Everyone applying for a nursing school, or a nursing scholarship has been asked the question "why are you choosing a career in nursing". And I feel like we all give similar answers. But is that such a bad thing? Those of us with an interest in nursing have a similar heart for people and the community, and I think that is fantastic! So why am I choosing a career in nursing? I am choosing a career in nursing because I love people, and it has been my dream since I was a little girl to touch thousands of people's lives. And what better way to do that than be a nurse? Nurses interact with millions of people throughout their careers and get to have life-changing interactions daily. I love people of all ages, but I especially love kids and babies. Like many young girls my age, I played with baby dolls. But I did not grow out of them for years. I played with my baby dolls and cared for them up until the 5th or 6th grade, I would say. I knew that I wanted to be a mom at a young age and caring for my baby dolls was one way I could do so. I played doctor with my dolls, fed them, changed them, cuddled them, rocked them, everything you can imagine. That carried on into me starting to babysit once my parents deemed me old enough. In fact, one way I am helping pay for nursing school is babysitting on the side of my CNA job! I want to pursue NICU and pediatric nursing because I want to be able to change the future. Babies and children are the future. Every child's life that is saved is a potential entrepreneur, nurse, advocate, government official, artist, who knows! Kids are so bright and full of life, and it is hard to see them sick and in pain. But I know the rewards of working with children will be greater than the hard parts. My older sister died of cancer when she was just seven years old. The nurses that cared for her were fantastic and brought light into her dark times. I want to be able to do the same. I know that not every child will make it, and sometimes the care I will be providing will be palliative, but that is still so important. Kids need to know that it is okay to be scared to die, that they are not alone, and that we will try to make it not hurt. I want to be there not only for the easy and good parts but also for the sad, difficult parts. That is why I want to be a NICU/pediatric nurse.

One time that I overcame adversity was just recently. I was in the middle of my freshman year of college and I was terribly depressed. And I knew that I was, but I did not want to admit it. I knew all the signs of depression and suicidal tendencies but I ignored them in myself. My mental health was affecting my academic growth, I had a hard time studying and having the will to go to class anymore. Of course, I kept pushing myself and that only made it worse. The way that I overcame this issue was a process. I finally reached out for help. I spent so much time hiding how I felt and I struggled through my depression alone. When it was at its worse I called my sister, whom I am very close with, and told her everything. She helped me take steps to set up a safety net of people around me and scheduled an appointment for me back in my hometown to see my doctor. Sometimes overcoming adversity is something you can't do alone. I certainly could not have. With the help of my loving sister, I began the road back to my normal self. I am now mentally healthy and an even stronger advocate for mental health for what I went through. I take medicine to help me and I talk to a counselor. This experience taught me to not be afraid to reach out for help and to never be ashamed of what you are experiencing. I learned a lot about myself and the people around me in this process and went through a phase of personal growth. I am currently a sophomore in college and I am going for my Bachelors of Science in Nursing. I want to be a nurse, it truly is my dream job. Specifically, I want to be a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) nurse. I also want to explore emergency room nursing and intensive care unit nursing. The world of nursing is endless, and that is part of what I love about it. It is a way to love people and use science to better their lives. However, nursing school is not cheap. I had an eye-opening experience with that this first year of college. I just transferred colleges so that I could continue to afford my education. Although I am sad to leave Northwest Nazarene University, I am excited to start my new journey studying nursing at Eagle Gate College!

I just completed my freshman year of college as a prenursing student. I am already a certified nurse aid, I took a CNA class my senior year of high school. I want to get my bachelor's of nursing science so that I can become a bedside nurse. My sister honestly inspired me to pursue my BSN. She is a nurse currently and is pursuing her doctorate. I have always looked up to her, she is my ultimate role model. I want to be a nurse so that I can care for those who can't care for themselves. The specific areas of nursing I am looking at right now are Neonatal nursing and emergency department nursing. One of my goals for being a NICU nurse is to help save as many babies as possible. I know that you can not save them all, unfortunately. And another goal is that when a death does have to happen that I am there as emotional support for the parents and to make the process as clean and easy as possible. I can not fathom the loss of a child and mothers and fathers need to know that they are not alone and that every step to help keep their baby alive was taken. Another goal in NICU nursing I have is to help facilitate the teaching of new mothers how to care for their baby. One of my best friends gave birth to her baby at age eighteen. Her baby was in the NICU for several weeks before she could go home. While in the NICU my friend was given tips on how to care for her daughter tailored specifically to her needs and trained how to use a breast pump and breast feed. My friend's mother was not in the picture and didn't have someone in her life to helping her learn these things. She was endlessly grateful for the nurses that taught her what she needed to know. And a goal I have is to be that person for mothers and fathers alike that come into the NICU. I'm also considering being an ED nurse as I stated earlier. A goal I have for being an ED nurse is to keep my head screwed on during stressful situations and to be careful not to burnout. Many situations can occur in the emergency room, my sister has told me of a few. You can never really know what I expect. So I want to make sure I am on the ball and able to care for people to the best of my ability during any situation. I know that one day I am going to a nurse. I am going to get through college one way or another and achieve my nursing dreams and goals.

I am currently working on learning a new language, Spanish. I am majoring in nursing at my university but I also recently added a minor in Spanish. Not only do I love the language, but it would be endlessly useful in nursing. I would be able to care for Spanish speaking patients without the hassle of finding a translator or speaking to a family member that does not speak English well. Spanish speaking patients need care just as much as English speaking patients, but sometimes it is hard for healthcare workers to understand where they are hurt or what is going on because of the language barrier. I started to learn Spanish in the eighth grade and since then have continued my learning. I took two college courses for Spanish while I was still in high school, and during the summers I watch telenovelas (Spanish dramas), and listen to Spanish music to keep my learning up. To continue my minor in Spanish I need to take the next set of classes that apply to the minor, intermediate Spanish one and two. I would use this grant to help pay for my classes and books that apply to my Spanish minor so that I can one day be fluent in Spanish and give the best care as a nurse to all my patients.

The first resource I had for learning about personal finance was my accounting teacher in high school, who also happened to be the Business Professionals of America club leader. I like to watch youtube videos about finance as well. And the last thing I use for learning about personal finance I look to budgeting tools to help focus on what needs to be saved and not.

My sister is always there And we may be miles apart But we still have memories we share When I am down She picks me up Even when I'm frustrating She truly fills my cup When I need a shoulder, One to wet with tears She will come from miles To hold me while I tell her my fears I think everyone needs a sister, but you can't have mine Because she really is my one and only sunshine This short poem is about my sister, who has been a rock in my life. I can always rely on my sister to be there for me. I am endlessly thankful for my sister and her unconditional love and support.

I am a freshman at Northwest Nazarene University in Idaho. I grew up playing ice hockey, I started when I was 3 and absolutely fell in love. The love of the game helped me to stay in shape and feed myself appropriately. I also like jumping rope and for a while, I did so competitively. When I first got to college I felt like I was at a loss for how I was going to stay fit. There is not a hockey team here and with covid, the nearby ice rink really is not open. And then one day I heard that there was going to be a meeting about women's lacrosse. I have always wanted to try lacrosse but we could not afford the gear and to play on top of hockey. So I went to the meeting and my first practice and now I am a part of the team! I finally found a way to stay in shape while in college. I noticed after the first week of practice that I already could feel my muscles sore and it felt good. I noticed my mood was boosted as well. When I am exercising I feel happier and healthier and drink more water. Fitness is not just something you do every now and then, it is a lifestyle. And for me, it is a happier, more fulfilling lifestyle. I also find myself eating better foods from our cafeteria because I want the right fuel so that I can perform my best. Those are real benefits of staying fit and I will never forget that.

A change I want to see in my community is a lowering in bullying and suicide. My hometown sees a lot of suicides and bullying and it is absolutely heartbreaking. I hope that this will one day change and families won't lose their kids to this type of thing. I personally had never experienced bullying until my senior year of high school. I went to a second high school to work towards getting my Certified Nurse Assistant and I found myself being singled out and bullied by people that I barely knew. I was overwhelmed and felt so frustrated I wanted to quit, but my sister helped remind me that I am not alone. Having my own run in with bullying helped me see even more how big of an issue it is in my community. Locally, I am a part of a group called Community Youth in Action. With Community Youth in Action, I have volunteered at several community events raising awareness for the issue of suicide and providing support. Two years in a row I served as a volunteer at the survivors of suicide memorial walk and I absolutely loved being there. I've also helped at Strides To Prevent Suicide Walk in my community the same two years. Suicides in my area specifically hit hard with kids, we had a couple occur at my high school over my four years there and it was so disheartening to see kids struggling with the idea that a classmate had taken their own life. I take mental health very seriously and last year I got the amazing opportunity to go to Texas and speak at a conference about mental health in schools with a couple of other members of Community Youth in Action. This opportunity also gave me the ability to listen to speakers talk and present ideas and ways to help raise awareness for mental health issues in schools. They also provided tools that I could take back to my community and start implementing them in schools. I know that I am just one person and can only do so much, but I believe that each person has a special impact on the world, and each part counts. In the world I hope to see a change in the situation of hunger. It is everywhere and I think that if we all worked together on the little things and finding solutions we could contribute to changing the world hunger situation. As of right now there is a lot of racial tension in our country, and even though that is a sensitive topic, I hope to see a change in our country with that as well. We all bleed the same, and everyone deserves to be treated equally with respect and love. I think often times with situations like these we have to think of the "golden rule", treat others how you wish to be treated. I can't solve all of the world's problems, but I see the issues and I hope for change in the future.

I chose to go into nursing because I want to touch thousands of lives. And what better way to do that than to be a nurse. My older sister is a nurse and she inspires me everyday to reach for my dream. I see the difference she makes each day and I desire to do the same. Not only am I interested in nursing because I want to make a difference, I also love the body sciences. I have always found blood and injuries interesting and cool when others found it gross. I enjoy studying the body and how it works! I'm already taking Anatomy and Physiology and it is so intriguing. I have a heart to serve others, my job on Earth is to love God and love others. And how better to do that then to love and help my patients for the rest of my life. I am already a certified nurse aide and I get to care for patients up close on a personal level. And as a nurse I can still be personal and provide care to help the patient actually get better. A time I was proud of myself that will be representative of my ability as a nurse was when I was just starting my second job as a CNA. My client had several mental and physical disabilities. I was nervous to care for her because I am so young. But once I started working with her I realized how my fears were silly, and that I know my stuff and I am capable of caring for this client. By my second week working my client I were attached at the hip, she loved me! And I loved her. My client's mother shared with me that I had a huge impact on my client. I was able to get her walking almost every day and not just watch T.V. and she liked it. Something that her mother said was very difficult to do. I assisted different therapists that came to the house to work with her as well. Because of the amount of time I spent with her I was able to help the different therapists know when she was being overwhelmed or done with them since she was non verbal. Being a CNA is not the same as being a nurse at all but I feel that my experience with my client truly represents my ability as a Nurse in the future.I know that nursing school is going to be hard and that I will go through many hardships, but I know the rewards will be worth it for sure. I touched that little girl's life as a CNA, I know I can do so much more as a nurse. I will be caring and compassionate and work my hardest to care for my patients. I tend to underestimate myself but I am learning to be better and I think as a nurse I will have full confidence to take charge and care of my patients.

My role model is probably no surprise to anyone who knows me. It is my older sister. My sister has been through some really hard things including losing our oldest sister to cancer. Our oldest sister wanted to become a nurse, and my sister achieved that goal and much more. My sister holds me accountable for my actions and also lifts me up and shows me love like no one else. When I was having trouble with a certain group of people last year my sister showed me how to make the best of the situation and how to move forward. She has helped shape me into who I am today by doing the small things, because they truly do add up. I really look up to my sister and I hope to be a nurse even half as good as her one day. She supports my desire to be a nurse and helps me learn what I need to know to achieve my dreams. Not only does she support my dreams of becoming a nurse, but also of becoming a mother and having a family. Of course she advises me not to rush it but I know that no matter what she will help me pursue what I want in the future. A lot of girls suffer with negative self image, and I am not immune to that. But my loving sister has helped me realize that beauty does not come from the outside, but from the outside. As cheesy as that sounds I know it is true. She reminds me to love like Jesus loves even when it is hard. That has been one of the bigger ways she has helped shape me into who I am. Because my faith is a big part of my identity and without her helping me to remember to give grace to others I wouldn't be the Shaylee that everyone knows. My role model doesn't just tell me what I want to hear, she tells me what I need to hear. Whenever I am struggling with anything I know that my sister is just a phone call or a text away and I am lucky that I get to be so close to my role model. Some people may look up to rock stars or people from history. I look up to someone who is making history and is personally touching my life in a way no one else can. I think true role model are open about their failures and not just their triumphs. My sister doesn't allow me to think that she is super woman or that she is immune to breaking down and having a good cry. And because she is so vulnerable and open with me I also try to be. She helps me be a better person each and every day. Not only has my sister helped me pursue my dreams, she also has helped me become the person that I am today. I hope one day I can be a role model for someone in the same way my sister has been one for me.

Being a female in a male dominated sport is not only hard, but also bold. I stood in front of the net to guard our "house" on my high school's varsity boys hockey team as a female goalie. I took shots from boys that outweigh me at speeds comparable to 40-80 MPH. Being bold means stepping out of your comfort zone, and I did that every time I stepped in front of the net. It is a thrill comparable to non other to me.