When the pandemic was at its peak, the question of: “Is becoming a nurse my dream or my parents’ dream?” circled the drain, not too often, but when it did hit, I would get deep in my head because I knew I did not want to chase anybody’s dream. But when my father fell ill with gallstones and was told that we were almost too late by nurses and doctors, that was when I realized I wanted to be the person who does not instill fear and worry in my patients and their families but someone these individuals feel comfort within. In Grey’s Anatomy, it was shown that being too involved with patients is detrimental because it can create unhealthy attachments, but the trauma a patient faces is only known to them and not the outside world. I plan to make it my ultimate mission to go above and beyond, something that this profession will strengthen my ability to do so. During my senior year of high school, I completed over 90 hours of volunteer work as a medical assistant at a local clinic in my area. The older medical assistants were kind and nurturing. They encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone, but hearing the traditional doctors talk to their patients in a demeaning manner only fueled the fire in me to be better even more. My comfort zone has taught me that I cannot go beyond the surface I am standing on. Instead, I am just barely scratching the surface. I know who I am, and I am confident that I can and will achieve my dreams of becoming a nurse – becoming that comfort my father never had being hospitalized for three consecutive months. I strive to set an example for the younger generations of my family that our background does not exist to hold us back but to help us move forward. We are bigger than that. And that goes for everyone with dreams and aspirations as big as mine. As I head into my second year of college, my goal of becoming a nurse may seem light-years away, but I am closer than ever. I want to be seen as more than just a “nurse” by my patients and coworkers. I am not saying that because nurses are one of the most crucial parts of a hospital's backbone, but because of my fear of hospitals. Being afraid of the unknown. The daunting diagnosis. The grief that can and will follow. I seek the validation of saving a life, but I will take the losses of my patients dearly – as lessons in the back of my head to ensure that I will save the next life. I am aware that I will not be able to save every patient, but I am aware that every patient will give me my purpose.

My ‘why’ is my father. Sadly, he is an immigrant worker from the Philippines and did not invest in his education, but he selflessly dedicated himself to mine. When I was young, I could recognize what kind of work my parents had to endure, and I realized that my father had never stopped working in the fields. His skin is dark from sun exposure. His hands are cracked and dry from tirelessly. He’s drained physically and mentally because of the long hours in the sun that torture the Central Valley. Writing this now saddens me because my father has, and will continue, to give me everything. Although I know he does not make much, he has consistently shielded me from that harsh truth. My passion for nursing stems from my father's diagnosis of gallstones. We were told that we were almost too late by nurses and doctors, and that was when I realized I wanted to be the person who does not instill fear and worry in my patients and their families. I want to be someone these individuals feel comfortable with. In Grey’s Anatomy, it was shown that being too involved with patients is detrimental because it can create unhealthy attachments, but the trauma a patient faces is only known to them and not the outside world. I plan to make it my ultimate mission to go above and beyond, something that this profession will strengthen my ability to do. I seek the validation of saving a life, but I will take the losses of my patients dearly as lessons in the back of my head to ensure I do save the next life. I am aware that I will not be able to save every patient, but I am aware that every patient will give me my purpose. I know who I am and am confident I can and will achieve my dream of becoming a nurse. I want to become that comfort my father never had when he was hospitalized for three consecutive months. I strive to set an example for the younger generations of my family that our background does not exist to hold us back but to help us move forward. Becoming a nurse will allow me to finally gift my father the life he has not been able to have since moving to the States. He has always treated me like a trophy; one day, I hope to put him on a higher pedestal.

My passion for nursing stems from the diagnosis of gallstones in my father. We were told that we were almost too late by nurses and doctors, and that was when I realized I wanted to be the person who does not instill fear and worry in my patients and their families. I want to be someone these individuals feel comfortable with. In Grey’s Anatomy, it was shown that being too involved with patients is detrimental because it can create unhealthy attachments, but the trauma a patient faces is only known to them and not the outside world. I plan to make it my ultimate mission to go above and beyond, something that this profession will strengthen my ability to do. I seek the validation of saving a life, but I will take the losses of my patients dearly as lessons in the back of my head to ensure I do save the next life. I am aware that I will not be able to save every patient, but I am aware that every patient will give me my purpose. I know who I am and am confident I can and will achieve my dream of becoming a nurse. I want to become that comfort my father had never been in three months in the hospital. I strive to set an example for the younger generations of my family that our background does not exist to hold us back but to help us move forward. We are much bigger than that. And that goes for everyone with dreams and aspirations as big as mine. My father is, and always will be, my "why." He is an immigrant worker from the Philippines and sadly did not invest in his education, but he selflessly dedicated himself to mine. At a young age, I recognized what my parents did for work, and my father never stopped working in the fields. His skin is dark from sun exposure. His hands are cracked and dry from tirelessly working. He’s physically and mentally drained because of the long hours in the sun that torture the Central Valley. Writing this now saddens me because my father has, and will continue, to give me everything. Although I know he does not make much, he has consistently shielded me from that idea. Becoming a nurse will allow me to finally gift my father the life he has not been able to have since moving to the States. He has always treated me like a trophy; one day, I hope to put him on a higher pedestal.

I’m the “golden child” of two immigrant parents who never invested in their education. This reputation has been with me since I was in the fifth grade when the accumulation of my medals for exceeding reading levels and points and “Student of the Month” awards stomped on the ones my cousins earned. I am not trying to belittle them, but growing up; I was nurtured in a way that made me see the difference between scratching the surface and rising above the surface we stand on. With this scholarship, it will benefit my journey to becoming a nurse. My passion for nursing stems from the diagnosis of gallstones in my father. We were told that we were almost too late by nurses and doctors, and that was when I realized I wanted to be the person who does not instill fear and worry in my patients and their families. I want to be someone these individuals feel comfortable with. In Grey’s Anatomy, it was shown that being too involved with patients is detrimental because it can create unhealthy attachments, but the trauma a patient faces is only known to them and not the outside world. I plan to make it my ultimate mission to go above and beyond, something that this profession will strengthen my ability to do. I seek the validation of saving a life, but I will take the losses of my patients dearly as lessons in the back of my head to ensure I do save the next life. I am aware that I will not be able to save every patient, but I am aware that every patient will give me my purpose. I know who I am and am confident I can and will achieve my dream of becoming a nurse. I want to become that comfort my father never had, being hospitalized for three months. I strive to set an example for the younger generations of my family that our background does not exist to hold us back but to help us move forward. My immigrant father is my 'why' for everything I do. He did not invest in his education but selflessly dedicated himself to mine. When I was young and recognized what work my parents had to do, I realized that my father had never stopped working in the fields. His skin is dark from sun exposure. His hands are cracked and dry from tirelessly working. He’s exhausted from the long hours in the sun that scorch the Central Valley. Writing this now saddens me because my father has, and will continue, to give me everything. Although I know he does not make much, he has consistently shielded me from that idea. Becoming a nurse will allow me to finally gift my father the life he has not been able to have since moving to the States. He has always treated me like a trophy; one day, I hope to put him on a higher pedestal.

My passion for nursing stems from the diagnosis of gallstones in my father. We were told that we were almost too late by nurses and doctors, and that was when I realized I wanted to be the person who does not instill fear and worry in my patients and their families. I want to be someone these individuals feel comfortable with. In Grey’s Anatomy, it was shown that being too involved with patients is detrimental because it can create unhealthy attachments, but the trauma a patient faces is only known to them and not the outside world. I plan to make it my ultimate mission to go above and beyond, something that this profession will strengthen my ability to do. I seek the validation of saving a life, but I will take the losses of my patients dearly as lessons in the back of my head to ensure I will save the next life. I am aware that I will not be able to save every patient, but I am aware that every patient will give me my purpose. I know who I am, and I am confident that I can and will achieve my dreams of becoming a nurse – becoming that comfort my father had never been in three months in the hospital. I strive to set an example for the younger generations of my family that our background does not exist to hold us back but to help us move forward. We are much bigger than that. And that goes for everyone with dreams and aspirations as big as mine. My father is an immigrant worker from the Philippines, and sadly, he did not invest in his education, but he selflessly dedicated himself to mine. When I was young and recognized what work my parents had to do, I realized that my father had never stopped working in the fields. His skin is dark from sun exposure. His hands are cracked and dry from tirelessly working. He’s exhausted from the long hours in the sun that scorch the Central Valley. Writing this now saddens me because my father has, and will continue, to give me everything. Although I know he does not make much, he has consistently shielded me from that idea. Becoming a nurse will allow me to finally gift my father the life he has not been able to have since moving to the States. He has always treated me like a trophy; one day, I hope to put him on a higher pedestal.

My ‘why’ is my father. Sadly, he is an immigrant worker from the Philippines and has not invested in his education, but he selflessly dedicated himself to mine. When I recognized that my parents had to go to work, my father never stopped working in the fields. His skin is dark from sun exposure. His hands are cracked and dry from tirelessly working. He’s tired from the long hours in the sun that scorches the Central Valley. Writing this now saddens me because my father has, and will continue, to give me everything. Although I know he does not make much, he has consistently shielded me from that idea. I love being Filipino because my father has shown me that we Filipinos are hardworking, dedicated, and go-getters. I knew from when I was young that I wanted to be a nurse, and while those around me saw that as “stereotypical,” I knew that was what I wanted to do. My passion for nursing stems from the diagnosis of gallstones in my father. We were told that we were almost too late by nurses and doctors, and that was when I realized I wanted to be the person who does not instill fear and worry in my patients and their families. I want to be someone these individuals feel comfortable with. In Grey’s Anatomy, it was shown that being too involved with patients is detrimental because it can create unhealthy attachments, but the trauma a patient faces is only known to them and not the outside world. I plan to make it my ultimate mission to go above and beyond. I seek the validation of saving a life, but I will take the losses of my patients dearly as lessons in the back of my head to ensure I do save the next life. I am aware that I will not be able to save every patient, but I am aware that every patient will give me my purpose. I want to become that comfort my father did not have while he was in the hospital for three months. I strive to set an example for the younger generations of my family that our background does not exist to hold us back but to help us move forward. We are much bigger than that. And that goes for everyone with dreams and aspirations as big as mine.

I am the “golden child” of two immigrant parents who never invested in their education. This reputation has been with me since I was in the fifth grade when the accumulation of my medals for exceeding reading levels and points and “Student of the Month” awards stomped on the ones my cousins earned. I am not trying to belittle them, but growing up; I was nurtured in a way that made me see the difference between scratching the surface and rising above the surface we stand on. As I head into my second year of college, my goal of becoming a nurse may seem light-years away, but I am closer than ever. Every day, I will get closer to becoming the person I have always dreamt of being. Because of my fear of hospitals, I want to be seen as more than just a “nurse” by my patients and coworkers. Being afraid of the unknown. The daunting diagnosis. As a senior in high school, I acquired 90 hours of volunteer hours in my Student Medical Assistant Externship at my local healthcare clinic. I became comfortable greeting and conversing with patients, practiced patient confidentiality and cleanliness, took vital signs, and created small yet meaningful relationships with my patients, doctors, and mentors. Moreover, I found a passion for tutoring and teaching while taking a rigorous course at my college, chemistry, a prerequisite for nursing. Watching my friends learn and understand a concept from my perspective gave me a sense of satisfaction I did not know I was seeking. Breaking down the topics into smaller ones made me realize that there will always be something to learn, even when I complete college. I know my eagerness to learn and my feeling of accomplishment will follow me into my nursing career. My passion for nursing stems from the diagnosis of gallstones in my father. We were told that we were almost too late by nurses and doctors, and that was when I realized I wanted to be the person who does not instill fear and worry in my patients and their families. I want to be someone these individuals feel comfortable with. In Grey’s Anatomy, it was shown that being too involved with patients is detrimental because it can create unhealthy attachments, but the trauma a patient faces is only known to them and not the outside world. I plan to make it my ultimate mission to go above and beyond, something that this profession will strengthen my ability to do so. I seek the validation of saving a life, but I will take the losses of my patients dearly as lessons in the back of my head to ensure I will save the next life. I am aware that I will not be able to save every patient, but what I am aware of is that every patient will give me my purpose. I know who I am, and I am confident that I can and will achieve my dreams of becoming a nurse – becoming that comfort my father had never been in three months in the hospital. I strive to set an example for the younger generations of my family that our background does not exist to hold us back but to help us move forward. We are much bigger than that. And that goes for everyone with dreams and aspirations as big as mine.

My overall career goal is to be seen as more than just a nurse by my patients because I know how it feels to be afraid of the unknown. The hospital can be scary for many, and I strive to be the individual patients can and will rely on, regardless of their needs. As a senior in high school, I acquired 90 hours of volunteer hours in my Student Medical Assistant Externship at my local health clinic. I became comfortable with greeting and conversing with patients, practiced patient confidentiality and cleanliness, took vital signs, and created small yet meaningful relationships with my patients, doctors, and mentors. Moreover, I found a passion for tutoring and teaching while taking a rigorous course at my college, chemistry, a nursing pre-requisite. Watching my friends learn and understand a concept from my perspective gave me a sense of satisfaction I did not know I was seeking. Breaking down the topics into smaller ones, and even into smaller ones, made me realize that there will always be something to learn, even when I complete college. I know that my eagerness to learn and my feeling of accomplishment will follow me into my nursing career. When my father fell ill with gallstones and was told that we were almost too late by our nurses and doctors, that was when I realized I wanted to be the person who does not instill fear and worry in my patients and their families but someone these individuals feel comfort within. In Grey’s Anatomy, it was shown that being too involved with patients is detrimental because it can create unhealthy attachments, but the trauma a patient faces is only known to them and not the outside world. I plan to make it my ultimate mission to go above and beyond, something that this profession will strengthen my ability to do so. I seek the validation of saving a life, but I will take the losses of my patients dearly as lessons in the back of my head to ensure the same issue will be resolved. I am aware that I will not be able to save every patient, but what I am aware of, is that every patient will give me my purpose.

My “golden child” upbringing has molded my passion for the nursing industry. Growing up, I consistently sought validation for doing something great, whether it be my grades or my extracurriculars. There was no reason for me to slack. Although this was damaging to my self-esteem, it allowed me to do soul-searching. When the pandemic was at its peak, the question of: “Is becoming a nurse my dream or my parents’ dream?” circled the drain, not too often, but when it did hit, I would get deep in my head because I knew I did not want to chase anybody’s dream. But when my father fell ill with gallstones and was told that we were almost too late by our nurses and doctors, that was when I realized I wanted to be the person who does not instill fear and worry in my patients and their families but someone these individuals feel comfort within. In Grey’s Anatomy, it was shown that being too involved with patients is detrimental because it can create unhealthy attachments, but the trauma a patient faces is only known to them and not the outside world. I plan to make it my ultimate mission to go above and beyond, something that this profession will strengthen my ability to do so. During my senior year of high school, I completed over 90 hours of volunteer work as a medical assistant at a local clinic in my area. The older medical assistants were kind and nurturing. They encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone, but hearing the traditional doctors talk to their patients in a demeaning manner only fueled the fire in me to be better even more. My comfort zone has taught me that I cannot go beyond the surface I am standing on. Instead, I am just barely scratching the surface. I know who I am, and I am confident that I can and will achieve my dreams of becoming a nurse – becoming that comfort my father never had three months in the hospital. I strive to set an example for the younger generations of my family that our background does not exist to hold us back but to help us move forward. We are bigger than that. And that goes for everyone with dreams and aspirations big as mine. As I head into my second year of college, my goal of becoming a nurse may seem light-years away, but I am closer than ever. Every day, I will get closer to becoming the person I have always dreamed of being. I want to be seen as more than just a “nurse” by my patients and coworkers. I am not saying that because nurses are one of the most crucial parts of a hospital's backbone, but because of my fear of hospitals. Being afraid of the unknown. The daunting diagnosis. The grief that can and will follow. I seek the validation of saving a life, but I will take the losses of my patients dearly – as lessons in the back of my head to ensure the same issue will be resolved. I am aware that I will not be able to save every patient, but what I am aware of is that every patient will give me my purpose.