No matter who you are or where you come from, there will be a horrible day you never want to remember. However, there will be people on that day who can make it a little bit more manageable. When my baby sister stopped breathing in the night, my parents were a wreck. It was their kid and this was their worst nightmare. After a scary ambulance ride my sister was admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. She would be there for a week, but the first few days still felt unbearable for them, she was on heavy oxygen with all the tubes they were scared to hold her. The fear continued for a few days until a nurse, whose name my parents still remember, was placed in my sister's service. She took extra time to help my parents bathe her and made the tubes feel a bit more manageable. To this day, my parents talk about her and the massive difference she made in a horrible situation. I want to be that nurse who can truly make a difference in human lives.
In high school, I took 2 years of college classes through the Bridge Academy as well as completing the Health Occupations course at my CTE center. Through CTE, I earned my Nursing Assistant Certification and have my Medication Aide and EKG Technician certifications. I work as a Nursing Assistant in home health to gain healthcare experience already!
In the fall of 2025, I will be attending the University of Maine Orono School of Nursing. I have worked closely with my counselor at UMaine and because of all my early college credits, I am looking at being able to graduate a year early with my BSN! After I graduate from UMaine, I will be getting a job at Eastern Maine Medical Center in a critical care department like the ICU or Emergency Department. After doing a job shadow in the ED I found I love the fast-paced intense environment. However, my long-term career goal is to become a Life Flight Nurse. To apply for that position I need at least a year of critical care experience so I will do more research before deciding which route I will go. I will be enrolling in a CCRN program right away to help give me that step up I need for the competitive LifeFlight career.
Nursing school is a huge financial investment, and while my family plans to help offset the costs, their support is limited as they continue to provide for my two younger sisters. Scholarships like the Elaine Hill Memorial Scholarship alleviate the financial burden, making both major expenses like tuition and housing, as well as smaller necessities like books, scrubs, and tools, more manageable. Receiving this scholarship would allow me to focus on my education and clinical training without the added stress of financial strain. As a nursing student and future Registered Nurse, I am committed to upholding the values of compassion, dedication, and excellence, and I believe I would be a proud and positive representation of this scholarship’s legacy.