Leaving behind a place overtaken by deep-rooted corruption to this land of opportunity leaves you with a profound sense of cultural disorientation. Coming from a country like Zimbabwe, where chronic illness is common and access to care is a privilege, not a guarantee, I’ve seen firsthand how drastically someone’s quality of life can be shaped by the limitations of their healthcare system. At just eighteen— a year younger than my mother when she immigrated from Zimbabwe—I am nearing the completion of my associate’s degree in arts and sciences through a dual enrollment program, while also preparing to enter Towson University as a freshman nursing student. This head start in my academic journey has allowed me to develop both discipline and clarity around my long-term goals in healthcare. I’m drawn to the field’s versatility and the meaningful, hands-on role nurses play in aiding patients. Initially, I plan to pursue travel nursing for two years to broaden my clinical knowledge and gain diverse experience outside the state of Maryland. Travel nursing will expose me to various hospital systems and different patient populations, helping me adapt to unfamiliar environments and strengthen my communication skills across diverse teams. Just as importantly, it offers the flexibility to manage my time and location while gaining intensive practice. After building that foundation, I hope to pursue advanced graduate education and become a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner or a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)—both roles that not only demand clinical excellence, but offer a higher level of responsibility in patient care. Working in a neonatal intensive care unit would allow me to be a calming, skilled presence during some of the most fragile moments in a family's life. The idea of caring for critically ill newborns—many of whom are fighting for their lives—deeply resonates with my desire to be a steady advocate for both infants and their families. On the other hand, anesthesia appeals to me because of its complexity and the opportunity to help patients who are at their most vulnerable during surgical procedures. Going down this career path was fueled by my desire to aid others, like most in the field of nursing. But as the product of an immigrant household, I’ve been raised to understand that choosing healthcare is more than choosing to help patients; it’s choosing to support your family, represent your culture, and build a future rooted in service and social responsibility . I have the opportunity to potentially complete my BSN education by the age of twenty-one, allowing me to not only build a stable, prosperous life for myself financially, but also challenging me to grow personally and professionally to fulfil my potential in my field. It’s an aspiration of mine to later on contribute to — or better yet, establish, a foundation made to improve and invest in strengthening medical infrastructure of the Zimbabwean population so they can live rather than just survive, and becoming a nurse is the first step in that journey. While dedicating myself to supporting patients here, I would be working toward a future where I can give back to my homeland, supporting my own people as well, and earning this scholarship would be an opportunity to work towards that goal.