I came from a family who believed in pro-choice/pro-abortion. My mom told me a story of her mom forcing her to get an abortion when she was in her teenage years. Growing up, my mom was in an abusive relationship with her then boyfriend who didn't want children. When she got pregnant, he stated he didn't want the baby, so she had an abortion. This happened more than once. When she decided she wasn't going to have an abortion and had my brother Levi, he left her and never came back. Even though my mom had multiple abortions, she told me that she never wanted me to get an abortion. And that if I got pregnant she would help me through it. That spoke volumes to me. In my early 20's, I'm ashamed to say that I was pro-choice. Although, I felt like I would never make that decision for myself. I felt like I couldn't force my opinion on other people. In my late 20's, I discovered a few youtubers that were pro-life. Kristen Hawkins and Lila Rose were the main ones I watched along with abortionists who had turned pro-life. They turned my world upside down. The last straw that was holding me onto pro-choice was the rape argument which Mrs. Hawkins helped me turn away from. I would not say that I am an activist, but conversations get brought up especially with Rov v. Wade being overturned. Some of my friends and classmates get started in on the debate, and feel that I can share some of the ugly facts about abortion. I really like what Kirsten Hawkins view on trying to change people's minds. She's says that if she can even get them to doubt what they believe, then that is good. I truly believe this. Young people especially escalate to anger so quickly. When I talk to people that are pro-abortion, I talk to them from a stand point of love and I start out with the fact that I wasn't always pro-life. When I graduate from nursing school, I would like to be more involved in helping women through their pregnancies and motherhood journey. After I had my son, I remember a nurse coming to my house to check on me and my baby. It was so nice to have someone come out that I could ask questions about how he was doing and breast feeding. There were other people that encouraged our family to get set up with WIC which helped our family tremendously. I want to be able to be that person that puts their mind at ease and can focus on the beauty of being a mother and father and the gift of life.

I am a 34 year old single mom of a wonderful 4 year old little boy. I am currently in my fourth and final semester in nursing school! My son and I volunteer at a place called the Dream Center where we help our local community by taking blood pressure, pulse, and weight, and Link sits beside me eating snacks and playing with toys. I enjoy helping others and I love being around all the other volunteers as well. It gives me hope that our group can make a difference in our community. As a nursing student, I get to connect with the people about their health. High blood pressure is a trend among most and most of the time they say they forgot to take their medication. So I gently remind them how important it is to maintain their medications with humor. I love seeing people light up with a smile from my attempt at making jokes. The Dream Center is a has a food pantry, a clothing closet, and free hair cuts. As nursing students we also bring in a demonstration meal to encourage healthier meal plan ideas. Some people say that being a nurse is a calling, and I’m a believer of this saying. I’ve worked many different jobs, but I always had this feeling that I wasn’t doing what I was put on this Earth to do. In my semesters as a nursing student and volunteering with the Dream Center, I know this is where I belong. Being kind to someone and being there to help someone when they might not being doing fills me with joy and purpose. When I graduate, I am excited to pay it forward in the role of a nurse. To help people at their most vulnerable is a gift, and I am truly honored to be in this position.

My name is Stephanie Hood, and I am a 34 year old single mom of one special little 4 year old! I am currently in nursing school at South Plains College in Levelland, Texas. My activities revolve around Link, studying, and working. I love teaching him new things like riding his bike and how and why our plants grow in the garden. We love going to the library, watching movies, and swimming. Some people say that being a nurse is a calling, and I’m a believer of this saying. I’ve worked many different jobs, but I always had this feeling that I wasn’t doing what I was put on this Earth to do. I had a few close friends that were nurses, and I would always ask them for stories and how they were able to help people. Because I can be indecisive, I got a job as a sterilization tech at a small clinic to get a better idea of all the roles of a nurse. It was a great job, and I looked up to the nurses! I was pregnant with my son when a local college was offering free summer classes, so I decided to start taking the prerequisites for nursing. As I continued taking classes, microbiology was a real turning point that I knew I was going in the right direction because I enjoyed learning about different diseases and cell biology. Going into my 4th and final semester of nursing school, I am so excited to become a nurse! I see all of my hard work paying off, and it’s a huge motivator for me to pushing myself to do better each day. I think it’s good for my son to watch me go through school as well! He sees me prioritizing studying, managing time, and budgeting. I even take him with me to a place called the Dream center where I help our local community by taking blood pressure, pulse, and weight. I usually try to work one night a week as a waitress at Bubba’s 33. My managers are incredible and I have enjoyed the job! My 3 year old son Link and I live with my family right now, and I am tremendously grateful for all their support. They assist me with some financial needs along with helping guide me with parenting and emotional support. I will be the first generation of my family to become a nurse, and that truly excites me! My goals after graduating the ADN program at South Plains College is to continue to Texas Tech to pursue a BSN. I would like to start out in the emergency department at UMC or Covenant Hospital. I also have an interest in the pediatric department either in med surg or ICU. After I get experience as an RN on the floor, I would like to one day go back to school and get my MSN and either teach or be a nurse practitioner. Some strengths that I think will make me a good nurse are that I am detail oriented, resourceful, compassionate, and that I have a good work ethic. Other strengths I possess are being adaptable, a team player, and a good problem solver. I am forever grateful for those who are helping me on my journey to become a RN. When I graduate, I am excited to pay it forward in the role of a nurse. To help people at their most vulnerable is a gift, and I am truly honored to be in this position.

My name is Stephanie Hood, and I am a 34 year old single mom of one special little 4 year old! I am currently in nursing school at South Plains College in Levelland, Texas. My activities revolve around Link, studying, and working. I love teaching him new things like riding his bike and how and why our plants grow in the garden. We love going to the library, watching movies, and swimming. Some people say that being a nurse is a calling, and I’m a believer of this saying. I’ve worked many different jobs, but I always had this feeling that I wasn’t doing what I was put on this Earth to do. I had a few close friends that were nurses, and I would always ask them for stories and how they were able to help people. Because I can be indecisive, I got a job as a sterilization tech at a small clinic to get a better idea of all the roles of a nurse. It was a great job, and I looked up to the nurses! I was pregnant with my son when a local college was offering free summer classes, so I decided to start taking the prerequisites for nursing. As I continued taking classes, microbiology was a real turning point that I knew I was going in the right direction because I enjoyed learning about different diseases and cell biology. Going into my 4th and final semester of nursing school, I am so excited to become a nurse! I see all of my hard work paying off, and it’s a huge motivator for me to pushing myself to do better each day. I think it’s good for my son to watch me go through school as well! He sees me prioritizing studying, managing time, and budgeting. I even take him with me to a place called the Dreamcenter where I help our local community by taking blood pressure, pulse, and weight on Saturday mornings. I usually try to work one night a week as a waitress at Bubba’s 33. Being in nursing school is very demanding and most of my advisers do not reccommend working. This scholarship would help with financial needs so I can focus of finishing nursing school. My 3 year old son Link and I live with my family right now, and I am tremendously grateful for all their support. They assist me with some financial needs along with helping guide me with parenting and emotional support. Some strengths that I think will make me a good nurse are that I am detail oriented, resourceful, compassionate, and that I have a good work ethic. Other strengths I possess are being adaptable, a team player, and a good problem solver. I am forever grateful for those who are helping me on my journey to become a RN. When I graduate, I am excited to pay it forward in the role of a nurse. I plan on joining the American Red Cross to help with natural disasters with this new skill set. To help people at their most vulnerable is a gift, and I am truly honored to be in this position.

Some people say that being a nurse is a calling, and I’m a believer of this saying. I’ve worked many different jobs, but I always had this feeling that I wasn’t doing what I was put on this Earth to do. I had a few close friends that were nurses, and I would always ask them for stories and how they were able to help people. Because I can be indecisive, I got a job as a sterilization tech at a small clinic to get a better idea of all the roles of a nurse. It was a great job, and I looked up to the nurses! I was pregnant with my son when a local college was offering free summer classes, so I decided to start taking the prerequisites for nursing. As I continued taking classes, microbiology was a real turning point that I knew I was going in the right direction because I enjoyed learning about different diseases and cell biology. Going into my 4th and final semester of nursing school, I am so excited to become a nurse! I see all of my hard work paying off, and it’s a huge motivator for me to pushing myself to do better each day. I think it’s good for my son to watch me go through school as well! He sees me prioritizing studying, managing time, and budgeting. I even take him with me to a place called the Dreamcenter where I help our local community by taking blood pressure, pulse, and weight. I usually try to work one night a week as a waitress at Bubba’s 33. My managers are incredible! They lead by example how to give exceptional customer service while supporting their employees. I’ve been working with them for about 3 years now, and they have worked with my school schedule every step of the way. My activities revolve around Link, studying, and working. I love teaching him new things like riding his bike and how and why our plants grow in the garden. We love going to the library, watching movies, and swimming. My 3 year old son Link and I live with my family right now, and I am tremendously grateful for all their support. They assist me with some financial needs along with helping guide me with parenting and emotional support. I will be the first generation of my family to become a nurse, and that truly excites me! My goals after graduating the ADN program at South Plains College is to continue to Texas Tech to pursue a BSN. I would like to start out in the emergency department at UMC or Covenant Hospital. I also have an interest in the pediatric department either in med surg or ICU. After I get experience as an RN on the floor, I would like to one day go back to school and get my MSN and either teach or be a nurse practitioner. Some strengths that I think will make me a good nurse are that I am detail oriented, resourceful, compassionate, and that I have a good work ethic. Other strengths I possess are being adaptable, a team player, and a good problem solver. I am forever grateful for those who are helping me on my journey to become a RN. When I graduate, I am excited to pay it forward in the role of a nurse. To help people at their most vulnerable is a gift, and I am truly honored to be in this position. I found this scholarship on bold.org

I have an insatiable need for learning new things! I have decided on a nursing career to quench this need because this field is constantly changing and making new discoveries. I love learning about the body and diseases. I am going into my 4th semester and I feel like my eyes have been uncovered after many years of living in ignorance. It amazes me how quickly life can take a turn after a bad health incident, and it has changed my perspective on life. I love helping others and trying to make their day brighter. I am curious about how others experience life and where they have travelled. Also having a kiddo has forced me to learn, grow, and develop patients! Being a first time mom is scary, and the learning curve is steep. I wouldn't trade it for the world though! I think a couple things I've learned about parenting is consistency and routines is what we all thrive on. And naps! I've also learned that redirection is a helpful tool as well as snacks. It's exciting to be able to teach my son new things especially riding his bicycle. I love mountain biking and dirt biking and I'm excited to get him outside and enjoy the trails with me! I love learning and trying to solve simple problems with my car or motorcycles like bleeding the brakes, doing oil changes, air filters, transmission fluid, headlights, and wiper blades. I go to youtube university if I get stuck, and nine times out of ten there is a video about something that I need help with. I love the feeling of accomplishment of fixing something yourself! I also have also taken the test to obtain my ham radio license also known as amateur radio. I love the unique group of individuals that participate in this activity. I find it so fascinating that with a battery, antenna, and transceiver people can communicate using radio waves when all other forms of communication systems have gone down. I love the science behind it and being able to help in cases of a natural disaster to help others find their loved ones is such a noble act. I want to continue learning and making a positive difference in the world. I am excited to graduate nursing in December 2025 to use my new set of skills and to pair them with the ones that I already have!

Some people say that being a nurse is a calling, and I’m a believer of this saying. I’ve worked many different jobs, but I always had this feeling that I wasn’t doing what I was put on this Earth to do. I had a few close friends that were nurses, and I would always ask them for stories and how they were able to help people. Because I can be indecisive, I got a job as a sterilization tech at a small clinic to get a better idea of all the roles of a nurse. It was a great job, and I looked up to the nurses! I was pregnant with my son when a local college was offering free summer classes, so I decided to start taking the prerequisites for nursing. As I continued taking classes, microbiology was a real turning point that I knew I was going in the right direction because I enjoyed learning about different diseases and cell biology. Going into my 4th and final semester of nursing school, I am so excited to become a nurse! I see all of my hard work paying off, and it’s a huge motivator for me to pushing myself to do better each day. I think it’s good for my son to watch me go through school as well! He sees me prioritizing studying, managing time, and budgeting. I even take him with me to a place called the Dreamcenter where I help our local community by taking blood pressure, pulse, and weight on Saturday mornings. I usually try to work one night a week as a waitress at Bubba’s 33. My managers are incredible! They lead by example how to give exceptional customer service while supporting their employees. I’ve been working with them for about 3 years now, and they have worked with my school schedule every step of the way. My activities revolve around Link, studying, and working. I love teaching him new things like riding his bike and how and why our plants grow in the garden. We love going to the library, watching movies, and swimming. My 3 year old son Link and I live with my family right now, and I am tremendously grateful for all their support. They assist me with some financial needs along with helping guide me with parenting and emotional support. I will be the first generation of my family to become a nurse, and that truly excites me! My goals after graduating the ADN program at South Plains College is to continue to Texas Tech to pursue a BSN. I would like to start out in the emergency department at UMC or Covenant Hospital. I also have an interest in the pediatric department either in med surg or ICU. After I get experience as an RN on the floor, I would like to one day go back to school and get my MSN and either teach or be a nurse practitioner. Some strengths that I think will make me a good nurse are that I am detail oriented, resourceful, compassionate, and that I have a good work ethic. Other strengths I possess are being adaptable, a team player, and a good problem solver. I am forever grateful for those who are helping me on my journey to become a RN. When I graduate, I am excited to pay it forward in the role of a nurse. To help people at their most vulnerable is a gift, and I am truly honored to be in this position.

Some people say that being a nurse is a calling, and I’m a believer of this saying. I’ve worked many different jobs, but I always had this feeling that I wasn’t doing what I was put on this Earth to do. I had a few close friends that were nurses, and I would always ask them for stories and how they were able to help people. Because I can be indecisive, I got a job as a sterilization tech at a small clinic to get a better idea of all the roles of a nurse. It was a great job, and I looked up to the nurses! I was pregnant with my son when a local college was offering free summer classes, so I decided to start taking the prerequisites for nursing. As I continued taking classes, microbiology was a real turning point that I knew I was going in the right direction because I enjoyed learning about different diseases and cell biology. Going into my 4th and final semester of nursing school, I am so excited to become a nurse! I see all of my hard work paying off, and it’s a huge motivator for me to pushing myself to do better each day. I think it’s good for my son to watch me go through school as well! He sees me prioritizing studying, managing time, and budgeting. I even take him with me to a place called the Dreamcenter where I help our local community by taking blood pressure, pulse, and weight. I usually try to work one night a week as a waitress at Bubba’s 33. My managers are incredible! They lead by example how to give exceptional customer service while supporting their employees. I’ve been working with them for about 3 years now, and they have worked with my school schedule every step of the way. My activities revolve around Link, studying, and working. I love teaching him new things like riding his bike and how and why our plants grow in the garden. We love going to the library, watching movies, and swimming. My 3 year old son Link and I live with my family right now, and I am tremendously grateful for all their support. They assist me with some financial needs along with helping guide me with parenting and emotional support. I will be the first generation of my family to become a nurse, and that truly excites me! My goals after graduating the ADN program at South Plains College is to continue to Texas Tech to pursue a BSN. I would like to start out in the emergency department at UMC or Covenant Hospital. I also have an interest in the pediatric department either in med surg or ICU. After I get experience as an RN on the floor, I would like to one day go back to school and get my MSN and either teach or be a nurse practitioner. Some strengths that I think will make me a good nurse are that I am detail oriented, resourceful, compassionate, and that I have a good work ethic. Other strengths I possess are being adaptable, a team player, and a good problem solver. I am forever grateful for those who are helping me on my journey to become a RN. When I graduate, I am excited to pay it forward in the role of a nurse. To help people at their most vulnerable is a gift, and I am truly honored to be in this position.