The nursing industry is interesting to me because it's so phenomenal to see what the human body can do and to this day we are still discovering new things. I love to learn new things and the fact that science is constantly changing due to discoveries is another reason why I want to be a nurse. I have always loved taking care of people, when my grandma was sick my mother says I used to always want to lather her with Vaporrub and bring her soup. Later in life, I became the same towards my mother, when something was wrong with her and she wasn't felling well I wanted to find out exactly what it was and how I could fix it. During high school I volunteered at my local hospital as a candy striper, after completing high school I didn't have the finances to begin my nursing career, therefore, I began working as a medical assistant to get my foot in the door and learn what I could outside of a classroom. I have been a medical assistant for 4 years now, two of those years I spent working at an outpatient cancer center. I decided to go into oncology shortly after my aunt passed away from colon cancer at the age of 44. I fell in love with this particular field almost instantly, it truly changed my perspective on life and to always cherish the smallest moments. I loved building meaningful relationships with patients and being the light for them in such a dark place. Six months after my aunt was diagnosed, she was placed on hospice. She had three kids at the time, ages 9, 12 and 14. Her husband couldn't stop working, there was no way for them to support their kids without one of them working. Therefore, my mother and I tried to visit her as much as possible. During that time I witnessed the hospice nurses come in and assess her but also the rest of her family. I watched how compassionate and empathic they were and the amount of comfort the kids got from it. That is when I decided that I would love to be a hospice nurse, during such a difficult and incomprehensible time I truly want to be the difference for no just the patients but for the family. We need to realize that not only is the patient going through this difficult time but so are their loved ones.

My biggest challenge as a non-U.S. citizen through my education has been not having help at home with my homework due to my parent's lack of understanding of the English language. My mother never stepped foot inside a school her whole life, she began working at the age of 9 and learned to read and write with the help of her friends who were fortunate enough to get an education; my father finished middle school. This to me was a setback through grade school, once I got older I learned to lean on school faculty and friends. I truly didn't realize how much of an impact it played until my younger cousin began struggling in school but she always called me and relied on me for help. I watched her math and science grade go from a low D to a high B. Then I began to wonder if my parents knew how the education system worked and understood my assignments would I have done better in school? Would I have graduated with honors and a full-ride scholarship? I say this because I was a studious child, I enjoyed learning very much. In third grade I would skip out on recess to do math games on the computer, it was the first time I was good at a subject in school. My dream job is to become a registered nurse who specializes in oncology, I worked at an outpatient chemotherapy center for about 2 years and fell in love with it. It has been the most rewarding job I have ever had and has made me have a completely different outlook on life. Life is short, life can be simple and your loved ones could be taken away from you at any moment. I have had the blessing of meeting some oncology patients who have given wisdom and beautiful speeches that will forever be engraved in my heart. I have been working full-time and slowly taking all of the prerequisites for the nursing program and as I approach the starting line for the program I know it can be hard to keep a full-time job and I ask for your consideration in making my dream come true. I am pursuing a higher education to thank my parents for everything they have sacrificed so that my sisters and I could have a brighter future. They have been my rock through college and I want to make them proud.

I am a proud first-generation college student. Daughter of two immigrant parents who brought me to the United States of America at the age of 4. Growing up school was difficult for me, not knowing the English language but also having parents who didn't understand it or speak it. My father only completed freshman year as a high schooler and my mother never stepped foot in a school her entire life. She began working at just the age of 9, yet I admire her dedication at such a young age to do everything she could to not be left behind. I've asked her how she became knowledgeable in math, reading and writing. Her response was, on the weekends she would bribe her friends to teach her what they had learned in school, in return she would do chores around the house for them. My parents are my greatest motivation in life, they have given me everything and sacrificed so much so that I could have the most important thing they never did, opportunity. With my nursing degree, I hope to take my education a step further and specialize in oncology. I take pride in being greatly sympathetic and empathic toward others. My take on life is, life isn't hard it's how we treat each other that makes it hard. So be kind, respectful and empathize any chance you can. My aunt passed away from colon cancer 4 years ago, watching a loved one slowly deteriorate from a sickness that we don't fully understand yet and all we are left to do is cross our arms and watch it take them away is the most painful experience anyone can endure. Once she was placed in hospice was when she truly began to suffer. She didn't have anyone that cared for her, her kids were too young to understand (9 years old and 11 years old) and had no idea how to handle her medication. Her husband worked endless hours as now the sole provider for their kids. As a nurse, I hope to work in hospice and be the light for the people that need it the most. Hospice can feel cold and lonely but I want to be the person who makes it a less scary and lonely expirence for others. It's not just the patient who is your responsibility, I believe their loved ones also become your patients as well.

I have always been fascinated by the way the human body works. Growing up my favorite tv show was The Doctors Tvshow, my mom remembers how excited I would be to share the information I learned with her. I looked at it as free education to live a better life. Being a highly sensitive person to me is a blessing and I want to use it to care for and tend to people that need it. Highly sensitive people tend to be very emotional, compassionate, generous and intuitive. Although people may perceive it as a weakness and not being able to maintain professionalism I learned it's the perfect personality to have as a healthcare professional. My healthcare journey began as a candy striper at my local hospital, although I wasn't doing a lot of patient interaction I felt like I was making a difference. When discharging patients I would make small talk and let them know I was glad they were heading home, I'd get to learn a bit about them and assist them into their cars when needed. I then became a medical assistant at a family practice where I loved all the patient interaction I was having and learning so much from the doctors. Fast forward 2 years later, my aunt was diagnosed with colon cancer, she felt comfort in having me with her at appointments given my work background as a medical assistant. Being at those chemotherapy sessions and appointments changed me, I thought these people need all the comfort, empathy and compassion in the world. Shortly after she passed I found a cancer center at the hospital I used to volunteer at looking for a medical assistant. I got the job and worked there for 2 years, I loved everything about that job. That was the first time I was ever happy to go to work and passionate about what I was doing. It also changed my view on life in general, life is so short everything I thought that mattered in life no longer mattered. I began being more active with my family and close friends, making as many adventures and memories because one day they can be taken away. I learned so much working at the cancer center, I got to meet patients who were so positive and had all the support from their families. I also got to meet patients who had no one left and they had no drive to get better, one of the doctors then told me about research that had been done on cancer patients with no family vs ones with families and how it affected their health outcomes. My dream is to become an oncology nurse and be that spark that patients need while going through their hardest times.

I always knew I wanted to be a nurse. I think it came from wanting to take care of my parents and loved ones. When they complained about something hurting, I wanted to know what was causing it so that I could take the pain away. What was happening inside their body and should I be worried? I never gave much thought as to what field of nursing I wanted to be in, until May 2020 when my aunt passed away from colon cancer at the age of 44. Later that year I began working at a cancer center as a medical assistant and fell in love with the job, at this point in my life I had never had a job I fully heartily cared about. I wanted to learn everything I could and had the blessing of working alongside physicians and nurse practitioners who were willing to teach me along the way. I slowly began to build rapport with patients and learn their stories. I loved hearing them say I was the reason they didn't hate coming in to see their oncologist. Having immigrant parents who don't speak well English, I know how much of a disadvantage that can be to them especially when it comes to their health. I know my parents would sometimes not tell the doctor all of their concerns because they didn't know how to say them in English and the doctor was too busy to take the time to sit there and guess what they were trying to say. Instead, they would just nod their heads that they understood and agreed with the doctor's order. When there is something wrong with your body being able to tell healthcare professionals what exactly is wrong is very important. This is how I plan to give back to the Hispanic community. At the cancer center, I was 1 of 3 that could speak Spanish out of all 50 plus employees. I took great pride in that, seeing Spanish-speaking patients breathe a sign of relief when I would show up to translate. I quickly learned that they ask more questions and are more verbal when they have someone there to translate during their office visits. Doctors would tell me, "that's the most I've heard that patient talk" or "I had no idea she was having that issue." as we walked back into our office. When patients aren't from this country they have no idea how the healthcare system works, they need a bilingual healthcare professional who will advocate for them. I have had patients who come in and once I talk to them I realize they have no idea how they should be taking this medication after this long, which is why they're still in pain, nauseous etc. They don't realize that if their symptoms aren't going away there are different medications the doctor can try. Oncology is such a complex and overwhelming field, patients are coming in for chemotherapy, and radiation as well as on numerous amounts of medications. They're on life-saving medication and if there's a language barrier I want to make sure that their chance of survival isn't diminished due to that.