bills included would either be light, gas, water, or rent; we also signed families up for daily food drives so they could take home enough food for their families. This experience was deeply personal for me because I grew up in a low-income, single-parent home, and places like the Center for Hope helped my family get by when we didn’t have enough. I remember what it felt like to stand in line at food drives or ask for help with bills, and I remember how much it meant to feel supported rather than judged. At the time it felt wrong to ask for help and a bit embarrassing but as time passed I saw it as a blessing. It showed me that people are there for you regardless of what you have to offer. Being able to stand on the other side now and help others in the same situation has been a full-circle moment for me. Volunteering at the Center for Hope has taught me that kindness doesn’t have to be big or loud to matter. Even small acts, like helping someone carry their groceries or making sure their appointment goes smoothly, can make a big difference in someone’s day. I’ve met so many wonderful people there, people just like my family who are simply trying to make it through hard times. It’s shown me how strong people can be when they have the support of a caring community behind them. I love my community because it has taught me what it means to care for others selflessly and to keep going even when things are hard. Volunteering at the Center for Hope has allowed me to give back some of the love and help that was shown to me growing up. It has given me a sense of accomplishment and gratitude that I can’t fully put into words. This experience has reminded me that no matter how much or how little you have, you can always find ways to help others and make a difference. It has strengthened my belief that kindness and connection are what keep communities strong, and it has inspired me to carry those values into everything I do moving forward.

I was born with a bicuspid aortic valve and mild aortic stenosis as well as clubfoot. At just 2 months old my mother was told her newborn daughter had only a 15% chance of survival. From the very start, my life was a fight. Growing up, I spent a lot of time in hospitals. That became normal for me; learning to walk, going through surgeries, and adjusting to my normal. Even though it was hard, I always felt like there was a reason I made it through. Although I was a newborn at the time, I still had to deal with yearly checkups to make sure everything was still on track. I promised myself that one day I would take what I went through and use it to help others. I grew up in a low-income home with just my mom raising me. She worked so hard to keep us going, even with all my medical needs. If it weren't for her job at UPS I wouldn't be here. There were a lot of times I was scared or unsure about what would happen next, but my mom and the nurses at the hospital always made me feel better. Every year to this day I have to get a heart exam as well as get a 3D Motion capture to see the development of my bones. The nurses I had growing up really inspired me. They didn’t just take care of my body but me as a person. They treated me like I mattered, even when I felt weak or broken. Because of them, I decided I wanted to be a nurse too. I want to be that person for someone else; someone who helps them through the hardest moments and reminds them they’re not alone. I’ve always loved taking care of people, especially kids. I’ve always felt like kids need someone to really listen to them and make them feel seen. That’s why I decided to minor in child development along with studying nursing. I wanted to learn how to really understand and connect with them, not just treat them, but also support them emotionally and make them feel safe. Now I’m 23 years old, and I’m proud of how far I’ve come. Everything I went through as a child made me who I am today. I know what it feels like to be scared, to feel like you have no control, and to hope someone cares. That’s why I want to be the kind of nurse who makes people feel cared for and hopeful, even when things are hard. My dream is to work as a pediatric cardiologist nurse. I want to use my story and everything I’ve learned to help kids and their families when they’re going through tough times. I want to be there for them, not just as a nurse, but as someone who truly understands what they’re feeling. I want to show them that even when it feels like everything is going wrong, there is still hope and light at the end of the tunnel. I don't see nursing as just my career path but as my purpose. Every challenge I’ve faced has led me to this path. My struggles have made me more patient, understanding, and determined to make a difference. I want to spend my life caring for others, giving them the same kindness and strength that others gave me. My life is proof that no matter how bad things seem, you can still make it through.

I believe I deserve this scholarship because Ive worked hard to overcome many challenges in my life and want to use my education to serve others as a nurse. I strive to reflect God in everything I do and often times I fall short but in those moments God in some way reassures me that I am enough and am doing quiet alright. As a student, I've worked to overcome a lot of hurdles and have at times fallen short in my pursuits. However, my faith has taught me the value of humility and perseverance. This scholarship would ease the financial burden that I lived with my whole life. I come from a low income home and was raised by a single mother who from a young age instilled how important our faith is and how to be strong in God. Growing up with my own health issues which include surviving a Bicuspid aortic valve and mild aortic stenosis surgery and being born with two club feet. I know how much faith and prayers help. I was only given a 15% chance of surviving that surgery and here I am 23 years later. If it weren't for my mother working at UPS I would not be here. Their insurance covered everything and even time off for her to care for me post opp. After my foot surgery I was given special shoes with a metal in the middle which I was only able to take off to shower. I wore those up until the age of 3. I to this day still have one side of my body longer than the other and my waist starts to ache after a while. I also still very much have feet that go in ward and sideways when I walk but I am able to walk and run and do as I please. All thanks to the glory of God and my cardiologist and orthopedic doctors. I am living proof that my mothers faith and prayers paid off and that I am very much protected and clothed. For this reason I am who I am and my faith is where its at. This scholarship would allow me to focus my efforts on my grades and finishing my schooling instead of worrying whether or not Ill have money to continue my education. It would empower me to continue and in a sense prove to me all my efforts up to this point were not in vain. I see nursing not just as a career but as a calling for care for others the same way I was cared for all those years being in and out of hospitals. I see this opportunity as a way to do the same for other kids like me. To be a voice of reason, a light at the end of the tunnel. That is what a lot of my nurses and doctors were for me when I was in hospital settings. To this day I still have the same doctors and obviously nurses come and go but they still hold a very special place in my surgically modified heart.