My grandmother always engrained in her children and grandchildren that "education is the only thing people cannot take away from you." I did not understand her words until I was in the workforce myself. Being born and raised in a third-world country, I know what poverty looks like. Moving to America did not change the poverty aspect until five years after my arrival. My mom is an English teacher who was sponsored to go to America in 2008. I followed shortly in 2010 and arrive in Maryland. We shared a one-bedroom in someone's house for three years. I slept on an air mattress, and she slept on a twin bed. I went to community college and worked two jobs to avoid student loans. I always remembered my grandma reminding me that having a valued education could change the narrative of you and your family. This could mean the difference between being able to get by paycheck to paycheck, to understanding the importance of wealth, growth, and retirement. I quickly understood the "hustle mentality" and took it upon myself to be financially literate. I quickly understood that every occupation has a varied purpose, but the common goal is to be able to finance a lifestyle. Back in the Philippines I always wanted to be a doctor, but we did not have the finances to pay. In 2013 I was able to get into a physical therapist assistant program that would only take sixteen months and I could be a licensed healthcare worker. I continued to apply for scholarships, work two jobs and graduate in 2015. I have been a PTA since then, but I never stopped trying to chase my dream of becoming a doctor. During my PTA career, I've encountered multiple nurse practitioners in skilled nursing facilities. I discovered they have a shorter amount of school time and the capability of caring for patients the way a medical doctor would. At 30 years old, a career change seems unrealistic. But the calling is loud, and the path is clear. My long-term goal is to be a geriatric psych nurse practitioner. Mental health in the elderly is so important to address, and yet it is so underplayed. As a first-generation, female, Filipino immigrant, my heart would come back to nursing. My dream is to be able to start medical missions back home with fellow nurses and doctors treating patients in calamity-stricken areas and/or low-income indigenous tribes. I want to be able to focus on the psychiatric aspect that is often not even considered in Third World countries. I want to educate more people about mental health, psych diagnoses, and how to best take care of these patients. I don’t want to just be on the sidelines, I want to be able to treat people firsthand. This career change would open more doors for me to advocate for my patients, my staff, my native land, and my future endeavors.

"Do you get a lot of the old crazy people?" My 9-year-old niece asked me as I was both enthusiastic and bewildered. I was telling her mom the story of how a patient decided to pee on the dining room chair to "mark his territory." Her mom shushes her, and I say calmly, "dementia is complicated. It's the worst sickness for old people because you lose sight of who you are and your memories." I've worked in this psychiatric skilled nursing facility for over four years as a licensed physical therapist assistant. Two years prior I worked in outpatient, acute care, travel PTA and home care. However, I am so passionate about the geriatric population in general, that I chose to stick to this setting. I learn something new every day. I am in a unique situation as a current PTA. I see patients who are from all walks of life. Our skilled nursing facility receives patients who are homeless under Medicaid, to patients who were former doctors and entrepreneurs. At times they are roomed together, and it is a humble reminder to value people just the same regardless of their hierarchy in society. Patients who have mental health disorders who can be combative require the same advocacy and compassion as someone who is alert and oriented. During the height of COVID-19, I learned how to be a servant leader in the therapy department under high-stress situations. I saw nurses take care of the residents amidst the fear of uncertainty and possibly bringing the virus home to their families. This fueled my fire to also help in any way that I can. however, my scope was limited. I felt like I could do more. I wanted to be more. As a PTA, I know my capacity has limits with how much I can serve others. This was magnified during the pandemic while taking care for our residents. We had patients coding and dying daily and multiple nurses calling out. At times, we did not even have janitorial staff so our director of nursing would mop floors and feed patients. I was and still am very inspired by this simple act of servant leadership. That was when I decided to pursue a nursing career. At 30 years old, a career change seems unrealistic. But the calling is loud, and the path is clear. The long-term goal is to be a geriatric psych nurse practitioner. Mental health in the elderly is so important to address, and yet it is so underplayed. As a first-generation, female, Filipino immigrant, my heart would come back to nursing. My dream is to be able to start medical missions back home with fellow nurses and doctors treating patients in calamity-stricken areas and/or low-income indigenous tribes. i want to be able to focus on the psych aspect that are often not even considered in Third World countries. I want to educate ore people about mental health, psych diagnoses, and how to best take care of these patients. I don’t want to just be in the side lines, I want to be able to treat people firsthand. This career change would open more doors for me to advocate for my patients, my staff, my native land, and my future endeavors.

“Tiis lang nang konti anak. Dasal ka lang. May bukas pa naman.” (Just be patient with your suffering, my daughter. Pray to God. Tomorrow is a new day). This is a phrase I’ve heard most of my life from my lola (grandmother). My mom brought me to America in 2010 right before I turned eighteen. She is a teacher who got a sponsorship in Maryland. I initially did not want to leave the Philippines. I had my lola, my friends, and my family. My dream was to do medical missions as a nurse with 10-15 medical personnel in rural areas. Administer routine check-ups and spend time with tribes teaching for two weeks. My mom was adamant that life in America would be better. When we arrived, we rented a room in another Filipino’s house. I slept on an air mattress while my mother slept on a twin bed for 3 years. I told myself, “tiis lang nang konti.” In 2013, my aunt in Florida gave me the opportunity to live with her rent-free while I applied for Physical Therapy Assistant school. It was a 16-month accelerated program that I took while working multiple jobs. I wanted to be independent and, on my feet, sooner than nursing school. I graduated top of my class in 2015 and started working. I finally had enough money to save. However, amidst all the new expenses I found out my grandmother back home was very sick and needed to have dialysis. I wanted to go back to the Philippines very badly, but my finances were not enough. My family here were all strapped for cash. I heard my lola over the phone saying, “tiis lang nang konti. Dasal lang tayo. May bukas pa naman.” I vowed to work more and send money back. Filipino grit and resilience at its finest. My lola passed away shortly after. It was heartbreaking. This fueled my fire to work hard and pursue my dream of being a nurse. I think about my dream and my lola’s words ever so often. I told myself I will go back to school for accelerated nursing and get one step closer to sharing my dream to the betterment of the Filipino American community. This scholarship money will go towards my nursing school and the eventual medical mission. “Tiis lang nang konti. Dasal lang. May bukas pa naman.”