From an early age, I have always wanted to be a nurse missionary to the country of Suriname, South America. I truly loved medicine and anything having to do with nursing, and I had my dreams at the forefront of my mind every day. My desire was to help people with their physical needs, but more importantly with their even greater spiritual needs. Part of this dream was influenced by an elderly missionary nurse that served the Surinamese people for many decades. However, around the end of high school, which was around the age of 14 (I graduated early from homeschool), I started to second guess myself. I would try to convince myself that I was just copycatting the missionary already there, and that nursing was not for me. But at the core of my doubt, it was pure fear. And because I had so much fear, I did not have God's love flowing through me, as stated in 1 John 4:18. Fear blinded me to the need and burden God had given me. Several months later, a missionary and his family came to our church, sharing their burden for Vanuatu, an island in the South Pacific. Even thought they were not medical missionaries, the Lord used their testimony and burden to speak to my heart. I fully surrendered everything to Him, and He did direct my path in several direct ways. One of which was which college or university to attend for nursing school. Because my ultimate goal was medical missions, I desired to attend a Christian university. After weighing my options, and the Lord led me to Maranatha Baptist University. Another way in which the Lord led me was becoming a Certified Nursing Aide. I absolutely love my job, but more importantly the amazing people I work with and assist every day. I know it for a fact that it further confirms my calling to be a nurse. My ultimate goal in life besides glorifying the Lord, is to give back to those I serve. Although I desire to go to Suriname to serve the poor and those who are needy, I know I must give back to those around me now, wherever I may be. Therefore, this fall, I am so excited to pursue my nursing degree there, but I have a heavy financial burden on my shoulders. Because my family is in the low income category, I will be paying my way myself. For that reason, I know that if I was granted this scholarship, it would help alleviate the immense stress of finding ways to pay for my school bills. In addition, the generous individuals that graciously fund this scholarship can be confident that the monetary aid would be for a greater cause, that of making a difference for humanity with compassion. Jude 1:22. Thank you so much for this amazing opportunity!

From an early age, I have always wanted to be a nurse missionary to the country of Suriname, South America. I truly loved medicine and anything having to do with nursing, and I had my dreams at the forefront of my mind every day. My desire was to help people with their physical needs, but more importantly with their even greater spiritual needs. Part of this dream was influenced by an elderly missionary nurse that served the Surinamese people for many decades. However, around the end of high school, which was around the age of 14 (I graduated early from homeschool), I started to second guess myself. I would try to convince myself that I was just copycatting the missionary already there, and that nursing was not for me. But at the core of my doubt, it was pure fear. And because I had so much fear, I did not have God's love flowing through me, as stated in 1 John 4:18. Fear blinded me to the need and burden God had given me. Several months later, a missionary and his family came to our church, sharing their burden for Vanuatu, an island in the South Pacific. Even thought they were not medical missionaries, the Lord used their testimony and burden to speak to my heart. I fully surrendered everything to Him, and He did direct my path in several direct ways. One of which was which college or university to attend for nursing school. Because my ultimate goal was medical missions, I desired to attend a Christian university. After weighing my options, and the Lord led me to Maranatha Baptist University. Another way in which the Lord led me was becoming a Certified Nursing Aide. I absolutely love my job, but more importantly the amazing people I work with and assist every day. I know it for a fact that it further confirms my calling to be a nurse. This fall, I am so excited to pursue my nursing degree there, but I have a heavy financial burden on my shoulders. Because my family is in the low income category, I will be paying my way myself. For that reason, I know that if I was granted this scholarship, it would help alleviate the immense stress of finding ways to pay for my school bills. In addition, the generous individuals that graciously fund this scholarship can be confident that the monetary aid would be for a greater cause, that of making a difference for humanity with compassion. Jude 1:22. Thank you so much for this amazing opportunity!

I was born into a large family, and since I was homeschooled, I was not around very many kids my age. Because I am an older sibling, I was expected to be a leader, and I always was a leader--for good or for bad. From an early age, I have always wanted to be a nurse missionary to the country of Suriname, South America. I truly loved medicine and anything having to do with nursing, and I had my dreams at the forefront of my mind every day. My desire was to help people with their physical needs, but more importantly with their even greater spiritual needs. Because I was very vocal about my passion, my younger sister picked up it, and soon she was vocal about a desire to also be a foreign missionary to help orphans in Brazil. I was amazed how I was leading her to a life's calling and I did not realize it. This experience helped me realize how much we both loved people and wanted to serve them. However, around the end of high school, which was around the age of 14 (I graduated early from homeschool), I started to second guess myself. I would try to convince myself that I was just copycatting the missionary already there, and that nursing was not for me. But at the core of my doubt, it was pure fear. And because I had so much fear, I did not have God's love flowing through me, as stated in 1 John 4:18. Fear blinded me to the need and burden God had given me, and I would venture to say that it severely inhibited my leadership skills as an older sibling. During that time, I was in spiritual decline, and because of that, I did not lead my siblings or those around me closer to Jesus. Several months later, a missionary and his family came to our church, sharing their burden for Vanuatu, an island in the South Pacific. Even thought they were not medical missionaries, the Lord used their testimony and burden to speak to my heart. I fully surrendered everything to Him, and He did direct my path in several direct ways. One of which was which college or university to attend for nursing school. Because my ultimate goal was medical missions, I desired to attend a Christian university. After weighing my options, and the Lord led me to Maranatha Baptist University. Because of my full surrender to the Lord's will, my younger sister saw that it was real and it challenged her. She still wants to be a servant of the Lord as a missionary, whether that be here in our country or a foreign one. I love how that through the Lord's guidance in my life, that He also guides another. My sister and I have one goal, and that is to make a difference for humanity using pure love-motivated compassion as stated in Jude 1:22. Thank you so much for this amazing opportunity!

From an early age, I have always wanted to be a nurse missionary to the country of Suriname, South America. I truly loved medicine and anything having to do with nursing, and I had my dreams at the forefront of my mind every day. My desire was to help people with their physical needs, but more importantly with their even greater spiritual needs. Part of this dream was influenced by an elderly missionary nurse that served the Surinamese people for many decades. However, around the end of high school, which was around the age of 14 (I graduated early from homeschool), I started to second guess myself. I would try to convince myself that I was just copycatting the missionary already there, and that nursing was not for me. But at the core of my doubt, it was pure fear. And because I had so much fear, I did not have God's love flowing through me, as stated in 1 John 4:18. Fear blinded me to the need and burden God had given me. Several months later, a missionary and his family came to our church, sharing their burden for Vanuatu, an island in the South Pacific. Even thought they were not medical missionaries, the Lord used their testimony and burden to speak to my heart. I fully surrendered everything to Him, and He did direct my path in several direct ways. One of which was which college or university to attend for nursing school. Because my ultimate goal was medical missions, I desired to attend a Christian university. After weighing my options, and the Lord led me to Maranatha Baptist University. Another way in which the Lord led me was becoming a Certified Nursing Aide. I absolutely love my job, but more importantly the amazing people I work with and assist every day. I know it for a fact that it further confirms my calling to be a nurse. This fall, I am so excited to pursue my nursing degree there, but I have a heavy financial burden on my shoulders. Because my family is in the low income category, I will be paying my way myself. For that reason, I know that if I was granted this scholarship, it would help alleviate the immense stress of finding ways to pay for my school bills. In addition, the generous individuals that graciously fund this scholarship can be confident that the monetary aid would be for a greater cause, that of making a difference for humanity with compassion. Jude 1:22. Thank you so much for this amazing opportunity!

In the sermon on the mount in Matthew 5:6, Jesus said this, "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled." This is such a wonderful verse, full of meaning and practical truth. In my life, this has been rewarding, but it was a verse I especially embraced during CNA clinicals. When a person has no real hope or purpose in life, they are not truly happy. And when one is not truly happy, they can tend to take it out on those they work with in those times of frustration. In this case, certain of my coworkers tended to be that way, and they would sometimes take it out on the several residents who were difficult to deal with. As I witnessed these occasions, I saw how their response created more of a problem with their residents. Now, these CNAs were hungry in the sense that they were hard working, and so was I. I always was willing to pop up to answer a call light before anyone else, and I tried to take some of the load off of their weary shoulders. However, I realized that when you are hungry after goodness and righteousness, you feel even more satisfied. I believe these things should always be paired. For example, when I sought to serve the difficult residents with kindness and love, they responded different, and I felt satisfaction along with the satisfaction of hard work. For instance, there was this one non-dementia resident who showed behavioral problems, and I went to transfer her into her wheelchair. I was not given any specific details on any health conditions, so I did it normally. All of the sudden, she began to scream and yell at me that she had a hernia and I was not being careful. Now, I am naturally a very sensitive person who is not used to being on the wrong side of people, and who is terrified of making a bad mistake. Therefore, I started freaking out, but I still tried to be as kind and gentle as possible. Once she started to collapse onto the floor instead of sitting in her wheelchair, I pressed the call light and I hoped for a hasty appearance of another CNA. Once the CNA came, she was not very happy because she knew this resident was acting out on me just to be difficult, and she did not actually have a hernia. The CNA got her in the wheelchair with some force, and in my opinion, she did not show kindness or grace to this unhappy resident. I understand when you have to be firm with a resident, but when no righteousness is shown, it puts a rift into the relationship between that resident and the CNA. As for me, I made it a goal to show more kindness to that resident whenever I came in contact with her. I wanted to be hungry to show righteousness alongside hard work. If everyone followed the pattern of being hungry for righteousness, and being hungry for hard work, our society would be so much better. Inequality, laziness, outright lying and stealing; all of these things would become rare. When righteousness and goodness are paired with hard work, I know from experience that the result is a higher quality workplace, and a much higher quality business as a whole. Therefore, it is a personal choice, which is why I choose to be hungry.

“Leaving a Legacy of Kindness” From a very early age, I always wanted to be a nurse, and my parents earnestly hoped and prayed that I would be the first-generation nurse from our family. The drive was always deep within me, even when, as a teenager, I tried to get those ideas and aspirations out of my mind because of fear. Around the age of 15, I attempted to quit all such ideas, but something was about to happen that quickly changed my outlook. The day was January 17, 2022; a gloomy and frigid afternoon, when my mom and I were driving home from the dentist. The unpleasant, rainy weather combined with my numb mouth from the recent fillings stifled my usual bouncy personality. However, unbeknownst to us, the temperature dropped and the rain turned to black ice. Suddenly, we were careening out of control. The next thing I remember was the sensation of being in a washing machine full of glass and screaming. The car flipped several times into a frozen field; we missed a telephone pole by inches. After recovering from the shock, we exited the car quickly for fear something would explode. Amazingly, I still had my phone in my pocket so I called 911, and once the ambulance arrived, we were transported to the hospital. Despite the lack of staffing in the Emergency Room that day, the nurse and doctor were very efficient, kind-hearted, and compassionate. Although we did not need specialized care, the excellent care the trauma nurse provided to us inspired me to follow the same path–nursing. All stubbornness to resist my calling went out the window, and little did she know that her inspiring spirit, kind words, and loving actions would make a future nurse. No nurse has ever become what they are by simply dreaming about it, which is why I’m taking steps toward my goal. Since I was homeschooled, I graduated from high school at age 15, which gave me an amazing head start. Being currently enrolled in community college, I hope to complete important prerequisites before transferring to Maranatha Baptist University to earn my Bachelors of Science in Nursing. I am so thankful for the opportunity to take community college preparatory classes and make my parents and family proud to be “their” first-generation college girl. That is why education is so important to me.

I do not know how to express how thankful I am for this scholarship opportunity; there are not many like it where I can unapologetically share my faith journey and how the Lord has called me to the mission medical field. It is also a blessing to know that there are individuals and groups that really do care and want to help fulfill my dreams! I grew up in a large, conservative Christian family, and that privilege paved the way for the path in which the Lord would lead me. From an early age, I always have found an interest in caring for others in healthcare. Some of that was because I was a copycat to an elderly missionary nurse. I wanted to copy every move she made! But the Lord used that to call me to the country of Suriname, South America, where my role model served. He made that clear to me, and I have never doubted that. Since I was homeschooled, I was able to graduate at the age of 15. This gave me the unusual opportunity to enroll in community college. However, around that time, I tried to forget the idea of becoming a nurse. I told myself those aspirations were merely girlish copycat imaginations. Down deep in my heart, I knew I was fighting God's perfect will because of fear, but He wouldn't let that calling leave me. I'm so thankful for His patience and love! I agreed to become a CNA, and I enjoyed it greatly. Along with CNA class, I completed Anatomy and Physiology and Medical Law and Ethics, only because it was paid for by grants. In my stubbornness, I refused to see what the Lord was trying to convey to me, so He graciously used different means to work on my heart. One Sunday, we had a sweet missionary family from Vanuatu (next to New Zealand) in for a mission's focus Sunday. The interesting thing was that they were not medically trained in the least bit, but the stories and experiences that were shared showed me how the Lord was trying to get me to surrender to His perfect will (Romans 12:1,2). I broke down in tears during the service, and it was at that point where I surrendered my will and gave up all my dreams, ambitions, and desires. He, in turn, gave me such peace to quell my many fears about becoming an RN. He didn't stop there. As I prayed and made sure my heart and motives were right, He led me. My first prayer was: What college do You want me to go to? I knew that since I was going to be a missionary, I wanted to attend a Christian university. He gave me a special peace about Maranatha Baptist University. Lord willing, I intend to transfer to MBU's nursing school, and I am very excited! My desire is to use nursing as a way to reach out to others when they need Jesus the most. The verse that has really convinced and encouraged me through this journey has been Philippians 1:6, Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ! I do not know exactly what the future holds for me, but I am confident that I will never be alone, and for that, I am eternally grateful!

I was raised in a very conservative, Christian home, where all of life’s problems and controversial issues were always brought back to Scripture. Since I am still so young, I do not have tons of experience with this issue, but I have come to realize that one does not need experience to know and believe the truth. So why do I believe that life is sacred and worth protecting at all costs? I will proceed to answer this question based on the values of Scripture and through a Christian perspective. The first, and perhaps the most fundamental reason is based on Exodus 20:13, “Thou shalt not kill.” It sounds like a very simple and absolute commandment, but in this society, it has been made a subjective, emotionally and circumstantially based option. God is the only One who has the authority to give or to take away life in such situations as terminating pregnancies, killing embryos for stem cell research, or using euthanasia. It is not our duty! My second most fundamental belief on the pro-life topic is the belief that life begins at conception. From the minute the group of cells earns the title of zygote, to the point where she is called a fetus, she is a human being with eternal and priceless value. Those who desire an excuse to rid their lives of a “clump of cells” or an “accident”, try to convince themselves it is okay, or that the baby is worthless. Oh, how I long for them to know the beauty and preciousness of a little baby in utero or not! Psalms 139 marvelously describes how precious and loved we really are, from the very point of conception. Verses 14-16 elegantly tell us how we were “embroidered” in our mothers’ womb by God. That means that NO ONE is an accident! He fashioned each of us the way He desired, even if it was not the way we wanted. I am pro-life because I understand how dear and wonderful every human being is in God’s eyes, and that God has a very special plan for each child. My goal is to see every little one through the same lens. I have been called by God to be a missionary nurse. I do not know all what the future holds for me, but I know that wherever the Lord leads me, I will promote life at all stages of life. I hope and pray that I will have the strength and courage to stand up for life even when it is the most difficult thing to do! My heart breaks to think of all the millions of little ones stuck in frozen nitrogen, or those many millions who have already been brutally murdered. Even though I am one person, through the Lord's strength, I must make a difference and save as many lives as I possibly can. This may be accomplished through a private conversation with a mother considering abortion, or fostering a tiny newborn who was given up by a mother who did change her mind. Whatever the case, my goal is to protect the sanctity of life, because it is precious to God!

“Direct Impact: The Best Source of Inspiration” The day was January 17, 2022; a very gloomy and frigid afternoon, when my mom and I were on our way home from the dentist. The unpleasant, rainy weather combined with my numb mouth from the recent fillings stifled my usual bouncy personality. That was to change when, unbeknownst to us, the temperature dropped and the rain turned to black ice. Suddenly we were careening out of control! The next thing I remembered was the sensation of being in a washing machine full of glass and screaming as loud as I could. The car flipped several times horizontally into a freshly plowed, frozen field; we missed a telephone pole by inches. After recovering from the heavy shock, we exited the car quickly for fear something would explode. Amazingly, I still had my phone in my pocket so I called 911. It was a miracle that we were not knocked unconscious or worse! Once the ambulance arrived, we both were met with the tender, loving care of emergency responders and other health professionals later on in the hospital. Fortunately, neither of us had any serious injuries; only some deep cuts and shock. In spite of the lack of staffing in the Emergency Room that day, the nurse and doctor assigned to me were very efficient, kind-hearted, and compassionate. Even though we did not need specialized care, the excellent care my trauma nurse provided to us inspired me to follow the same career path–nursing. Little did she know that her kind-hearted work would motivate me to be a future nurse. Inspiration comes through many different ways, nature, a celebrity’s new song, or a quote on the back of a cereal box. However, the kind of inspiration that really resonates with a person is the type that directly impacts them in a positive way. This happened to me. As I watched the trauma nurse sew up my deep wounds and make sure I was okay, I saw in her what I could see someday in myself. I could actually make a difference in someone’s life when they need professional help the most. I could help a weary mother give birth to her baby, give life-saving care to a dying Emergency Room patient, comfort a child during a necessary blood draw, or hold a elderly patient’s hand as they reach the brink of death. I could be an inspiration to others! No nurse has ever become what they are by simply dreaming about it, which is why I am in the process of taking steps toward my goal. And I am very excited! Being currently enrolled in my community college, I hope to complete some important prerequisites before transferring to Maranatha Baptist University which is where I plan to earn my Bachelor of Science in Nursing. My desire is to inspire and impact the lives of others for the better, and maybe even motivate them to help others. Serving others and having a direct positive impact is the best type of inspiration.

“Direct Impact: The Best Source of Inspiration” The day was January 17, 2022; a very gloomy and frigid afternoon, when my mom and I were on our way home from the dentist. The unpleasant, rainy weather combined with my numb mouth from the recent fillings stifled my usual bouncy personality. That was to change when, unbeknownst to us, the temperature dropped and the rain turned to black ice. Suddenly we were careening out of control! The next thing I remembered was the sensation of being in a washing machine full of glass and screaming as loud as I could. The car flipped several times horizontally into a freshly plowed, frozen field; we missed a telephone pole by inches. After recovering from the heavy shock, we exited the car quickly for fear something would explode. Amazingly, I still had my phone in my pocket so I called 911. It was a miracle that we were not knocked unconscious or worse! Once the ambulance arrived, we both were met with the tender, loving care of emergency responders and other health professionals later on in the hospital. Fortunately, neither of us had any serious injuries; only some deep cuts and shock. In spite of the lack of staffing in the Emergency Room that day, the nurse and doctor assigned to me were very efficient, kind-hearted, and compassionate. Even though we did not need specialized care, the excellent care my trauma nurse provided to us inspired me to follow the same career path–nursing. Little did she know that her kind-hearted work would motivate me to be a future nurse! Inspiration comes through many different ways, nature, a celebrity’s new song, or a quote on the back of a cereal box. However, the kind of inspiration that really resonates with a person is the type that directly impacts them in a positive way. This happened to me. As I watched the trauma nurse sew up my deep wounds and make sure I was okay, I saw in her what I could see someday in myself. I could actually make a difference in someone’s life when they need professional help the most. I could help a weary mother give birth to her baby, give life-saving care to a dying Emergency Room patient, comfort a child during a needed blood draw, or hold a elderly patient’s hand as they reach the brink of death. I could be an inspiration to others! No nurse has ever become what they are by simply dreaming about it, which is why I am in the process of taking steps toward my goal. And I am very excited about it! Being currently enrolled in my community college, I hope to complete some important prerequisites before transferring to Maranatha Baptist University which is where I plan to earn my Bachelors of Science in Nursing. My desire is to inspire and impact the lives of others for the better, and maybe even motivate them to help others. Serving others and having a direct positive impact is the best type of inspiration.