Growing up on the east side of Chicago, I've witnessed extreme conflict within my community. From killings, robberies, and drug dealers, to "suspicious black men being the main target of police officers. More than half of my peers in my neighborhood, caught on to the environment around them, resulting in them being a part of a complicated cycle. Being around such hostility, changed my viewpoint completely, regarding wanting better for myself and my family. Additionally, my reason for pursuing higher education is that my family and I suffered from financial instability. My mom was a single parent raising two girls, so making sure we were fed and clothed properly was her only concern. Growing up, I never knew how much we struggled until I got older and became more aware of our situation. By the age of 12, I gained an understanding that there's more to life than struggling, and so I chose a different approach from everyone else, which was going to college. With that being said, I will be the first generation in my family to receive a bachelor's degree. Being a first-generation student is extremely challenging. For instance, finding proper funding for college expenses, adjusting to college life, and being able to speak on personal experiences with others who come from different family backgrounds. Oftentimes, most first gens experience anxiety, low esteem, stress and even depression due to the challenges that are faced. From my exposure, I've gone through all 4 because of the little to no preparation I had. To be frank, in my first year of college, I did not prepare myself. My thought process was eminently different. I believed that college would have the same impression as high school, and I was wrong leading me to fail academically and mentally. My second year was a gap year due to financial hardship, but I was determined to continue my studies. So I prepared myself by taking my previous mishaps from my freshman year and learning from them. I've adopted new studying techniques since then, I'm investing my time in applying for scholarships, reaching out to human resources that can assist me on my journey, and taking every opportunity that's presented to me seriously. Although I experienced these setbacks, they shaped me into the person I am today and without them, I wouldn't be here working as hard as I am. For that, I am immensely grateful.

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” As a little girl, I’ve heard this question about a million times. I could never answer the question truthfully because I didn’t know. Although I was indecisive, I didn’t want “I don’t know” to be my answer because I feared the potential backlash I could’ve received, such as, “What do you mean you don’t know what you want to be’? or “You are getting too old not to know what you want to do with your life”. So, I would always respond with the typical cliché, “I want to be a doctor.” Thinking about my future as a child, I knew I wanted to work in the medical field and make a difference in people’s lives, but I couldn’t quite figure out the specifics. There are so many opportunities in the world to choose from that aligned with my plan, and I had time to figure it out. After much contemplation and years of research, it finally clicked, “I want to be a nurse.” By the age of 15, I knew that becoming a nurse would fulfill my heart in numerous ways. For starters, nurses are true heroes and natural healers, because they have the ability to heal people physically, mentally, and emotionally. Healing is the root of happiness, and nurses have the empathy and interpersonal skills to stabilize patients and bring families comfort, which ultimately brings exhilaration. Secondly, I am inspired by nurses and their capability to take on so much, especially dealing with personal issues while working in such a complex field that is not easy, which brings me to my last statement, nursing is a profession of balance. Nursing is a wonderful career, but there are so many challenging obstacles that come with being a nurse. Such as getting emotionally attached to patients, poor treatments from patients when you are just trying to help, patients that have comprised health conditions, and a long list of other things. Though nursing has its ups and downs, it is well worth the sweat and tears because the teaching experience comes with so many chances to learn. There will always be room for growth in nursing, it pushes your knowledge and past your limits. I love challenging myself and being able to gain an understanding of the obstacles I’ve faced, and my inspiration helps me see past my setbacks. I will be the first generation in my family to receive a bachelor’s degree. I want to build a legacy for my future kids and hopefully grandkids as well. I want to break the cycle and bring change into my family. My mom always said, “Go after what you want and never be scared to challenge yourself”, and this is the first step to my accomplishments.

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” As a little girl, I’ve heard this question about a million times. I could never answer the question truthfully because I didn’t know. Although I was indecisive, I didn’t want “I don’t know” to be my answer because I feared the potential backlash I could’ve received, such as, “What do you mean you don’t know what you want to be’? or “You are getting too old not to know what you want to do with your life”. So, I would always respond with the typical cliché, “I want to be a doctor.” Thinking about my future as a child, I knew I wanted to work in the medical field and make a difference in people’s lives, but I couldn’t quite figure out the specifics. There are so many opportunities in the world to choose from that aligned with my plan, and I had time to figure it out. After much contemplation and years of research, it finally clicked, “I want to be a nurse.” By the age of 15, I knew that becoming a nurse would fulfill my heart in numerous ways. For starters, nurses are true heroes and natural healers, because they have the ability to heal people physically, mentally, and emotionally. Healing is the root of happiness, and nurses have the empathy and interpersonal skills to stabilize patients and bring families comfort, which ultimately brings exhilaration. Secondly, I am inspired by nurses and their capability to take on so much, especially dealing with personal issues while working in such a complex field that is not easy, which brings me to my last statement, nursing is a profession of balance. Nursing is a wonderful career, but there are so many challenging obstacles that come with being a nurse. Such as getting emotionally attached to patients, poor treatments from patients when you are just trying to help, patients that have comprised health conditions, and a long list of other things. Though nursing has its ups and downs, it is well worth the sweat and tears because the teaching experience comes with so many chances to learn. There will always be room for growth in nursing, it pushes your knowledge and past your limits. I love challenging myself and being able to gain an understanding of the obstacles I’ve faced, and my inspiration helps me see past my setbacks. I will be the first generation in my family to receive a bachelor’s degree. I want to build a legacy for my future kids and hopefully grandkids as well. I want to break the cycle and bring change into my family. My mom always said, “Go after what you want and never be scared to challenge yourself”, and this is the first step to my accomplishments.