As a male nurse, I will be able to bring the diverse experiences that I have had from the Navy to be able to help take care of patients. As a Navy veteran and a patient of the VA, I will be able to bring the different experiences that I have learned from everywhere that I have worked. Using my experience from working at the naval hospital in Japan, and being stationed with the Marines in California will give me the added experience to be able to make a positive impact on the nursing profession. Contributing to a career where I can help take care of others who remind me of my family and friends and those that I care about will allow me to make a positive impact as a nurse. Currently, I have a friend in the hospital with COVID-19 who I wish I could have the opportunity to visit right now. Due to the restrictions at the hospital with COVID patients being quarantined, I only have the opportunity to check on his status by texting him. It feels horrible to not be able to visit my friend who I care for. Situations like the one I am currently facing are one of the reasons why I pursued the nursing field. Seeing patients' conditions improve day by day as I help take care of them is one of the reasons why I want to help make a positive impact on the nursing field. Being kind but stern with patients when it comes to different recovery protocols that doctors implement will help make sure that patients recover promptly and that their condition does not deteriorate. Seeing the ones you love recovering from their stay in the hospital gives you the ability to feel joy and happiness knowing that they will be around you for a long time.

Nursing has always been a field that I have been interested in pursuing. Growing up in Fontana, California I always enjoyed being able to help and take care of others. Throughout my life especially during high school and college I always wanted to be involved in a career where I could help others. In June of 2007 after graduating high school I gave up my acceptance to the criminal justice program at Michigan State, to join the Navy to be able to get the experience and education needed to become a well-rounded nursing student and to be able to use my personal experiences during military service and in college to apply to everyday life and different situations. As a hospital corpsman in the United States Navy, my passion for the nursing field grew more because of the differences that I was making in servicemembers and their family's lives and being able to get more knowledge in everyday situations working in a general surgery clinic and medical records office. Seeing other nurses and the effect they can make on patients' lives has also helped me in choosing to become a nurse. Nursing is important to me because of the differences that I can make in patients' lives and be in a rewarding field where I can grow and become an even better person. Working in a hospital currently, I see the effects that nurses can make on the lives of patients whether it's with veterans at the VA or different hospitals around the world. Seeing the impact and importance of nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic made it even more important to me to finish my degree in nursing to help others. I hear some stories occasionally of there being shortages of nurses and wanting to apply my experience and knowledge to the field of healthcare which is a field that I love. When I joined the Navy and saw that I qualified for the hospital corpsman rating I knew I had found that healthcare was the field that I was meant to be a part of. Currently, I work as a medical assistant and even though I feel I make an impact daily, I believe that becoming a nurse will help me to take care of others close to me and to be able to take care of others and their families. Being a nurse is also a field that I believe needs to have more individuals pursuing the career field.

When I first realized that I was gay I was afraid to let others know and to show everyone the real me. Now as I go on through life, I still find ways to be myself but to also be mindful of others and the different beliefs and mindsets that they have. I have also been able to tell who I want to keep in my life and others who I believe that it is better to not associate with. In addition, I have been able to realize my potential when it comes to work and school. There have been multiple ways within the past year in which I have grown. The main way I have grown during the past year, was being forced to a gap year in order to be able to get caught up on finances for school. I have also grown in the past year by temporarily becoming and hitting rock bottom but being able to build myself back up. These two situations were the main things that helped me grow as a person and to know that it is okay to be me despite what anyone says or thinks. I have still remained somewhat reserved and quiet, but I have been able to speak up more and to be more vocal. Furthermore, I have become somewhat nonchalant when it comes to certain situations that I can't control. Through my journey of self-discovery, I have learned the main thing which is to love yourself no matter what anyone thinks. I have also been able to learn that sometimes you may not be able to change everyone's mindset and beliefs but if they are not able to be accepting it is sometimes good to cut off others for your wellbeing. Being more financially stable and independent and able to be thrifty is something I also learned. Spending time by yourself is also something that I learned to embrace in order to be able to focus on myself and to know what I want to achieve. I have been able to learn that it is important to know what you are worth and to not let anyone tell you that the way you are living your life is not wrong and it is good to not be focused on negative situations more than positive ones. Lastly, I also learned that there are always good things that can come from being in bad situations.

One day in September of 2016 I received a call that I thought I would never receive. I got news that one of my best friends had passed away due to PTSD. When I received the call, I was in shock because I just received a call from my friend the day before and he had seemed like he was in good spirits. The next day I found out before I left for school the next day that I would never be able to speak to him again. We always made plans for me to be able to visit him in New Jersey. This was one of the first experiences that I had losing someone close to me to PTSD. He was a friend who I had served with in California who I became close to. After losing my friend to PTSD, I was in a place where I felt that you never know what someone is going through and what is happening around them. When it comes to PTSD, I learned that it is important to be able to talk to professionals such as psychologists and psychiatrists so they can help with processing feelings. After leaving the military I learned that the world can be a tough place to live and be in after you are in a place where there is so much comradery. Even to this day there are times where I wish I could still be in the military. Knowing that there are multiple individuals who are able to help you has helped me to be able to navigate the world without having to rely on other military servicemembers. My experience with losing someone to PTSD has taught me that it is important to keep yourself busy whenever you can. It has also taught me that it is important to have friends and family who are supportive and willing to help you in order to make it through the difficult times that a person with PTSD experiences. I also hope to be able to interact with other veterans after I finish nursing school in order to share my experiences and to let them know how I survived and have become successful. Multiple people have been around who have been able to help during different emotional experiences to let me know everything isn't great, but you are able to still process your feelings in effective ways. Past experiences with dealing with homophobia and bigotry, and prejudice has also given me an extra outlook on how to be effective in being helpful to others.

As a child of parents who immigrated to the United States from Ghana in West Africa, I have faced different issues with my mental health. Growing up as a gay black man in a religious household was difficult especially when I felt a mixture of being loved by mom but never having a strong relationship with my dad. The difficulties that I had faced growing up made it difficult to get to know individuals and exactly let them know who I am. Being afraid of everyone's reaction whenever they found out that I was gay was one of the reasons why it was hard to form strong bonds with people. I remember a time when I was stationed in California, and I was publicly outed by one of the hospital corpsmen I worked with in the Navy. When I see different religious groups at different pride events, I wonder what I and my community of LGBTQIA individuals did to receive so much hatred, bigotry, and prejudice. As a result of this and seeing how others are treated around the world always made me unwilling and uncomfortable to be religious and to be okay with it. Some of the prejudice that I received from my own family and people who I thought were my friends made it even more difficult for me to consider the possibility of being religious. My beliefs and ethics stem from what I learned growing up and what I had seen in media and in everyday interactions. Currently, even working for a religious medical group is sometimes difficult because I don't completely believe that I can be myself in front of other coworkers. Relationships with other gay men has always been difficult for me because I believe that a part of me still has a hard time being able to open up others. Previous relationships that I have had have been good but never really lasted that long. When it comes to relationships with friends and family work has usually been the obstacle in the way of me keeping good relationships. It is also sometimes not helpful to be going to school at the same time due to the lack of a social life. I also suffer from depression and anxiety which can affect my ability to interact with people when my symptoms are overwhelming. My career aspirations have always been, in my opinion, easy to manage and obtainable. When I first joined the Navy in 2008, I believe that I was in a position where I believed that even though I had to give up my opportunity to go to a major university I was doing the right thing. I always knew I wanted to be in the medical field and when I realized this it made even more sense to not pursue the path of criminal justice which I thought I wanted to do. In addition, my mental health experiences have given me the tools necessary when my anxiety and depression are manageable to be able to pursue and realize dreams I have been working to achieve. Mental health has been a major part of my life due to the anxiety and depression that I deal with daily.

Fourteen years ago, when I decided to join the Navy, I did it not knowing what I was getting myself into. Part of me was afraid the other part of me was excited because I knew that I was doing something that I and other individuals in my life at that time wouldn't think I would be able to do. In March of 2008, when I left for bootcamp, I remember feeling anxious and scared on the bus because of the fact that I didn't know what bootcamp would be like. The first couple of weeks while I was in bootcamp I didn't think that I would be able to make it through. As I progressed through bootcamp I realized that it was more mentally challenging than being physically challenging. I bring up bootcamp because it was one of the first times in my life that I had to be able to adapt to different environments and situations. Adaptation has always been of the qualities and characteristics that has helped me through a lot of situations and times in my life. When I came out to different friends and family members, I adapted to different people still being a part of my life and others not being associated with me anymore. In San Antonio in 2019 before I moved back to Maryland, I had put all of my belongings in storage. When I finally moved out to Maryland, I didn't have enough money to pay for storage which ended up with me losing the unit. Adaptation has been one of the characteristics that has always allowed me to be able to get through difficult events and times in my life. Being able to adapt to different situations has been important because it has given me the ability to be successful when it comes to my career and life. Adaptation helps me in all aspects of life because it helps me to still have feelings whenever good and bad things happen. Taking a break from nursing school was one of the situations that I didn't want to occur, but I was able to adapt to the situation. Without being able to adapt to different situations I believe that some of the obstacles I have faced in my life would have been harder to overcome due to the amount of stress. I have been able to face more situations with a clear mind due to my ability to adapt.

My name is Nicholas Bart-Plange, and I am a gay African American male and Navy veteran. I grew up n Fontana, California from 1989-1999 before my parents moved me and my other siblings to Las Vegas, Nevada. I went to elementary school in California and went to middle school and high school in Las Vegas. In 2007, I graduated from high school in Las Vegas and then joined the military. I left for boot camp in March 2008 to become a hospital corpsman in the United States Navy. I was stationed in Yokosuka, Japan at the naval hospital, worked with the Marines at 3rd Battalion, 11th Marines Battalion Aid station in Twentynine Palms, California. Lastly, I was stationed in Bethesda, Maryland at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. I left the Navy in March of 2016 in order to move to San Antonio, Texas to get my degree in Kinesiology. In 2019, I graduated from the University of Texas San Antonio with my degree in Kinesiology. Once I graduated, I decided to move back to Maryland in order to live and to pursue my degree in Nursing. I begin going to school for my nursing degree around the summer of 2020. With a degree in nursing, I plan on pursuing a career as a travel nurse. As a travel nurse I believe that I can make the most positive impact by being able to travel across the country in order to help other hospitals that may be short staffed to get the help that they need in order to be able to help different patients. Nursing has always been one of the fields where I believed that I could make a difference in the lives of others due to the nature of the career field. Seeing other friends and family as nurses currently also gave me the necessary motivation needed in order to be able to pursue the degree and to not give up like I had before. When I decided to go back to school for my nursing degree, I knew that I was following my dream and doing what I always wanted to. When I achieve my degree I first plan to at least work 5 to 10 years as a nurse in Maryland before I consider the possibility of moving to another state to continue my career in nursing. Furthermore, I plan on making time to study for the NCLEX so I can become a registered nurse.

When I first moved to San Antonio, Texas and started going to UTSA i was always adamant and determined to get into the gym due to my joy of weightlifting and bodybuilding. Every day when I was in school living on campus, I always made the time to go to the gym in order to work out and stay in shape. I would be working out 60 minutes to 90 minutes in order to make sure that I was getting a complete workout that consisted of cardiovascular exercises and bodybuilding exercises. I continued this routine every day while I was going to school until one day, I was involved in a car accident. After the car accident it was more difficult to go to the gym due to the injuries that I had sustained. Recently, this past year I was involved in an accident which has hindered my ability to go to the gym. Getting nutrition while in college can be difficult due to the number of options available to you on and off campus. Currently, while I am going to school it is easier to be able to get the nutrition that I need due to the grocery stores that I have available around me. Even though there are a lot of fast-food options I always try to steer clear of the fatty foods because as a Kinesiology graduate, I know what food is good and bad for your health. Having the fruits and vegetables on a daily basis can sometimes be difficult but I try to keep them around the house for when I want them. I am able to limit my sugar intake and am able to get the vitamins and minerals that I need daily. Physical health has been hindered for me due to recent medical conditions that I have been diagnosed with. I recently had surgery which has hindered my ability to exercise the way that I want to because of the recovery time that I have been facing. When I am physically active, I make sure that I am able to walk, jog, or work out in the gym when I am able. I also have time to walk around a lot when I am at work. When I am fully recovered from my past surgery, I plan on going to the gym on a full-time basis. Mental Health has always been something that I have been dealing with for a while. It started first while I was in the military when I was referred to see a psychologist for different issues. Currently in my everyday life I still face issues that I am still getting treated for. I take care of my mental health by hanging out with friends, working out, and just realizing that everything will be alright. It also helps having friends and family who I am able to talk to whenever I need to. As a gay man there are a lot of issues that I still currently face mentally when it comes to the world and how others view me. Throughout these tough times though I am still able to keep up with my mental, physical, and nutritional health in order to make it through school.

Growing up in a very religious household and having a family from Ghana, West Africa was a challenging experience. From the time I grew up in Fontana, California I always knew that I was different from others. When I was in elementary school, I was always the kid who had trouble making friends with others. I also had a hard time being able to get to know my dad and him being able to try to get the real me. When I was in middle school, I had figured out that I was gay. Going through high school it was easy for me to get to know others. When I graduated high school and went into the United States Navy it became hard for me to be able to be the person who I am because of having to be worried that I would be outed by one of the other servicemembers and I would get involuntary separated from the military. Luckily, I was able to stay in the military but when I got stationed with the Marines it made it more difficult. I had to act like a person who I wasn't and didn't feel like I could be myself. When I was in the miliary, I was a hospital corpsman who first was stationed at the naval hospital in Japan, then with the Marines in California, and lastly, I was stationed in Maryland at the naval medical center. From my experience in the Navy, I learned that it is better to be yourself instead of worrying about what others think. My sister helped me to come out to my mom which helped me to be able to come out easier to others. When I came out to my dad it was a different experience because it felt like he didn't want to believe what I told him, and he wasn't going to be accepting of who I am. The past obstacles that I have faced in regard to my sexuality made it clear to me that I wanted to become a nurse in order to improve the lives of others and to help them. So far, I have achieved my associates degree and bachelor's degree from a college and university and now I am working towards finishing my nursing degree in order for me to be able to take the NCLEX and work in a hospital. I currently don't have any other plans beyond obtaining my nursing degree but when I do, I will feel that I have achieved what I wanted to in life.

Throughout my college years I have faced a lot of financial hardship. The current hardship that I am facing while I am in nursing school is that I am unable to take classes currently due to the amount of tuition that I owe. Joining the military and being able to use my G.I. Bill gave me the opportunity to pursue one degree but didn't give me the chance to being able to have the rest of my nursing school tuition covered. In addition, when I first started nursing school, I had just lost my job and didn't have any way to live by own means. There even came a point while I was in school where I became homeless and was almost having to stay in a shelter. In order to achieve my goals of becoming a nurse, I begin with first achieving my associates degree while I was in the United States Navy. When I got out of the military in 2016, I begin going to school at the University of Texas San Antonio. After receiving my degree in Kinesiology, I was able to submit my application in order to get accepted to nursing school. My plans for the future include being able to work in a hospital where I am able to use the different skills that I learned as a hospital corpsman in the Navy to better my life. I also want to become financially independent and stable in order to be able to provide for myself and others when they come into my life. Furthermore, I have had times where I have had car accidents and issues which involved me having to use my finances to pay for repairs instead of being able to use the funds I achieved for tuition towards school. More hardships that I currently face is being able to continuously work while going to school but having the ability to use that income towards tuition. Going to school during the COVID-19 pandemic has also been difficult because there were times when I wasn't able to work due to everything being shut down. Once everything opened back up, I was able to find work in retail and healthcare facilities but was unable to find anything in order to work for home. I believe that being able to work from home during the weekend and when I have spare time can give me the financial stability that I need.

My best back-to-school tip is to make sure that you take time to get to know the locations of all your classes and to make sure you read the syllabus ahead of time. I go by this tip because it is one of the tips, I follow myself while in school. When you know the locations of all your classes it lowers the amount of stress you have during the first week of school. In addition, when you read the syllabus ahead of time you are able to note everything down on a calendar to make sure you don't miss any assignments. Instagram-@bachelor_12

Growing up in a Christian religious home at a young age was difficult. When I was about 5 years old, I realized that I was gay but never felt like I really could be myself around friends and family. Throughout my time in elementary school and middle school, I tried to be a person who I thought that society and my family wanted me to be. After graduating high school, I decided to join the military not realizing the amount of stigma, bigotry, and hatred that I would face as a gay man. Joining the military was my way of being able to go out on my own and to be able to be the person who I am now. After I left the military in 2016, I ended up losing a friend to suicide. I also had to deal with the hard task of coming out to friends and family. In 2010, my sister helped me come out to my mom which helped give me some relief. I came out to my dad in 2020 because as a born and raised Ghanian wasn't sure how he was going to react. He hasn't completely accepted me as a gay man, but I still try to keep somewhat of a relationship with him. Mental health has been important in my life because I believe that if I wasn't seeing psychiatrist and psychologist, I wouldn't have been able to deal with ostracizing that I received from family and friends when I came out. Going through school and the military losing friends and family was traumatizing for the main fact that some of these people I thought I would be able to count on. Maintaining my mental wellness consist of working a lot and going to the gym whenever I can. I also rely on medications to help me able to deal with everyday work-related stress and other stress such as finances and health. Keeping a support system of LGBTQIA+ friends and family members has also helped me to be able to maintain my mental health.

As a child growing up I have always had an interest in being able to help others. After high school I decided to join the US Navy in 2008 as a hospital corpsman and was in the Navy for eight years. Nursing is a field which I have passion for and helps me to be able to help others. I have been inspired by different friends and family members who are in the healthcare field

The biggest problem facing the world right now is the effect of climate change in the environment. When it comes to different areas of the world there are abnormal heating situations in the environment and also the extinction of some mammals, reptiles, and animals in the environment. Due to the result of pollution by loitering there are also times when we see different material left in our oceans and lakes that have not been disposed of properly. Furthermore, there are situations in which the animals from woods and forest are moved out of their home by being placed in zoos or by their being a build-up of infrastructure in the environments and where the ecosystems will be disturbed. When the COVID-19 pandemic started their was an increase in animals coming into the cities because of the different populations moving closer to the city than rural areas. There has also been a decrease in the amount of travel to different campgrounds which has diminished the amount of food that animals are able to access since they have to travel further. Fires in California and other cities has destroyed environments in which different animals lived. In these situations new ecosystems need to be built by the different insects, animals, and reptiles to rebuild the circle of life which is necessary for the environment. Ways in which we can work on this problem is by reducing the amount of pollution that is released into the air and the different circumstances which can alter the environment from being a mainly cold environment to changing to a warm and from a warm environment changing to a cooler environment. Managing these different situations is necessary to lessen the burden that can occur on the environment and different animals and climate.

Resiliency is defined as having the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties and to be tough when you are put in situations that you need to be able to physically and emotionally conquer. The quality characteristic that I value in myself is my resilience because I have always been able to endure situations even when they may have been the most difficult thing to experience. When I first realized that I was gay when I was younger I stayed resilient even when others may not have known about my sexuality at that time. In addition, being resilient helped me to join the United States Navy even though I had some difficulty with graduating from boot camp. I have always been able to look at a situation and realize that it is only a temporary situation and not a permanent situation. After leaving the Navy, I was able to succeed through getting my degree from the University of Texas by always keeping my eye on the degree that I received. I had times when I failed courses during my degree program but I was able to pass the course the next time I took it. Being resilient has helped me in my life journey by keeping me focused and determined and dedicated to different circumstances and situations. Currently now when I am in nursing school I have been able to stay dedicated to the program even while I'm working, by my resiliency and realizing that I am getting this degree in order to improve my career aspirations. When I was younger I always wanted to become a nurse and was willing to do anything to get accepted into a nursing degree program in order to realize my dreams. Having a career that I enjoy while being able to help others give the courage to always strive for greatness and other goals that I want to achieve. Even when it comes to different financial, socioeconomic, and transportation issues I have always found it important to look for all the resources that I can find in order to help me with pursuing my goals. When I get my nursing degree I plan on working 20-30 more years and then retiring in order to be able to live comfortably and the life that I have always wanted for myself since I was growing up. Using my resiliency in different situations has helped me build up mental and physical toughness in any situation.

My favorite book has always been Harry Potter and the Sorceror's stone. Growing up I enjoyed being able to read the book and learning about Harry Potter and the life that he has. When I read the Harry Potter books I get transported to a magical world where anything can happen and anything is possible. In addition, when I read the Harry Potter books I can sometimes relate to him being treated poorly by the only family members that he has left. Furthermore, when the movies came out for the Harry Potter books it was great to be able to see the story in real life. Harry Potter has also given me the ability to think about situations and to be resilient even when I may be experiencing an uncomfortable situation. I always enjoyed all of the books in the Harry Potter series because of the continuation of the story that occurred every time I went from reading one book to the last book in the series. It also brings me back to my childhood and being able to read the books whenever I went to the library at school and wanted to have time to read a good book. I will always remember the Harry Potter books because it reminds me of the some of the good times I had during my childhood.

Financial freedom to me involves being able to live your life comfortably without any worries about not being financially stable when you decide to indulge yourself. As a frequent traveler I enjoy being able to travel to different cities in the US and countries in Europe, Asia, and Africa. It also means having the ability to travel to South America, India, and Australia. When I went to Italy in 2015, I had the chance to see different parts of the country before I came back to United States to go to Texas before I started school in the area. In addition, financial freedom involves being able to pay your bills comfortably and on time without having any debts left. When I was in the military, I had the financial freedom to travel and save money because most of my time was spent working in the hospitals where I was stationed. I would also use the extra money that I was making and put it into a savings account to be able to manage when there are emergency situations. Financial freedom also means not having to rely on two sources of income from employment in order to not live paycheck to paycheck, week by week. The last couple of ways in which financial freedom is important to me is being able to save up for retirement when I stop working and being able to pay for school myself in addition to different financial educational resources. Lastly, financial freedom to me means being able to have credit stability in order to be able to afford a house or condominium when the time arrives. Ways in which I can have the ability to achieve financial freedom can occur in a variety of ways. Some current ways that I use in order to make extra income is doing surveys, keeping change that I receive when I pay for goods and services with cash, and enrolling in my companies retirement plan. When it comes to spending money on food at work I aim to limit the amount that is being spent during the week. During nursing school I have also been saving money whenever I can by putting money in separate checking and savings accounts. Furthermore, I believe that living with others can cut down costs on the amount of money that you have to spend when you are living alone. I also plan on achieving financial freedom by paying off debts while I am in school and employed and to limit the amount of traveling that I do each year. These steps I believe will be essential in preparing myself for a financial free future.

Generosity to me means being able to help others in in many different ways such as financial, providing them with food and shelter, or helping them to be able to get directions to the right destinations when they need the help. I learned about the importance of generosity when I was homeless and I was able to find friends who were able to help me by giving me a place to stay. I also experienced generosity by friends being able to provide me with a loan whenever I needed it or different clothes to wear. I have personally myself loaned friends money and have given some of my clothes to friends when they did not have anything to wear. I would also provide transportation when I needed to help others get from one place to the other such as gas stations or a store. When it comes to going to different restaurants or stores where they accept tips it is important to at least tip them something because of the amount of work that they need to do in order to make a healthy paycheck. I learned about being generous from personal experiences such as being homeless, not having a car, or not having any money to get by. I have also had to rely on others for food whenever I was not able to afford it myself. Generosity from others and me reciprocating it back to others helps anyone who may be in a temporary difficult situation.

One personal finance lesson that I have found important is saving money. It is important to be able to save money for when there are emergencies when you need extra cash. I was involved in an accident in May of 2021 and after the accident I did not have the resources available to immediately be able to afford ride sharing apps to work. I also had to experience having to spend more money than I needed on food for work and having to travel to different locations for work at the last minute. I also learned from my experience in the military that it is important to save money especially once you leave the military because until you are able to have the right amount of money saved up their may be no way to survive without a job. I learned this lesson after I left the military because I was unable to find a job in the DC area so I decided to go to school in order to get more education and improve my career aspirations. When I got to the San Antonio area after moving from the DC area I was able to live in a more affordable environment and city and able to afford to save more for emergencies. As a result of these different lessons I have been using other opportunities to make side income in order to be able to have extra income available when I needed. Having different sources of income available even though it has not been a steady stream has helped me to be manage and survive when I don't have financial resources available.

In order to have a positive impact on the environment I recycle boxes, glass, and other papers that need to be recycled. In addition, at work in the hospital, we limit the amount of paper that we use in order to be able to reduce the number of trees that need to be used in order to make paper. We also complete proper trash disposal to make sure that different sharps and other biohazard waste is put into the correct bags and disposed of in the correct manner. Furthermore, when it comes to driving I try to avoid driving as much as I can to prevent the smog from the car being released into the environment. In regard to the issue of water shortages I limit the amount of time that I am using the water in the shower and when I am brushing my teeth. I also never litter when I am outside in the environment and I work to prevent disrupting the circle of life when it comes to different animals and there resources that they need to survive.

As a current veteran diagnosed with depression and anxiety, mental health has been very important to me. Losing other veteran friends to PTSD has taught me that everyone should be able to access the resources they need in order to be able to take care of their mental health. Since being in the Navy and being at various duty stations, keeping control of my mental health due to different circumstances in my Navy career has helped me to be able to manage my depression and anxiety as a current veteran. Mental health should not be seen as someone having something wrong with them, they just need resources to be able to manage different circumstances and scenarios that they deal in their life from previous experiences. Being an gay African American male and having to deal with other circumstances of being outed by different servicemembers in the military has helped me to become stronger mentally and to not be afraid to see a professional in order to manage my mental health. Without the help of the different doctors that I see in order to manage my depression and anxiety I believe that it would have been harder to manage stress and other factors that I have to deal with in life. Also having to deal with others turning their back on me because of my sexual orientation and even having to deal with racial discrimination has taught me that mental health is important to manage different situations in which we may be put in when the circumstances can seem unbearable.

Tomorrow September 6, 2021 marks 5 years since I lost my friend Uri to PTSD and other issues that he was dealing with during that time period. My own current mental health issues that I am currently dealing with have given me the ability to stay strong when it comes to many situations and has given me the ability to utilize the resources that I need in order to be able to stay focused. When it comes to relationships with others sometimes my issues with depression and anxiety can get in the way of me being able to have successful relationships. In addition, sometimes my inability to be able to share personal details about myself has been rooted in the lack of support that I have had in different situations. My career aspirations have always been fueled by tenacity of being able to achieve my dream of becoming a nurse for me and my friend Uri. Since losing my friend Uri, I have been involved in providing financial support for organizations such as Mission 22 and the Til lValhalla project. These organizations are some of the support organizations which I have become involved in to remember the lives of different friends and other servicemembers that I have lost from the military. I want to be able to let other veterans know that there is support and resources for them and they don't have to go through life after the military alone. My beliefs have been uprooted in my experience with my mental health which has taught me to be more involved in issues that affect veterans, servicemembers, and their families. When it comes to relationships with friends and family there have not been any major changes in my relationships with them. In regards to my personal relationships with romantic interests there are times when my mental health and other personality traits may seem like a wall for others to be able to get to know me. Sometimes my mental health issues that I deal with can make it harder for me to communicate with others and might seem like I am depressed when I am not. I also believe that pasts experiences from my childhood and being in the military has somewhat put an emotional scar in my mental health which I am currently working on making less of an influence on my life. I am sometimes ready to move on to being able to have a romantic relationship but believe that there are other issues that I have to work on in order to be able to be mentally prepared for a relationship. Different experiences in my life in regards to mental health has shown me that it is okay to not okay and that there are resources available. In my career I want to be able to become a registered nurse and to help other veterans and their families who have been suffering from PTSD and other mental health issues. Being able to help others in the field of nursing will help me to keep the promise that I made to myself after my friends Uri passing that I will strive for my goals and achieving them even with the mental health issues that I currently deal with.

When the pandemic first started I was going through a period of time making the wrong decisions and getting involved in the wrong situations. I had gotten myself to the point where I ended up homeless for a few weeks and was sleeping in the front seat of my car. I had just been laid off from my job that I was working at that time and was in a financial situation where I didn't have any money and I wasn't even able to afford keeping gas in my car. My luck begin to change when I started to apply to jobs in the healthcare field and I was able to find my current place of employment. I also begin nursing school while I was homeless and was able to take the courses that I was taking at the time. Being homeless and getting myself into situations of feeling hopeless and helpless actually helped me to find my way back to being able to achieve the goals that I had set for myself of being able to attend nursing school. I had also gotten myself to the point where I was getting involved in dangerous situations. The turn around point came for me when I begin working at my current job at Adventist Healthcare and realizing that my life is on its way to getting better. Also losing one of my friends at the beginning of the pandemic last year was one of the situations that took me down the wrong path. Going through these different situations and hitting rock bottom had helped me realize that with a lot of hope and work I was able to find a better future for myself.

One thing that always gives me hope that the future will be better are the family and friends that I have in my life. Even when there are times when I may not believe that things will get better, my resilience through the military and going to school has always kept me focused on being able to achieve my goals. During this time pandemic, there have been times when I have felt that my financial situation would not get better but still aiming to achieve the financial goals that I have for myself. When it comes to education the cost of school has sometimes made me feel that I will not be able to complete my education but that it is important to exhaust all resources until you are able to get to help that you need. In addition, it is important to always stay optimistic and to know that things will get better. My friends and family who have stayed by my side through all the difficulties that I have faced have made me stronger mentally and able to deal with anything that comes my way. Right now even though I am not able to attend classes due to the tuition balance I have, I am always able to keep in the back of my mind that things will get better. I also have a good set of friends who keep me focused on more positive situations than the negative situations that I am currently in. Working during this pandemic has also given me the ability to take my mind off of negative things and to focus on more positive situations in order to be able to stay on track to achieve my dreams. My dream of becoming a nurse has always been fueled by fulfilling my promise that I made to my friend Uri, after he passed away that I will always focus and achieve the goal of becoming a nurse to fulfill the dreams that we both have. Even though my friend Uri is not here anymore he still keeps me motivated to be hopeful of a better future.

Educational inequity plays a role in students believing that they will never be able to afford and pay for the schooling which they are needing in order to pursue their goals. After I graduated high school in 2007, I was excited to be accepted to go to Michigan State but declined it because of my inability to pay for it and not having the resources that I needed. When I decided not to go to Michigan State I found that the military would be the next best way for me to achieve my goal of going to a university. Educational inequity is a hardship which can diminish the dreams of others because they feel that a degree isn't within reach. Even when others are able to afford an education due to their socioeconomic status it is important to be able to understand that not all others have the same luck or fortune that they do. When it comes to educational inequity it is important to be able to advocate for others who are not as fortunate. When I was going to school to get my first Bachelor's degree I had the convenience and ability to use my VA benefits to have my education paid for. Since I have used up my VA benefits I have not been able to afford the tuition for nursing school. Even though I am working while I am going to school it is still not enough to be able to afford my tuition.

When I was 5 years old I always had a dream of becoming either a doctor or a nurse. The healthcare field was always an exciting and intriguing career field that I wanted to be a part of. I remember going through high school being confused about going into a different field such as criminal justice because I didn't feel that I would be able to make it to college or to get the grades that I needed in order to be admitted to a college or university. In 2007, after graduating high school I was accepted into the criminal justice program at Michigan State University. Instead of going to Michigan State and pursuing a degree in criminal justice, I decided to make the decision to go to the US Navy as Hospital Corpsman in order to be able to get started in the field of healthcare. Over the past 8 years while I was in the Navy, I had the opportunity to be stationed at the Naval hospital in Japan, to be stationed with the Marines in California, and to be able to serve as a hospital corpsman at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland. My first goal after leaving the military in 2016 was to first get admitted to a university where I would be able to receive a degree which would help me get admitted to nursing school. I was admitted to the Kinesiology program at the University of Texas San Antonio and received my degree in Kinesiology. I then applied to the nursing program at Chamberlain University and was accepted into the program and am currently working on my nursing degree. My second goal is to be able to work at a world renowned hospital and to be able to help veterans and other servicemembers as a registered nurse. My third and final goal is to be able to retire as a registered nurse and to pass that experience on to others. It is important to increase racial diversity in healthcare in order to let other minorities who feel underrepresented and that they can't achieve their goals to let them know that with hard work and dedication that they will be able to achieve their goals as long as they work hard enough and have all the resources that they need. In addition, it is also important to increase racial diversity in healthcare to show different cultures and ethnicities that there are others in the healthcare who can relate to them and understand different cultural and religious customs. Furthermore, it is important to increase racial diversity in healthcare to make sure that there is equal representation in the hospital setting. In addition, when minorities see others of their own race being doctors and nurses and physician assistants they will be more likely to trust the care that they receive in the hospital.

Growing up as a gay African American male and in a religious family has been one of the toughest things that I have had to deal with in my life. While I was growing up it was difficult to be able to express who I am to my family in fear of them disowning me or isolating me. When I went to the military in 2008 it was difficult to serve because I was afraid of showing the real person who I am. When I was still in the military and stationed in the California I was outed by one of the other hospital corpsman who I worked with in front of the other service members. When this occurred I felt betrayed but also felt like that I was able to finally be who I was and not to be afraid of others knowing. In 2010, when I went home to Las Vegas, where my mom and sister live, my sister was the one who helped me come out to my mom and to know that everything would be okay. Last year in 2020, I decided to make the tough decision to come out to my dad because I didn't want to hide who I am anymore. When I came out to him I decided to give him time to process what I told him and he still stays in contact with me even though we don't have that great of a relationship. I have also had to deal with others making me feel inadequate while I was in the military and that I didn't know how to do my job. My friend Daniel and my other friend Uri, have always been the ones to help me to stay strong and resilient. In 2016, when my friend Uri passed away, I made the decision that I was going to fulfill both of our dreams of becoming nurses. We always were able to rely on each other and to know that we always have each others back. Currently now in nursing school, I am able to keep making it through the program because I know the promise that I want to keep to him. When I graduate from nursing school and become a registered nurse I plan to help other veterans who have issues with PTSD and succumb to it to let others know who suffer from PTSD that there is help and other resources for them and that being able to talk to a psychiatrist or psychologist will help to be able to process their feelings and to discuss how they're feeling to other servicemembers and veterans. When it comes to LGBTQ community and being a veteran there are others who suffer from PTSD and other issues of feeling inadequate or being disowned by their families. As a registered nurse I want to be able to help others regardless of their sexual orientation, religion, race or ethnicity know that there are always others who are willing to listen to them and to hear what they have to say and to give them the resources to survive and to know that they will never be alone.

As a gay-African American male I have had to deal with a lot of adversity in my life. My dad is originally from Ghana in Africa where it is not seen as being acceptable for someone to be gay or part of the LGBTQ community. It is also not safe in Ghana because of laws that are being passed in the country to make being gay punishable by law. When I was in the Navy I also had to deal with adversity in the culture of don't ask, don't tell where servicemembers could be dishonorably discharged and not receive the benefits that they deserved. Based on these experiences along with religious views from my parents I have had to deal with my own parents thinking that there was something wrong with me. When I decided to come out to my friends and family a lot of the individuals who I thought would still be in my life decided to not have anything to do with me. I made the decision to come out to my mom in 2010 and my dad last year in 2020. They have still been around in my life and there for me. When it comes to being a BIPOC and also a part of the LGBTQ community I believe that I have the ability to assist other LGBTQ individuals and people of color in order to be able to let them know that it is okay to be themselves and that even if they lose their immediate family members in their lives, they will be able to meet others in the world who will be open to getting to know the real person inside of themselves. As a nurse I will strive to help other minorities who feel that they underserved to be able to receive the care that they are entitled to in a hospital setting and for them to know that there is help for them. From the hospital to other clinics there are always individuals who understand what the underserved community is going through and being able to provide them with the resources that they need in order to be able to make it in this world and to receive the care that they deserve.

Currently I suffer my depression and anxiety. I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety when I was in the military and continue to experience it today. My experience with depression and anxiety has shown me that it is okay to seek help from resources such as a psychiatrist and psychologist and it is perfectly normal. I would let anyone know who is experiencing any mental illness that it is perfectly normal to seek help and different resources. Being able to deal with depression and anxiety over the past 13 years has shown me that I am able to manage anything that comes my way. There are some days when I just need to talk to someone and I want to use that experience of being able to speak with psychiatrist and psychologists to broaden that experience to others. Veterans that suffer from PTSD and other mental issues should know that there are always resources and other veterans who are in the circle who they can talk to even though it has been years since they have seen each other. I would start an initiative with other veteran-themed entities to provide mental health services to others such as therapy dogs or pets. This would be one of the ways in which to help them along with other resources that the Veterans Administration has.

One teacher who helped me pursue higher education was my teacher Mr. Zaid Haddad who was my teacher in 2007 when I was at Canyon Springs High School and the Leadership and Law Preparatory Academy. When I was his student he always emphasized to me and the other students in my class about the importance of pursuing a higher education and being able to achieve our goals that we want to meet in life. He helped me to be able to pursue my different career goals. I was first admitted to Michigan State in 2007 but couldn't go due to the inability to pay. I ended up joining the Navy and served 8 years then went to school at the University of Texas San Antonio to get my degree in Kinesiology. I am currently going to Chamberlain University working on my Bachelor's Degree in Nursing. in addition, Mr. Haddad has taught me to be my true authentic self and to not let anything stand in the way of pursuing my goals. My main goal has always been to become a nurse and Mr. Haddad helped me on that journey.

My name is Nicholas Bart-Plange and I am a United States Navy Veteran. In my time in the Navy I served as a hospital corpsman and was stationed in Japan, California, and Maryland. I am currently in nursing school pursuing my dream of becoming a registered nurse. I have currently hit a road black and I am having to work more in order to be able to pay for school. I achieve to become a nurse being able to work in different hospitals in the DMV area and maybe even moving to other states. I would enjoy being able to my goal of becoming a travel nurse and being able to travel around the United States. I get excited by the different individuals who I am able to meet and work with on a daily basis. I plan on giving back to others and the community by spending my time working at the Veterans Administration in order to be able to help veterans who suffer from PTSD and their families. I plan on pursuing all these goals by writing different checklists of goals that I want to achieve.

August 2016 while I was at the University of Texas San Antonio pursuing my bachelor's degree in Kinesiology, I got the call from one of my friends. My good friend who I knew from being stationed in Twentynine Palms, California, had passed away from suicide and from his PTSD. I remember the day before talking to him and then thinking after I got out of class that I would be able to speak to him again. I have learned that PTSD can affect service members in different ways and it has helped me to learn that there is too much stigma around veterans and mental health. In addition, I have learned that mental health has affected others in a variety of ways. While I was in the military I started to have difficulties with concentration while working and dealing with depression and anxiety. Instead of keeping my thoughts and feelings to myself I decided to start getting seen by a therapist and a psychiatrist in order to be able to manage my mental health difficulties that I have. My personal experience dealing with PTSD and other mental health issues is that it is important to be able to discuss how you are feeling with others and not to feel ashamed or like there is something wrong with you. I hope to be able to let others suffering from PTSD know that it is fine to speak with a psychiatrist and a therapist and that they shouldn't feel alone. Furthermore, it is important to let others know that if they need to have themselves admitted to a psychiatric unit that there is nothing wrong with it. I recently have lost a friend who I knew from Japan to PTSD as a result of him being an Afghanistan war veteran. If he was still around I would let him know that he always has others around who he can talk too and describe the issues they are dealing with. I feel that losing others to PTSD has given me my own personal experience with PTSD. Seeing my military brothers and sisters suffering from PTSD makes me want to create a group where other veterans who have been to the middle east can speak about there experiences while being stationed overseas. Through education and different programs that are supported by the VA and the DAV I believe that more resources need to be provided to veterans suffering from PTSD to let them know that they aren't alone and that there are others who are here to help them.