Childhood should be easy. Unfortunately, as a child of an alcoholic mother who had a comorbidity of bipolar type 1, my childhood was unjustly difficult. I was parentified as a young child due to my mothers mental diagnoses. It was left to me to caretake for my younger sibling, as well as my mother through her episodes. There was no other way and despite the loss of my infant brother and bouncing around from my grandparents home to my mothers and my fathers, I have yet to discount my own dream of working in the medical field. Although I didn’t form many friendships due to the instability in my childhood home, I did find love for medicine and love in raising my son, whom I had as a teenage mother whilst graduating early from high school. I attended undergraduate school for two years until my path drew me towards following my husbands dreams and I am now ready to begin my journey. I have never given up on my passion. I will never let go of my goal of becoming a renowned Neuropsychologist and the first step towards that is me obtaining my certificate as a Licensed Practical Nurse. Through nursing, I will be able to cater to the emotions and needs of patients as well as their families. I was a patient’s family at the ripe age of 8. I still can remember the smell of alcohol sanitation inside of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Memorial Hermann-Houston. I intently observed as the ECMO turned and the intubation kept my brothers 9 pound body alive and that is when I fell in love. I fell in love with the nurses, the surgeons, the medicine, the research, the doctors and I especially fell in love with the psychiatrist who would take me to go play and to tour the life-flight pad. Things such as trauma at a young age can truly shape who someone will become in the future and I believe that my experiences have aided in my long term goal of being a proprietor of medicine. I refuse to bow down until I am practicing medicine. Becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse is a small step, but it is the beginning to my future in a field that I have unyielding passion in. I will not stop until I am curing diseases such as Diaphragmatic Hernia, Bipolar disorder and Schizophrenia. I will not quit until others have a better understanding of what ADHD is and how it chemically affects our neurochemistry. There has to be a better way for people whom were raised under such intense mental and emotional conditions as I was raised in. I know it and I believe I am here to find a cause, and more importantly, a cure for these conditions so that another child or mother or family member will be able to overcome situations similar to mine with an easier route in place. Every child deserves a future free of what harms them internally. I deserve to be given a chance to aid those who were affected just as I was. Emotional and physical trauma is trauma. No one deserves it, and unfortunately some of our parents were victims themselves. We all deserve a chance and I deserve one to aid those who need compassion and support. I will be a proprietor and will help make the world a better place for children of addicts just as I once was.

Childhood should be easy. Unfortunately, as a child of an alcoholic mother who had a comorbidity of bipolar type 1, my childhood was unjustly difficult. I was parentified as a young child due to my mothers mental diagnoses. It was left to me to caretake for my younger sibling, as well as my mother through her episodes. There was no other way and despite the loss of my infant brother and bouncing around from my grandparents home to my mothers and my fathers, I have yet to discount my own dream of working in the medical field. Although I didn’t form many friendships due to the instability in my childhood home, I did find love for medicine and love in raising my son, whom I had as a teenage mother whilst graduating early from high school. I attended undergraduate school for two years until my path drew me towards following my husbands dreams and I am now ready to begin my journey. I have never given up on my passion. I will never let go of my goal of becoming a renowned Neuropsychologist and the first step towards that is me obtaining my certificate as a Licensed Practical Nurse. Through nursing, I will be able to cater to the emotions and needs of patients as well as their families. I was a patient’s family at the ripe age of 8. I still can remember the smell of alcohol sanitation inside of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Memorial Hermann-Houston. I intently observed as the ECMO turned and the intubation kept my brothers 9 pound body alive and that is when I fell in love. I fell in love with the nurses, the surgeons, the medicine, the research, the doctors and I especially fell in love with the psychiatrist who would take me to go play and to tour the life-flight pad. Things such as trauma at a young age can truly shape who someone will become in the future and I believe that my experiences have aided in my long term goal of being a proprietor of medicine. I refuse to bow down until I am practicing medicine. Becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse is a small step, but it is the beginning to my future in a field that I have unyielding passion in. I will not stop until I am curing diseases such as Diaphragmatic Hernia, Bipolar disorder and Schizophrenia. I will not quit until others have a better understanding of what ADHD is and how it chemically affects our neurochemistry. There has to be a better way for people whom were raised under such intense mental and emotional conditions as I was raised in. I know it and I believe I am here to find a cause, and more importantly, a cure for these conditions so that another child or mother or family member will be able to overcome situations similar to mine with an easier route in place. Every child deserves a future free of what harms them internally. I deserve to be given a chance to aid those who were affected just as I was. Emotional and physical trauma is trauma. No one deserves it, and unfortunately some of our parents were victims themselves. We all deserve a chance and I deserve one to aid those who need compassion and support. I will be a proprietor and will help make the world a better place for children of addicts just as I once was.

Childhood should be easy. Unfortunately, as a child of an alcoholic mother who had a comorbidity of bipolar type 1, my childhood was unjustly difficult. I was parentified as a young child due to my mothers mental diagnoses. It was left to me to caretake for my younger sibling, as well as my mother through her episodes. There was no other way and despite the loss of my infant brother and bouncing around from my grandparents home to my mothers and my fathers, I have yet to discount my own dream of working in the medical field. Although I didn’t form many friendships due to the instability in my childhood home, I did find love for medicine and love in raising my son, whom I had as a teenage mother whilst graduating early from high school. I attended undergraduate school for two years until my path drew me towards following my husbands dreams and I am now ready to begin my journey. I have never given up on my passion. I will never let go of my goal of becoming a renowned Neuropsychologist and the first step towards that is me obtaining my certificate as a Licensed Practical Nurse. Through nursing, I will be able to cater to the emotions and needs of patients as well as their families. I was a patient’s family at the ripe age of 8. I still can remember the smell of alcohol sanitation inside of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Memorial Hermann-Houston. I intently observed as the ECMO turned and the intubation kept my brothers 9 pound body alive and that is when I fell in love. I fell in love with the nurses, the surgeons, the medicine, the research, the doctors and I especially fell in love with the psychiatrist who would take me to go play and to tour the life-flight pad. Things such as trauma at a young age can truly shape who someone will become in the future and I believe that my experiences have aided in my long term goal of being a proprietor of medicine. I refuse to bow down until I am practicing medicine. Becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse is a small step, but it is the beginning to my future in a field that I have unyielding passion in. I will not stop until I am curing diseases such as Diaphragmatic Hernia, Bipolar disorder and Schizophrenia. I will not quit until others have a better understanding of what ADHD is and how it chemically affects our neurochemistry. There has to be a better way for people whom were raised under such intense mental and emotional conditions as I was raised in. I know it and I believe I am here to find a cause, and more importantly, a cure for these conditions so that another child or mother or family member will be able to overcome situations similar to mine with an easier route in place. Every child deserves a future free of what harms them internally. I deserve to be given a chance to aid those who were affected just as I was. Emotional and physical trauma is trauma. No one deserves it, and unfortunately some of our parents were victims themselves. We all deserve a chance and I deserve one to aid those who need compassion and support. I will be a proprietor and will help make the world a better place for children of addicts just as I once was.

Childhood should be easy. Unfortunately, as a child of an alcoholic mother who had a comorbidity of bipolar type 1, my childhood was unjustly difficult. I was parentified as a young child due to my mothers mental diagnoses. It was left to me to caretake for my younger sibling, as well as my mother through her episodes. There was no other way and despite the loss of my infant brother and bouncing around from my grandparents home to my mothers and my fathers, I have yet to discount my own dream of working in the medical field. Although I didn’t form many friendships due to the instability in my childhood home, I did find love for medicine and love in raising my son, whom I had as a teenage mother whilst graduating early from high school. I attended undergraduate school for two years until my path drew me towards following my husbands dreams and I am now ready to begin my journey. I have never given up on my passion. I will never let go of my goal of becoming a renowned Neuropsychologist and the first step towards that is me obtaining my certificate as a Licensed Practical Nurse. Through nursing, I will be able to cater to the emotions and needs of patients as well as their families. I was a patient’s family at the ripe age of 8. I still can remember the smell of alcohol sanitation inside of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Memorial Hermann-Houston. I intently observed as the ECMO turned and the intubation kept my brothers 9 pound body alive and that is when I fell in love. I fell in love with the nurses, the surgeons, the medicine, the research, the doctors and I especially fell in love with the psychiatrist who would take me to go play and to tour the life-flight pad. Things such as trauma at a young age can truly shape who someone will become in the future and I believe that my experiences have aided in my long term goal of being a proprietor of medicine. I refuse to bow down until I am practicing medicine. Becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse is a small step, but it is the beginning to my future in a field that I have unyielding passion in. I will not stop until I am curing diseases such as Diaphragmatic Hernia, Bipolar disorder and Schizophrenia. I will not quit until others have a better understanding of what ADHD is and how it chemically affects our neurochemistry. There has to be a better way for people whom were raised under such intense mental and emotional conditions as I was raised in. I know it and I believe I am here to find a cause, and more importantly, a cure for these conditions so that another child or mother or family member will be able to overcome situations similar to mine with an easier route in place. Every child deserves a future free of what harms them internally. I deserve to be given a chance to aid those who were affected just as I was. Emotional and physical trauma is trauma. No one deserves it, and unfortunately some of our parents were victims themselves. We all deserve a chance and I deserve one to aid those who need compassion and support. I will be a proprietor and will help make the world a better place for children of addicts just as I once was.

Childhood should be easy. Unfortunately, as a child of an alcoholic mother who had a comorbidity of bipolar type 1, my childhood was unjustly difficult. I was parentified as a young child due to my mothers mental diagnoses. It was left to me to caretake for my younger sibling, as well as my mother through her episodes. There was no other way and despite the loss of my infant brother and bouncing around from my grandparents home to my mothers and my fathers, I have yet to discount my own dream of working in the medical field. Although I didn’t form many friendships due to the instability in my childhood home, I did find love for medicine and love in raising my son, whom I had as a teenage mother whilst graduating early from high school. I attended undergraduate school for two years until my path drew me towards following my husbands dreams and I am now ready to begin my journey. I have never given up on my passion. I will never let go of my goal of becoming a renowned Neuropsychologist and the first step towards that is me obtaining my certificate as a Licensed Practical Nurse. Through nursing, I will be able to cater to the emotions and needs of patients as well as their families. I was a patient’s family at the ripe age of 8. I still can remember the smell of alcohol sanitation inside of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Memorial Hermann-Houston. I intently observed as the ECMO turned and the intubation kept my brothers 9 pound body alive and that is when I fell in love. I fell in love with the nurses, the surgeons, the medicine, the research, the doctors and I especially fell in love with the psychiatrist who would take me to go play and to tour the life-flight pad. Things such as trauma at a young age can truly shape who someone will become in the future and I believe that my experiences have aided in my long term goal of being a proprietor of medicine. I refuse to bow down until I am practicing medicine. Becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse is a small step, but it is the beginning to my future in a field that I have unyielding passion in. I will not stop until I am curing diseases such as Diaphragmatic Hernia, Bipolar disorder and Schizophrenia. I will not quit until others have a better understanding of what ADHD is and how it chemically affects our neurochemistry. There has to be a better way for people whom were raised under such intense mental and emotional conditions as I was raised in. I know it and I believe I am here to find a cause, and more importantly, a cure for these conditions so that another child or mother or family member will be able to overcome situations similar to mine with an easier route in place. Every child deserves a future free of what harms them internally. I deserve to be given a chance to aid those who were affected just as I was. Emotional and physical trauma is trauma. No one deserves it, and unfortunately some of our parents were victims themselves. We all deserve a chance and I deserve one to aid those who need compassion and support. I will be a proprietor and will help make the world a better place for children of addicts just as I once was.

Childhood should be easy. Unfortunately, as a child of an alcoholic mother who had a comorbidity of bipolar type 1, my childhood was unjustly difficult. I was parentified as a young child due to my mothers mental diagnoses. It was left to me to caretake for my younger sibling, as well as my mother through her episodes. There was no other way and despite the loss of my infant brother and bouncing around from my grandparents home to my mothers and my fathers, I have yet to discount my own dream of working in the medical field. Although I didn’t form many friendships due to the instability in my childhood home, I did find love for medicine and love in raising my son, whom I had as a teenage mother whilst graduating early from high school. I attended undergraduate school for two years until my path drew me towards following my husbands dreams and I am now ready to begin my journey. I have never given up on my passion. I will never let go of my goal of becoming a renowned Neuropsychologist and the first step towards that is me obtaining my certificate as a Licensed Practical Nurse. Through nursing, I will be able to cater to the emotions and needs of patients as well as their families. I was a patient’s family at the ripe age of 8. I still can remember the smell of alcohol sanitation inside of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Memorial Hermann-Houston. I intently observed as the ECMO turned and the intubation kept my brothers 9 pound body alive and that is when I fell in love. I fell in love with the nurses, the surgeons, the medicine, the research, the doctors and I especially fell in love with the psychiatrist who would take me to go play and to tour the life-flight pad. Things such as trauma at a young age can truly shape who someone will become in the future and I believe that my experiences have aided in my long term goal of being a proprietor of medicine. I refuse to bow down until I am practicing medicine. Becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse is a small step, but it is the beginning to my future in a field that I have unyielding passion in. I will not stop until I am curing diseases such as Diaphragmatic Hernia, Bipolar disorder and Schizophrenia. I will not quit until others have a better understanding of what ADHD is and how it chemically affects our neurochemistry. There has to be a better way for people whom were raised under such intense mental and emotional conditions as I was raised in. I know it and I believe I am here to find a cause, and more importantly, a cure for these conditions so that another child or mother or family member will be able to overcome situations similar to mine with an easier route in place. Every child deserves a future free of what harms them internally. I deserve to be given a chance to aid those who were affected just as I was. Emotional and physical trauma is trauma. No one deserves it, and unfortunately some of our parents were victims themselves. We all deserve a chance and I deserve one to aid those who need compassion and support. I will be a proprietor and will help make the world a better place for children of addicts just as I once was.

Childhood should be easy. Unfortunately, as a child of an alcoholic mother who had a comorbidity of bipolar type 1, my childhood was unjustly difficult. I was parentified as a young child due to my mothers mental diagnoses. It was left to me to caretake for my younger sibling, as well as my mother through her episodes. There was no other way and despite the loss of my infant brother and bouncing around from my grandparents home to my mothers and my fathers, I have yet to discount my own dream of working in the medical field. Although I didn’t form many friendships due to the instability in my childhood home, I did find love for medicine and love in raising my son, whom I had as a teenage mother whilst graduating early from high school. I attended undergraduate school for two years until my path drew me towards following my husbands dreams and I am now ready to begin my journey. I have never given up on my passion. I will never let go of my goal of becoming a renowned Neuropsychologist and the first step towards that is me obtaining my certificate as a Licensed Practical Nurse. Through nursing, I will be able to cater to the emotions and needs of patients as well as their families. I was a patient’s family at the ripe age of 8. I still can remember the smell of alcohol sanitation inside of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Memorial Hermann-Houston. I intently observed as the ECMO turned and the intubation kept my brothers 9 pound body alive and that is when I fell in love. I fell in love with the nurses, the surgeons, the medicine, the research, the doctors and I especially fell in love with the psychiatrist who would take me to go play and to tour the life-flight pad. Things such as trauma at a young age can truly shape who someone will become in the future and I believe that my experiences have aided in my long term goal of being a proprietor of medicine. I refuse to bow down until I am practicing medicine. Becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse is a small step, but it is the beginning to my future in a field that I have unyielding passion in. I will not stop until I am curing diseases such as Diaphragmatic Hernia, Bipolar disorder and Schizophrenia. I will not quit until others have a better understanding of what ADHD is and how it chemically affects our neurochemistry. There has to be a better way for people whom were raised under such intense mental and emotional conditions as I was raised in. I know it and I believe I am here to find a cause, and more importantly, a cure for these conditions so that another child or mother or family member will be able to overcome situations similar to mine with an easier route in place. Every child deserves a future free of what harms them internally. I deserve to be given a chance to aid those who were affected just as I was. Emotional and physical trauma is trauma. No one deserves it, and unfortunately some of our parents were victims themselves. We all deserve a chance and I deserve one to aid those who need compassion and support. I will be a proprietor and will help make the world a better place for children of addicts just as I once was.

Childhood should be easy. Unfortunately, as a child of an alcoholic mother who had a comorbidity of bipolar type 1, my childhood was unjustly difficult. I was parentified as a young child due to my mothers mental diagnoses. It was left to me to caretake for my younger sibling, as well as my mother through her episodes. There was no other way and despite the loss of my infant brother and bouncing around from my grandparents home to my mothers and my fathers, I have yet to discount my own dream of working in the medical field. Although I didn’t form many friendships due to the instability in my childhood home, I did find love for medicine and love in raising my son, whom I had as a teenage mother whilst graduating early from high school. I attended undergraduate school for two years until my path drew me towards following my husbands dreams and I am now ready to begin my journey. I have never given up on my passion. I will never let go of my goal of becoming a renowned Neuropsychologist and the first step towards that is me obtaining my certificate as a Licensed Practical Nurse. Through nursing, I will be able to cater to the emotions and needs of patients as well as their families. I was a patient’s family at the ripe age of 8. I still can remember the smell of alcohol sanitation inside of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Memorial Hermann-Houston. I intently observed as the ECMO turned and the intubation kept my brothers 9 pound body alive and that is when I fell in love. I fell in love with the nurses, the surgeons, the medicine, the research, the doctors and I especially fell in love with the psychiatrist who would take me to go play and to tour the life-flight pad. Things such as trauma at a young age can truly shape who someone will become in the future and I believe that my experiences have aided in my long term goal of being a proprietor of medicine. I refuse to bow down until I am practicing medicine. Becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse is a small step, but it is the beginning to my future in a field that I have unyielding passion in. I will not stop until I am curing diseases such as Diaphragmatic Hernia, Bipolar disorder and Schizophrenia. I will not quit until others have a better understanding of what ADHD is and how it chemically affects our neurochemistry. There has to be a better way for people whom were raised under such intense mental and emotional conditions as I was raised in. I know it and I believe I am here to find a cause, and more importantly, a cure for these conditions so that another child or mother or family member will be able to overcome situations similar to mine with an easier route in place. Every child deserves a future free of what harms them internally. I deserve to be given a chance to aid those who were affected just as I was. Emotional and physical trauma is trauma. No one deserves it, and unfortunately some of our parents were victims themselves. We all deserve a chance and I deserve one to aid those who need compassion and support. I will be a proprietor and will help make the world a better place for children of addicts just as I once was.

Childhood should be easy. Unfortunately, as a child of an alcoholic mother who had a comorbidity of bipolar type 1, my childhood was unjustly difficult. I was parentified as a young child due to my mothers mental diagnoses. It was left to me to caretake for my younger sibling, as well as my mother through her episodes. There was no other way and despite the loss of my infant brother and bouncing around from my grandparents home to my mothers and my fathers, I have yet to discount my own dream of working in the medical field. Although I didn’t form many friendships due to the instability in my childhood home, I did find love for medicine and love in raising my son, whom I had as a teenage mother whilst graduating early from high school. I attended undergraduate school for two years until my path drew me towards following my husbands dreams and I am now ready to begin my journey. I have never given up on my passion. I will never let go of my goal of becoming a renowned Neuropsychologist and the first step towards that is me obtaining my certificate as a Licensed Practical Nurse. Through nursing, I will be able to cater to the emotions and needs of patients as well as their families. I was a patient’s family at the ripe age of 8. I still can remember the smell of alcohol sanitation inside of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Memorial Hermann-Houston. I intently observed as the ECMO turned and the intubation kept my brothers 9 pound body alive and that is when I fell in love. I fell in love with the nurses, the surgeons, the medicine, the research, the doctors and I especially fell in love with the psychiatrist who would take me to go play and to tour the life-flight pad. Things such as trauma at a young age can truly shape who someone will become in the future and I believe that my experiences have aided in my long term goal of being a proprietor of medicine. I refuse to bow down until I am practicing medicine. Becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse is a small step, but it is the beginning to my future in a field that I have unyielding passion in. I will not stop until I am curing diseases such as Diaphragmatic Hernia, Bipolar disorder and Schizophrenia. I will not quit until others have a better understanding of what ADHD is and how it chemically affects our neurochemistry. There has to be a better way for people whom were raised under such intense mental and emotional conditions as I was raised in. I know it and I believe I am here to find a cause, and more importantly, a cure for these conditions so that another child or mother or family member will be able to overcome situations similar to mine with an easier route in place. Every child deserves a future free of what harms them internally. I deserve to be given a chance to aid those who were affected just as I was. Emotional and physical trauma is trauma. No one deserves it, and unfortunately some of our parents were victims themselves. We all deserve a chance and I deserve one to aid those who need compassion and support. I will be a proprietor and will help make the world a better place for children of addicts just as I once was.

Many women overtime have put their aspirations on hold in order to better the lives of others; I am of no exception to that rule. At the age of 8 I tragically lost my brother to diaphragmatic hernia which was virtually undetectable in 2002. My passion for the field began as I watched the ECMO churn in the NICU where my brother lived out his three week lifespan. I devoutly watched the nurses, surgeons, doctors, and therapists cater to the needs of my brother as well as other patients. I have been in the shoes of the patients families uniquely and I possess a unique ability to understand how these traumas affect the lives of all who are involved. I desire to be there for these individuals and to be a supportive and memorable person through any medical trials or tribulations. Not only do I have personal experience to the medical field; As a high school student I faced the obstacle of becoming a pregnant mother. I took multiple health science courses throughout my high school education and I have always known my path to become a health science professional. I attended a junior college for two years in attempts to obtain my Life Sciences AS degree as a single mother when life took a different path again. I now am a mother of two lovely boys and am currently enrolled as a student at a technical college for the Practical Nursing program. I am proud to say that I, Shelby Hughey, am taking the first step to my goal of becoming a Nurse Practitioner. I want to change medicine forever. I have a home, children and a wonderful husband and deep in my soul I know I will not be content if I do not follow my passion which lies in the medical field. I have a desire to help others. I am unyielding in my pursuit of happiness and I will not bow out nor fail until I am wearing scrubs, writing patient summaries, and being an advocate for patients who are in need just as my brother was so long ago.

Many women overtime have put their aspirations on hold in order to better the lives of others; I am of no exception to that rule. At the age of 8 I tragically lost my brother to diaphragmatic hernia which was virtually undetectable in 2002. My passion for the field began as I watched the ECMO churn in the NICU where my brother lived out his three week lifespan. I devoutly watched the nurses, surgeons, doctors, and therapists cater to the needs of my brother as well as other patients. I have been in the shoes of the patients families uniquely and I posses a unique ability to understand how these traumas affect the lives of all who are involved. I desire to be there for these individuals and to be a supportive and memorable person through any medical trials or tribulations. Not only do I have personal experience to the medical field; As a high school student I faced the obstacle of becoming a pregnant mother. I took multiple health science courses throughout my high school education and I have always known my path to become a health science professional. I attended a junior college for two years in attempts to obtain my Life Sciences AS degree as a single mother when life took a different path again. I now am a mother of two lovely boys and am currently enrolled as a student at a technical college for the Practical Nursing program. I am proud to say that I, Shelby Hughey, am taking the first step to my goal of becoming a Nurse Practitioner. I want to change medicine forever. I have a home, children and a wonderful husband and deep in my soul I know I will not be content if I do not follow my passion which lies in the medical field. I have a desire to help others. I am unyielding in my pursuit of happiness and I will not bow out nor fail until I am wearing scrubs, writing patient summaries, and being an advocate for patients who are in need just as my brother was so long ago.

Many women overtime have put their aspirations on hold in order to better the lives of others; I am of no exception to that rule. At the age of 8 I tragically lost my brother to diaphragmatic hernia which was virtually undetectable in 2002. My passion for the field began as I watched the ECMO churn in the NICU where my brother lived out his three week lifespan. I devoutly watched the nurses, surgeons, doctors, and therapists cater to the needs of my brother as well as other patients. I have been in the shoes of the patients families uniquely and I posses a unique ability to understand how these traumas affect the lives of all who are involved. I desire to be there for these individuals and to be a supportive and memorable person through any medical trials or tribulations. Not only do I have personal reasons for my desire to be the medical field but I cannot continue to veer from medicine. As a high school student I faced the obstacle of becoming a pregnant mother. I never looked away from my goal no matter how far out of reach it seemed in the moment. I took multiple health science courses; some of which being medical terminology, health science I, and advanced science courses. Throughout my high school education even while pregnant I have always continued to forge my path to become a health science professional. My idea of fun was to read books on anatomy and neurology. I also researched into clinical psychology as well in my free time. Down the line I did attend a junior college for two years in attempts to obtain my Life Sciences AS degree as a single mother when life took a different path again. I now am a mother of two lovely boys and am currently enrolled as a student at a technical college for the Practical Nursing program. I am proud to say that I, Shelby Hughey, am taking the first step to my goal of becoming a Nurse Practitioner. What may be a job to most, is the only way for me. I want to change medicine forever. I have a home, children and a wonderful husband. I am blessed beyond measure. Yet, deep in my soul I know I will not be content if I do not follow my passion. Medicine is the thing that keeps pulling me in and beyond that is the desire to help others. I am unyielding in my pursuit of happiness and I will not bow out nor will I fail because, until I am wearing scrubs, writing patient summaries, and being an advocate for patients who are in need just as my brother was so long ago, I will not back down.