My name is Rejoice, and I am currently pursuing my Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Prairie View A&M University, an HBCU that has not only empowered my academic journey but helped shape the nurse I am becoming. I am in my third semester of nursing school and proudly serve as class president for the second time, where I advocate for my peers and lead initiatives that promote both academic success and student well-being. But my path to nursing didn’t begin in a classroom, it began with a lack of access. As a Nigerian American who immigrated to the U.S. at age five, I grew up experiencing what it means to live without reliable healthcare. My family moved across several states: Georgia, Texas, Arizona always trying to find better opportunities, yet healthcare remained out of reach. I didn’t have my first doctor’s appointment in this country until I was eleven. If not for free vaccinations offered at a county clinic, I might have gone without them entirely. My mother often tells me that her health has worsened since coming to America not due to lack of effort, but because care was simply unaffordable. These experiences shaped my understanding of healthcare as both a necessity and a privilege, one that too many people like us were never given. Now that I’m training in hospitals as a nursing student, I see the consequences of these inequities every day. Too often, I witness patients of color or individuals from underserved backgrounds being brushed aside, their pain minimized or their concerns dismissed. It’s painful, but it’s also fuel. I don’t just want to be a nurse, I want to be the nurse who listens, advocates, and sees patients as whole people. I want to be the kind of provider who doesn’t rush through care but takes the time to understand someone’s background, fears, and lived experiences. I chose nursing because it is one of the few fields where compassion and skill collide so powerfully. Nurses are the heart of patient care and I want to be that steady, empathetic presence for those who are often overlooked. My vision for the future doesn’t stop at the bedside. I plan to further my education in nursing, obtain advanced practice credentials, and eventually open my own clinic that caters specifically to underserved and minority populations. I want to provide affordable, culturally competent, and preventive care in communities like the ones I grew up in places where too many people fall through the cracks of our healthcare system. This scholarship means more to me than financial support; it is a reflection of Olivia Wilson’s legacy, and a reminder of why representation matters in healthcare. Just like the nurses who cared for Olivia made a difference in her final days, I hope to be that difference in someone else’s life, not just through treatment, but through presence, advocacy, and genuine care. With each patient I meet, I will carry my past, my purpose, and this legacy forward.