When choosing a profession, my main goal was to ensure that I would be helping people. I believe nursing allows me to do this during some of the most vulnerable times of people's lives. Around the time I was eleven, my dad fell ill and has since endured several, long, painful hospital stays. Most recently he received a kidney transplant where my older sister was his doner! Having to watch someone you love endure such traumatic experiences and not knowing how to help is a terrible feeling. Seeing the way this transplant is improving my dad's quality of life is something I will be forever grateful for. I strive to know enough to help people and to support my patients' families as my dad's nurses supported ours. Parts of my drive also stem from the current COVID-19 pandemic. My sister is a nurse at RI Hospital. Watching her and her co-workers remain so unbelievably strong throughout this time has been incredible and inspiring. This crisis has opened my eyes to many things, for myself, to be grateful for science, and also to remind us to keep giving back to others. With the vaccine rollout ramping up, I am hopeful that this fight is coming to an end. As a state and community, we have shown strength in togetherness throughout this trying time. Following graduation from The University of Rhode Island with a Bachelor's Degree in Nursing I will apply for work at Hasbro Children's Hospital, Rhode Island Hospital Transplant Center, or South County Hospital with hopes to give back to the state and community that has always served me well. If you had asked me right at the beginning of COVID-19 how I felt about continuing on my path to pursuing nursing I would say I was very unsure and to be transparent, very scared. I live at home with my immunocompromised father and this has made my experience with the pandemic very different than so many of my peers. At times I found myself questioning everything, panicking about the unknown, and frustrated that people around me were not taking the necessary precautions. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted my decision to be a nurse in many ways. Some have made me want to be a nurse more, others made me feel like running in the complete opposite direction. If the last two years have taught me anything it would be that it is okay to question your path. At the core of myself, I know that I am going to be a nurse and I am going to help my patients in every way that I can. One of the largest driving forces for me to continue my passion to become a nurse is my older sister, Julia. My sister was a new graduate nurse at Rhode Island Hospital when COVID first began and her strength, perseverance, bravery, and self-sacrifice are incredible. When she would come home and have lines and a rash where the mask pressed so hard into her face for a 12-hour shift, the same N95 she used for months was extremely upsetting to see. But, despite the challenge, she got up and went to work each day. I know this is the right path for me, it is what I want to do and it is who I am. A nurse I am. A nurse I will become.