I have always been one to jump in and help when I see a need. As a transgender man as well as someone who has struggled with mental health issues, I have unfortunately found that access to competent and compassionate care is difficult to acquire. Because of this, I have felt compelled to take my nursing career in the direction of meeting that need. Knowledge of even very basic transgender healthcare is lacking, let alone the larger gender affirming surgeries. Healthcare professionals who do not frequently care for trans patients do not have a grasp on hormones replacement therapy or gender dysphoria. When it comes to transgender youth, the understanding is even worse- puberty blockers are sorely misunderstood by most and the often vilified by media, further stoking a rampant transphobic wildfire that has engulfed our country. When it comes to mental health, the resources are just not accessible and the care of those who are mentally ill is mediocre at best, once again stemming from a lack of understanding. We do not treat mental health with the same standards by which we treat physical health, although the two are very much connected, and adequate care of both is essential to our quality of life as a human being. My goals for my specific area of nursing are to provide quality, compassionate, and trauma-informed care to communities who are often overlooked, underserved, uninsured, and vulnerable. This includes but this not limited to: LGBTQ youth and emerging adults, individuals struggling with substance abuse, individuals experiencing homelessness, and people who have been or are currently incarcerated. I operate with the belief of equity over equality. Because every single human being is different, each person will have a different need. I believe that nurses should always aim to meet each individuals need as opposed to taking a cookie cutter approach to the profession. No two patients will be the exact same. As a nurse, I hope to remain teachable, employ active listening skills, and to always be evolving in order to best meet the needs of my patients. I believe that I bring a unique and valuable perspective to nursing. My personal experience in overcoming obstacles and continuing to push myself when it felt impossible has made me an asset to my current team as a CNA, and I feel that everything that I have been through in life will only serve to make me a much more compassionate registered nurse. When it comes down to it, there are just not enough transgender providers, or providers who openly talk about mental health. I plan to change both of those things and contribute in a big way to the nursing world.

I spent the majority of my life posing as a heterosexual, cisgender woman out of fear. When I could no longer take the pain of living a life that did not fit me, I came out as a transgender man in the summer of 2016. I had made a life for myself in small town Pennsylvania, which promptly fell apart once I revealed my authentic self. I experienced transphobia in the workplace, in my friendships, and the 12 step fellowship that helped me get sober in 2011. I ultimately moved back home to Philadelphia after only a few months of living as male and on hormone replacement therapy. When I arrived home, I was embraced by an LGBTQ community that I didn't know existed and that I had never allowed myself to be immersed in. I continued to stay sober, and put my life back together again. I got into therapy where I set goals and reached them. I experienced my first ever Pride parade, and was able to undergo top surgery. Going back to school was the next goal on my list. I enrolled in the Community College of Philadelphia in the fall of 2021, and have been able to maintain a 4.0 GPA. My journey back to higher education has been a long one and not without obstacles and I still experience transphobia at times, but here I am. Had it not been for a queer community who believed in me and stepped up to love and support me, I might not have made it. Because of this, I feel compelled to give back to my community in any way that I can. As a future registered nurse, I'll have the opportunity to raise awareness of LGBTQ issues, dismantle stigma, and provide compassionate, trauma-informed care to a vulnerable community that lifted me up when I needed help. I am most interested in working with communities who are frequently underserved and overlooked in the healthcare system. These individuals consequently do not get the quality of care that they deserve. I look forward to working with LGBTQ at risk youth and emerging adults, those who struggle with mental health issues, people who are or have been incarcerated, low-income and underinsured individuals, and individuals experiencing homelessness. The LGBTQ community gave me the courage to be myself. I currently work in a hospital in the Philadelphia area where I am very open about my identity as a transgender man. I am the first transgender person that most of my coworkers have ever met. I believe that my experience as a member of the LGBTQ community gives me a unique perspective and makes me an asset to the healthcare profession. I am immensely proud of how far I have come in life, and I believe that I already bring a lot to the table. However, with higher education, I could contribute even more. There are simply not enough transgender healthcare providers, and the ones who do exist are so few and far between that they are often overbooked and understaffed. We need more of us to be able to better meet the needs of our community, and I am hoping to be able to be part of that.