My educational journey has been anything but traditional. Growing up on the autism spectrum, my parents told me that I would never go to college, that simply graduating from high school would be the highest bar I could reach. Teachers echoed this sentiment, passing it from classroom to home, and it deeply impacted my self-esteem. I was always labeled “behind,” never smart enough to keep up with the other kids. But something inside of me knew that wasn’t true. I spent kindergarten through fifth grade in special education classes, where I always felt out of place. I would argue and meltdown with my parents and teachers daily, trying to convince them I belonged in regular education, just wanting to feel normal. Finally, midway through fifth grade, I was moved into mainstream classes, only to discover how far behind I truly was. I vividly remember my first day. The class was learning complex grammar, and I did not even know what a noun was. It had not been covered in my previous curriculum. Elementary and middle school were academically difficult. I was constantly trying to close the gap, determined not to let the narrative that I was not smart define me. Slowly but surely, I began catching up, not only on fundamental concepts but on the belief that I could do hard things. By the time I reached high school, everything began to click. The habits I had built made academics easier, and I started earning strong grades. But high school came with a different set of challenges. I was growing up in a household shaped by addiction, mental illness, poverty, and instability. By 17, I was living in my car and couch surfing during the height of the pandemic, with no safety net. I worked full-time to support myself and decided to graduate from high school early so I could dedicate more time to earning money. In that time, I also decided to start college a semester ahead of schedule. I went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Social and Behavioral Sciences with a concentration in counseling from the University of Southern Maine. I also minored in Holistic & Integrative Health, Recreation Leadership, and Leadership Studies. I graduated with a 3.9 GPA while working full time and serving in Residential Life to support myself through school. My path toward nursing started slowly, but with purpose. I originally set out to become a licensed therapist. Mental health had always been a deeply personal subject for me from my childhood, and I felt called to help others make sense of their inner worlds, especially those navigating trauma, isolation, and poverty. But over time, I began to see healing in a broader way. I started to understand how deeply the mind and body are connected, and how mental health care so often stops at the threshold of the physical. I didn't want to treat people in pieces. I wanted to care for the whole person. That was my “aha” moment. I realized that nursing was the path where I could blend my compassion for mental health with hands-on medical care. Today, I’m preparing to begin a hospital-based nursing program in Pittsburgh. It’s the only financially viable way for me to pursue my degree while continuing to work and support myself. My long-term goal is to become a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, working primarily with adolescents in underserved communities. I want to reach the kids who are slipping through the cracks. The ones navigating broken systems, broken homes, or broken spirits, just like I did.

My journey toward nursing has been shaped by a life filled with adversity, resilience, and a deep desire to create meaningful change. I grew up in a home impacted by severe mental illness, addiction, and chronic health conditions. By 17, I was living in my car and couch-surfing to survive. Those early experiences ignited in me a commitment to be a source of stability and mental health advocacy. I earned a Bachelor of Arts in Social and Behavioral Sciences with a concentration in counseling from the University of Southern Maine. I also minored in Holistic and integrative Health, Recreation Leadership, and Leadership Studies. I finished with a 3.9 GPA while working full time and in Residential Life to support myself through school. Initially, I planned to become a licensed therapist. But over time, I found myself increasingly fascinated by how deeply the mind and body are connected. I wanted to be part of a progressive movement of healthcare where we recognize how to diagnose and treat the whole person. Physically, emotionally, and mentally. Nursing became the path that aligned perfectly with that vision. I am keeping an open mind while going into the profession, but something deep in my heart is telling me that mental health nursing will be the route I go down. My ultimate goal is to become a care provider and a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner specializing in adolescent care. I want to serve in underserved communities because that’s where the need is greatest and where I know I can make the deepest impact. I am driven to help those fighting the same battles I have faced: mental illness, trauma, poverty, and isolation. My mission is to be a steady presence for individuals who feel unseen, unheard, or forgotten. I want to be the kind of provider who helps someone find even the smallest spark of hope on the day they thought there was none left. My heart is especially pulled toward youth, those slipping through the cracks of broken systems, broken homes, and broken spirits. I want to offer more than temporary relief; I want to walk beside them on the path to lasting healing. That means approaching healthcare with a social worker’s mindset: asking not only “How can I help you in this moment?” but also, “What support do you need when you walk out of this clinic to truly thrive?” More importantly, I want to do this for myself. I want to make myself proud, feel as if I contributed positively to our world, and take pride in my work. I want to build a beautiful life for myself and anyone who steps into it. That is why I am going into nursing. I want to make a difference for my community and myself. Right now, I’m taking prerequisite coursework through Grand Canyon University while preparing to move across the country to Pittsburgh for a hospital-based nursing program with UPMC. It’s the only financially viable option I have found to pursue my degree while supporting myself. I will be working in the hospital while going through school, gaining hands-on experience that will prepare me to serve patients with empathy, presence, and skill. To me, nursing is not just a profession. It’s a promise to show up for people at their most vulnerable and to do so with compassion, understanding, and strength, especially within mental health. This scholarship would help relieve some of the immense financial pressure I face and allow me to stay focused on becoming the kind of nurse who makes a real and lasting difference.

I've had my fair share of adverse moments. Maybe more than my fair share, but I have kept moving forward. I was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder and other learning disabilities in childhood. I've lived with depression, anxiety, and ADHD. I grew up in a broken household with a severely mentally ill mother who battled drug addiction and developed a chronic illness. Watching her health decline was devastating. I reached a breaking point at 17, leaving home and living in my car at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. I eventually began couch-surfing and spent my first 18 years of life in survival mode. These early experiences inspired me to pursue a career in mental health. I graduated early from high school and started college, eager to escape my past and build something new. I earned a Bachelor of Arts in Social and Behavioral Sciences with a concentration in counseling from the University of Southern Maine. I also minored in Holistic & Integrative Health, Recreation Leadership, and Leadership Studies, finishing with a 3.9 GPA while working full time for Residential Life. I completed my degree in just seven semesters and took time afterward to reflect on my next steps. At first, I planned to pursue a master's degree in counseling. But as I looked deeper into the long-term possibilities and reflected on the kind of impact I truly wanted to make, I realized I was being called to something broader. I wanted to support people not just emotionally, but holistically. I wanted to acknowledge the deep connection between mind and body. This is when I began to explore healthcare. The more I learned, the more I saw how nursing could allow me to fulfill my purpose in an even more meaningful way. Finding the nursing path was like an epiphany. Once I began researching, it all felt right, and I fell in love with my goals and plan. It gave me a way to honor everything I have experienced while building toward my ultimate goal of becoming a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. Through nursing, I can combine clinical care with mental health support and meet people in their most vulnerable moments with compassion, knowledge, and presence. I aspire to be the kind of nurse who helps others feel supported in their most vulnerable moments, especially those struggling with mental health or trauma. I have seen how deeply mental and physical health are connected, and I want to be part of a movement in healthcare that treats the whole person, not just the symptoms. Right now, I am taking corequisites in Anatomy and physiology and Microbiology while preparing to move across the country to Pittsburgh to begin a program with the UPMC School of Nursing. This program allows me to learn in a great healthcare system and is the only financially viable way I can become a nurse, as they will pay for some of my schooling if I work for them after becoming a nurse. This scholarship would help me stay focused on my goal and lessen the burden of working and studying simultaneously. This journey has never been easy, but I believe that my struggles have given me the empathy, grit, and purpose to become a compassionate and dedicated mental health nurse. I'm ready to begin this next chapter and am deeply committed to making a difference.

I did not always want to be a nurse. Heck, it was never a thought of mine until a year ago, but I have always been drawn to helping people in meaningful, human-centered ways. I earned my first degree in Social and Behavioral Sciences with the goal of becoming a therapist and working in wilderness therapy with adolescents. Over time, I found myself becoming increasingly fascinated with biology and spirituality. How our bodies, minds, and spirits are connected to create an individual was something I have been fixated on for months. It truly is fascinating how deeply intertwined our physical and mental health are. This made me decide to shift from going down a clinical mental health route and restarting my professional career, and pursuing a nursing license with the long-term goal of working as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner so I can support individuals through both their physical healing and emotional growth. I am actively working toward that goal. I am currently taking corequisite courses at Grand Canyon University, including Anatomy & Physiology and Microbiology, to prepare for nursing school while working full time, cutting back on all expenses, and saving every penny. I have also made the decision to move across the country to Pittsburgh because I found a unique opportunity through UPMC, one of the top healthcare systems in the country. Their hospital-based program offers hands-on clinical experience and academic learning, which is an ideal combination that I know will shape me into a strong, compassionate nurse. It’s also the only feasible path for me to pursue nursing without financial support, so I’m taking a leap of faith and building my future from the ground up. Since I was 17, I have supported myself in all aspects. I navigated housing insecurity, living in my car, couch surfing, all while finishing high school during the pandemic and earning my first bachelor's degree. That journey taught me perseverance, grit, and compassion. I’ve fought hard for every opportunity I have had, and I’m prepared to keep fighting for this one too. Nursing isn’t just a career choice. I am choosing this path because I believe deeply in showing up for others in their most vulnerable moments, and I want to be a healing presence in the lives of patients and families. This scholarship would not only help make this dream more possible, but it would also put me in a position to help others. Like Pangeta and Ivory, I want to be a nurse who uplifts, who leads with empathy, and who makes a real difference in people’s lives.

I earned my first degree in Social and Behavioral Sciences with the initial plan to become a licensed therapist and practice wilderness therapy with adolescent populations. I have been drawn to helping people in meaningful, human-centered ways. Over time, I realized that nursing is the path where I can make the biggest impact, not just physically, but emotionally and mentally as well. That’s what led me to decide to go back to school with the goal of becoming a nurse, and eventually, a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. What draws me specifically to pediatric nursing is the opportunity to support children and their families during some of their lives' most vulnerable and formative moments. I see pediatric care as not only a chance to provide medical treatment, but also to be a stabilizing, kind, and encouraging presence for both the child and the family. Providing care for youth is something I hold with deep honor, and my goal is to earn the privilege of serving in a care provider role where I can truly make a difference. My background has given me a strong foundation in understanding human behavior, especially when it comes to emotional development, crisis response, and trauma-informed care. These are all elements I plan to carry with me into my nursing practice. I believe mental and physical health are deeply connected, and I want to be part of a movement in healthcare that acknowledges and addresses both, especially for children within a care provider role. Pediatric nursing in psychiatric nursing practice role is more than just treatment; it’s about the connections made, reassurance, and long-term healing. I’m committed to becoming the kind of nurse who makes young patients feel safe, heard, and supported. This scholarship would help me continue my education and stay focused on my long-term goal of becoming a PMHNP who specializes in caring for children and adolescents in a way that prioritizes both heart and science. I know the path ahead won’t be easy. I’m starting from the beginning by earning my nursing license, then continuing part-time toward my bachelor’s degree while working full-time to build a solid foundation of clinical experience. From there, I plan to pursue a master’s or doctoral program that will prepare me to become a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. Every step is intentional, and every challenge is worth it to reach a place where I can provide the kind of care I believe every child deserves. Since the age of 17, I’ve had to rely on my own strength. I went from living in my car to couchsurfing t pushing myself through every obstacle to earn my first degree. That journey taught me resilience, determination, and the importance of showing up for others even when life is hard. I carry those lessons with me now as I move into nursing. I’m not just pursuing a career. I am answering a calling to be a source of care, safety, and healing for children and families who need it most.