When I was 6 years old, I saw a woman who had been hit by a car. I was crossing the street with my mother, heading to the nearby makolet (grocery market), when we came across an older woman lying on the ground and crying out. Although my mother tried to cover my eyes, if I close them even now, I can still picture her shredded legs completely covered in blood. What I remember most about that experience was the overwhelming feeling of helplessness, not being able to assist the woman or take away her pain. I wanted so badly to go over to her and help, but I was only 6 and knew nothing about injuries like those. In my religion, there is a Hebrew saying along the lines of: “Where there is no one to do what needs to be done, you should be that one” (Bemakom she’ein ish, hishtadel lehiyot ish). I understand this as a responsibility entrusted to every single person. Each man or woman must find what speaks to them, discover what they are good at and enjoy doing, and then go and do it. For me, that has always been the sciences. I love understanding how things work and how everything is interconnected. Through studying science, I’ve developed a deeper and stronger connection to God. The more I learn about how our bodies work, the more I see God everywhere and in everything. My Anatomy and Physiology professor always said, “by design, not by chance,” and I’ve come to live by that. I know that in the scientific world, the idea of God is not commonly accepted, and I cannot fathom why. Even if there was a Big Bang, the particles must have come from somewhere—the primordial soup could not have cooked itself. The fact that I know there is a God who created us, along with our massively intricate and delicate bodies, and the fact that I feel called to help people—specifically in a medical sense—obligates me to do so. I chose nursing because I want to give people the proper care they deserve in a medical setting. Although I had initially considered medical school, I realized that I could provide for patients and advocate on their behalf more effectively as a nurse than as a doctor. My goal is not just to be a bedside nurse assisting doctors with menial tasks, but to treat each patient as an individual, with the respect and encouragement he or she deserves. I plan to pay close attention to each patient’s medical treatment, and if I feel the need to approach a doctor and challenge a decision for the sake of the patient, then that is what I will do. I hope that the next time I pass by someone who has been in a car accident, I’ll know exactly what to do and how to help