Nursing is known to be one of the most needed professions not only in the United States of America but across the globe. I have been intrigued to become a nurse from a tender age as I had already started the journey from 2011 in my home country, Jamaica, but because of financial difficulties I had to stop. My reason for choosing nursing is because of the wide variety of different professions. My goal is to become a Certified Midwife with Master of Science in Nursing as I have an interest in the Labor and Delivery Unit. Due to the pandemic, we have lost many of our heroes to either burn out, unfair treatment and sadly death. My intention is to bring back hope to some fellow students who have lost their spark to become a nurse by showing them my perseverance and ability to ignore all the negativities to become a Certified Midwife. In the African American and black communities, CDC has reported a higher mortality rate at a two to three times higher than that of white women. One reason for that is the lack of knowledge at a higher level in the labor and Delivery unit. In my home country, most labor and delivery nurses have either an Associate in Enrolled Nursing Degree or A Bachelor of Science in Degree in Nursing. Just a small percentage have had the chance to further their education to obtain additional knowledge in the field. With the technology and skills taught in the first world country as the US in comparison to a third world country, these skills, with the ability to compromise in the situation, can assist with the high death rate. Having being a young black woman attaining a Master in Science in Nursing, will encourage other black women to do so as in my country it seems impossible because of the idea that a Bachelor is the ultimate stop. As an international student in the US, the tuition fee is higher than a student of either residency or citizenship. My aunt and her husband are my main sponsors to completing my education. Her husband however, passed away due to the years of ailment a year before my process was completed. As such, my aunt is my only sponsor. She has done an excellent job for my first semester, and I am grateful. If awarded the grant, she will have less strain as my sponsor and my worst fear, not being able to pay tuition and would eventually be unable to complete my studies, would be further away or even demolished. As a Liberal Arts major accepted to the pre-Clinicals and hopefully the Clinical program for Nursing at Kingsborough Community College, other expenses may arise such as books, uniforms, and equipment. This grant will also help with attaining these necessary items to complete my studies. My plan of action to cover these expenses in the future would be to seek employment during my breaks at school and with the help of my sponsor. Also, with maintain my GPA above 3.8, I intend to apply for all grants that may be applicable to me. I also intend to sign up for the Honors Program at Kingsborough Community College with the hope of attaining a scholarship from the many institutions listed with a RN-BSN program to finance my Education to fully complete my Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree. After completion of the BSN, I intend to get the necessary experience and certifications to be considered to a Master’s program.

Being a mom has been the most rewarding and amazing thing to ever happen to me. My daughter, Zhane' is my inspiration to do better and be better. It is because of her, I had made the ultimate sacrifice to chase our dreams to complete my undergrad education to become a registered nurse. I am currently an international student at the CUNY Kingsborough Community College in New York. I decided leaving my home country, Jamaica, to get a better education in a First world country withan advanced medical facilities. Leaving home was the hardest and most gruesome thing I have ever done. Her father is out of the picture, as finding out I was pregnant at the time, was not in his plans. Leaving my daughter with my parents to grow for three years without having me daily by her side. I get to see her everyday via video call but it will not the same as I am not ableto hold my sweet girl in my arms. I can visit home, however the cost is too much as I still have to pay tuition plus books and other supplies. Growing up I had the vision of going to college to be as easy as they make it in the movies, you get accepted, go to classes and graduate. As a female from the small island of Jamaica, it wasn’t as easy as it seemed. I had applied to college in Jamaica in the year 2011 to attain a BS in Nursing degree journey to become a Certified Midwife. I have been intrigued to become a nurse from a tender age as I had already started the journey in my home country, Jamaica, but because of financial difficulties I had to stop. My reason for choosing nursing is because of the wide variety of different professions. My goal is to become a Certified Midwife with Master of Science in Nursing as I have an interest in the Labor and Delivery Unit. Due to the pandemic, we have lost many of our heroes to either burn out, unfair treatment and sadly death. My intention is to bring back my knowledge to my home country and hopefully become a Nurse Educator alongside my Midwifery dreams. I am currently a Liberal Arts major accepted to the pre-Clinicals and soon the Clinical program for Nursing at Kingsborough Community College. I also intend to sign up for the Honors Program at Kingsborough Community College with the hope of attaining a scholarship from the many institutions listed with a RN-BSN program to finance my Education to fully complete my Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree at Hunter College, Lehman College or Medgar Evers College. After completion of the BSN, I intend to get the necessary experience and certifications to be considered for a Master of Nursing program at an accredited Institution to become an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse specializing in Midwifery.

Friends are person, either family or stranger who we look out for in many ways. This includes but may not be limited to their social, financial, personal and educational wellfare. In regards to educational wellfare, they may be many reasons why a friend or peer is not interested into going to college. Some may say it s because they have no interest, some may be because they have no idea of what profession best suits them and one of the biggest would be they are not financial stable to attend college. Finacing college can be very hard, as we are currently in a pandemic and the financial status of alot of person has been deteriorated because of the year of being lockdown. To convince a peer I would first need to know their specific reasons and find specific resolutions. If they have no interest, let them know of the pros of having some teritary education. If they rebut and state they dont have time to be a full time student, educate them about being a parttime student which allows them to work if necessary and get the educated in a field they might have interest in. Finding a career path that suites the person may either be rough or an eas touchand go process. Find out their strengths and weaknesses, which field they may excel in such as medical, business or culinary. Research and educate the peer on the job opportunities with each field with pro's and cons for all. Financial concerns can be solved in many ways, as there are many options. One would be to attend a community college which will cost less than a 4-year college and attain a Associate's Degree. This will help as attaining a degree can open up many job opportunities. They may also be able to attain their Bachelor's Degree once completing their associates and attending a 4-year college, preferably public as these institutions have subsidized tuition. Applying for grants and scholarships that they are eligible for may also be a way to finance their education. Getting involved with the school community as a means to have knowledge of the grants and scholarships that are available to them. Goingto college can be rough, and discouraging at times, but the right motivational and goals they can get educated, abtain a degree and that will help with providing a better life for them and their family.

Nursing is known to be one of the most needed professions not only in the United States of America but across the globe. I have been intrigued to become a nurse from a tender age as I had already started the journey from 2011 in my home country, Jamaica, but because of financial difficulties I had to stop. My reason for choosing nursing is because of the wide variety of different professions. My goal is to become a Pediatric Nurse Practioner with Master of Science in Nursing as I have an interest in the Pediatric Unit. Due to the pandemic, we have lost many of our heroes to either burn out, brain drain, unfair treatment and sadly death. My intention is to bring back hope to some fellow students who have lost their spark to become a nurse by showing them my perseverance and ability to thrive through these hard times as education does not come at a low cost to become a Pediatric Nurse Practioner. In the African American and black communities and countries, children's health care in at a higher risk as there is a lack in Pediatrics during clinical. In my home country, we have only one pediatric hospital serving the entire country. I believe there should be additional training in regards applying pediatric care. My intention after completing my studies as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse specializing in Pediatrics once employed to the Bustamante Children's Hospital is to dialog with the nursing adminstrative team to host seminars specifically for Pediatric care. My intention is to have a small team of nurses who are dedicated to saving and caring for children to travel and host the seminar. With the technology and skills taught in the first world country as the US in comparison to a third world country, these skills, with the ability to compromise in the situation, can improve the care of children. Being a young black woman attaining a master’s of science in Nursing, will encourage other black women to do so as in my country it seems impossible because of the idea that a Bachelor is the ultimate stop. I am currently a Liberal Arts major accepted to the pre-Clinicals and hopefully the Clinical program for Nursing at Kingsborough Community College. I also intend to sign up for the Honors Program at Kingsborough Community College with the hope of attaining a scholarship from the many institutions listed with a RN-BSN program to finance my Education to fully complete my Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree at Hunter College, Lehman College or Medgar Evers College. After completion of the BSN, I intend to get the necessary experience and certifications to be considered for a Master of Nursing program at an accredited Institution to become an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse specializing in Pediatrics.

Growing up I had the vision of going to college to be as easy as they make it in the movies, you get accepted, go to classes and graduate. As a female from the small island of Jamaica, it wasnt as easy as it seemed. I had applied to college in Jamaica in the year 2011 to attain a BS in Nursing degree journey to become a Certified Midwife. I have been intrigued to become a nurse from a tender age as I had already started the journey in my home country, Jamaica, but because of financial difficulties I had to stop. My reason for choosing nursing is because of the wide variety of different professions. My goal is to become a Certified Midwife with Master of Science in Nursing as I have an interest in the Labor and Delivery Unit. Due to the pandemic, we have lost many of our heroes to either burn out, unfair treatment and sadly death. My intention is to bring back my knowledge to my home country and hopefully become a Nurse Educator alongside my Midwifery dreams. My family was not financially stable to finance my education so I opted to take a student loan. Being excited to start college, little did I know the road was going to be a long and unfriendly one. After my first year, I completed it with a 3.0 GPA. Not bad for a girl with no access to a laptop or any electronic device, just my ID to enter the library and study throughtout the nights with my blanket. Second year, I faced some additional trouble such as not enough money to attend classes and having to ask my classmates for notes because during that time books and pens were used to take notes and not ipads and laptops. It was also our first year on the wards as I was a nursing major student. GPA had a little drop to 2.8. Then the most unthinkable tragedy happen. My mother had a stroke and was hospitalized for three months, not being able to go to work to provide, I was unable to go to school, leaving me to make the saddest decision as a happy third year student. I had to take a leave of absense, which became a complete drop out. Fast forward to 2020, my friend had asked if I am considering finishing my education, I answered yes without even questioning. We spoke about the International students program where a sponsor can assist with my tuition and the first persons who came to mind was my aunt and her husband. She always had my education at her best interest, but at the time of my leave of absense, she had spent her hard earnings to purcahse a house. I approached her and she didn't give it a second thought. I started to look for college to attain my Associate in Nursing Degree as that was the most financially smart way to get my BSN. Before it could become a reality, COVID-19 struck. After the two waves of the pandemic, I decided I wasn’t going to wait, I applied for fall semester 2021 and was accepted. Documentation was done and I visa was granted. I succesfully completed my first semester at KIngsborough Community College with a 3.692 GPA.

Nursing is known to be one of the most needed professions not only in the United States of America but across the globe. I have been intrigued to become a nurse from a tender age as I had already started the journey from 2011 in my home country, Jamaica, but because of financial difficulties I had to stop. My reason for choosing nursing is because of the wide variety of different professions. My goal is to become a Certified Midwife with Master of Science in Nursing as I have an interest in the Labor and Delivery Unit. Due to the pandemic, we have lost many of our heroes to either burn out, unfair treatment and sadly death. My intention is to bring back hope to some fellow students who have lost their spark to become a nurse by showing them my perseverance and ability to ignore all the negativities to become a Certified Midwife. In the African American and black communities, CDC has reported a higher mortality rate at a two to three times higher than that of white women. One reason for that is the lack of knowledge at a higher level in the labor and Delivery unit. In my home country, most labor and delivery nurses have either an Associate in Enrolled Nursing Degree or A Bachelor of Science in Degree in Nursing. Just a small percentage have had the chance to further their education to obtain additional knowledge in the field. With the technology and skills taught in the first world country as the US in comparison to a third world country, these skills, with the ability to compromise in the situation, can assist with the high death rate. Having being a young black woman attaining a Master in Science in Nursing, will encourage other black women to do so as in my country it seems impossible because of the idea that a Bachelor is the ultimate stop.

Nursing is known to be one of the most needed professions not only in the United States of America but across the globe. I have been intrigued to become a nurse from a tender age as I had already started the journey from 2011 in my home country, Jamaica, but because of financial difficulties I had to stop. My reason for choosing nursing is because of the wide variety of different professions. My goal is to become a Certified Midwife with Master of Science in Nursing as I have an interest in the Labor and Delivery Unit. Due to the pandemic, we have lost many of our heroes to either burn out, unfair treatment and sadly death. My intention is to bring back hope to some fellow students who have lost their spark to become a nurse by showing them my perseverance and ability to ignore all the negativities to become a Certified Midwife. In the African American and black communities, CDC has reported a higher mortality rate at a two to three times higher than that of white women. One reason for that is the lack of knowledge at a higher level in the labor and Delivery unit. In my home country, most labor and delivery nurses have either an Associate in Enrolled Nursing Degree or A Bachelor of Science in Degree in Nursing. Just a small percentage have had the chance to further their education to obtain additional knowledge in the field. With the technology and skills taught in the first world country as the US in comparison to a third world country, these skills, with the ability to compromise in the situation, can assist with the high death rate. Having being a young black woman attaining a Master in Science in Nursing, will encourage other black women to do so as in my country it seems impossible because of the idea that a Bachelor is the ultimate stop.

Nursing is known to be one of the most needed professions not only in the United States of America but across the globe. I have been intrigued to become a nurse from a tender age as I had already started the journey from 2011 in my home country, Jamaica, but because of financial difficulties I had to stop. My reason for choosing nursing is because of the wide variety of different professions. My goal is to become a Certified Midwife with Master of Science in Nursing as I have an interest in the Labor and Delivery Unit. Due to the pandemic, we have lost many of our heroes to either burn out, unfair treatment and sadly death. My intention is to bring back hope to some fellow students who have lost their spark to become a nurse by showing them my perseverance and ability to ignore all the negativities to become a Certified Midwife. In the African American and black communities, CDC has reported a higher mortality rate at a two to three times higher than that of white women. One reason for that is the lack of knowledge at a higher level in the labor and Delivery unit. In my home country, most labor and delivery nurses have either an Associate in Enrolled Nursing Degree or A Bachelor of Science in Degree in Nursing. Just a small percentage have had the chance to further their education to obtain additional knowledge in the field. With the technology and skills taught in the first world country as the US in comparison to a third world country, these skills, with the ability to compromise in the situation, can assist with the high death rate. Having being a young black woman attaining a Master in Science in Nursing, will encourage other black women to do so as in my country it seems impossible because of the idea that a Bachelor is the ultimate stop.

Nursing is known to be one of the most needed professions not only in the United States of America but across the globe. I have been intrigued to become a nurse from a tender age as I had already started the journey from 2011 in my home country, Jamaica, but because of financial difficulties I had to stop. My reason for choosing nursing is because of the wide variety of different professions. My goal is to become a Certified Midwife with Master of Science in Nursing as I have an interest in the Labor and Delivery Unit. Due to the pandemic, we lost many of our heroes to burn out, unfair treatment and sadly death. My intention is to bring back hope to some fellow students who have lost their spark to become a nurse by showing them my perseverance and ability to ignore all the negativities to become a Certified Midwife. I would get involved with the education system and to become a career counsellor to students interested in the field. In the African American and black communities, CDC has reported a higher mortality rate at a two to three times higher than that of white women. One reason for that is the lack of knowledge at a higher level in the labor and Delivery unit. In my home country, most labor and delivery nurses have either an Associate in Enrolled Nursing Degree or A Bachelor of Science in Degree in Nursing. Just a small percentage have had the chance to further their education to obtain additional knowledge in the field. With the technology and skills taught in the first world country as the US in comparison to a third world country, these skills, with the ability to compromise in the situation, can assist with the high death rate.

'Out of Many One People', that is the motto of my beautiful island paradise, Jamaica, that I call home. The Caribbean is a melting pot of different ethic groups that come from all angles of the world, stretching as far as China or even Russia. Growing up Caribbean has impacted my life in so many ways, I never understood them when I was younger as I group up in a very authoritarian household. My siblings and I were always told to share with each other, even if it was one item, we would be have to break it into 6 pieces so each can have a bite. We were always told to respect our elders and greeting them appropriately, no matter the time of the day as we were always told "it takes a village to raise a child". My family was heavily invested in education, play time was always the last on the schedule. Home Work, Chores and maybe an hour, if we were lucky to play. The education system in the Caribbean focuses on making scholars out of every student. The Education Ministry in Jamaica's motto was " Every Child Can Learn, Every Child MUST Learn". It wasn't only words spoken but the education system tries it best with every child. At very young ages, we were all told to clean up after our selves and learnt that "Cleanliness is next to Godliness". At even a tender age, our parents would ask the toddler to hand them garbage and not to dispose of it on the ground. As we get older we are taught other responsibilities such as cleaning our rooms, doing basic chores such as minor dish washing and the daily sweeping. These life skills come in very handy as a adult either living alone or with a companion. Caribbean people are known to be very patriotic of ones' country and ourselves. We expect to do our very best in every situation we face, and also to excel beyond expectations. My goal is to become a Certified Midwife with Master of Science in Nursing as I have an interest in the Labor and Delivery Unit. Due to the pandemic, we have lost many of our heroes to either burn out, unfair treatment and sadly death. My intention is to bring back hope to some fellow students who have lost their spark to become a nurse by showing them my perseverance and ability to ignore all the negativities to become a Certified Midwife. My aim is to become a nurse educator alongside my dream profession of Midwifery.

Nursing is known to be one of the most needed professions not only in the United States of America but across the globe. I have been intrigued to become a nurse from a tender age as I had already started the journey from 2011 in my home country, Jamaica, but because of financial difficulties I had to stop. My reason for choosing nursing is because of the wide variety of different professions. My goal is to become a Certified Midwife with Master of Science in Nursing as I have an interest in the Labor and Delivery Unit. Due to the pandemic, we have lost many of our heroes to either burn out, unfair treatment and sadly death. My intention is to bring back hope to some fellow students who have lost their spark to become a nurse by showing them my perseverance and ability to ignore all the negativities to become a Certified Midwife. In the African American and black communities, CDC has reported a higher mortality rate at a two to three times higher than that of white women. One reason for that is the lack of knowledge at a higher level in the labor and Delivery unit. In my home country, most labor and delivery nurses have either an Associate in Enrolled Nursing Degree or A Bachelor of Science in Degree in Nursing. Just a small percentage have had the chance to further their education to obtain additional knowledge in the field. With the technology and skills taught in the first world country as the US in comparison to a third world country, these skills, with the ability to compromise in the situation, can assist with the high death rate. Having being a young black woman attaining a Master in Science in Nursing, will encourage other black women to do so as in my country it seems impossible because of the idea that a Bachelor is the ultimate stop. As an international student in the US, the tuition fee is higher than a student of either residency or citizenship. My aunt and her husband are my main sponsors to completing my education. Her husband however, passed away due to the years of ailment a year before my process was completed. As such, my aunt is my only sponsor. She has done an excellent job for my first semester, and I am grateful. If awarded the grant, she will have less strain as my sponsor and my worst fear, not being able to pay tuition and would eventually be unable to complete my studies, would be further away or even demolished. As a Liberal Arts major accepted to the pre-Clinicals and hopefully the Clinical program for Nursing at Kingsborough Community College, other expenses may arise such as books, uniforms, and equipment. This grant will also help with attaining these necessary items to complete my studies. My plan of action to cover these expenses in the future would be to seek employment during my breaks at school and with the help of my sponsor. Also, with maintain my GPA above 3.6, I intend to apply for all grants that may be applicable to me. I also intend to sign up for the Honors Program at Kingsborough Community College with the hope of attaining a scholarship from the many institutions listed with a RN-BSN program to finance my Education to fully complete my Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree. After completion of the BSN, I intend to get the necessary experience and certifications to be considered to a Master’s program.

Growing up I had the vision of going to college to be as easy as they make it in the movies, you get accepted, go to classes and graduate. As a female from the small island of Jamaica, it wasnt as easy as it seemed. I had applied to college in Jamaica in the year 2011 to attain a BS in Nursing degree journey to become a Certified Midwife. I have been intrigued to become a nurse from a tender age as I had already started the journey in my home country, Jamaica, but because of financial difficulties I had to stop. My reason for choosing nursing is because of the wide variety of different professions. My goal is to become a Certified Midwife with Master of Science in Nursing as I have an interest in the Labor and Delivery Unit. Due to the pandemic, we have lost many of our heroes to either burn out, unfair treatment and sadly death. My intention is to bring back my knowledge to my home country and hopefully become a Nurse Educator alongside my Midwifery dreams. My family was not financially stable to finance my education so I opted to take a student loan. Being excited to start college, little did I know the road was gonna be a long and unfriendly one. After my first year, I completed it with a 3.0 GPA. Not bad for a girl with no access to a laptop or any electronic device, just my ID to enter the library and study throughtout the nights with my blanket. Second year, I faced some additional trouble such as not enough money to attend classes and having to ask my classmates for notes because during that time books and pens were used to take notes and not ipads and laptops. It was also our first year on the wards as I was a nursing major student. GPA had a little drop to 2.8. Then the most unthinkable tragedy happen. My mother had a stroke and was hospitalized for three months, not being able to go to work to provide, I was unable to go to school, leaving me to make the saddest decision as a happy third year student. I had to take a leave of absense, which became a complete drop out. Fast forward to 2020, my friend had asked if I am considering finishing my education, I answered yes without even questioning. We spoke about the International students program where a sponsor can assist with my tuition and the first persons who came to mind was my aunt and her husband. She always had my education at her best interest, but at the time of my leave of absense, she had spent her hard earnings to purcahse a house. I approached her and she didn't give it a second thought. I started to look for college to attain my Associate in Nursing Degree as that was the most financially smart way to get my BSN. Before it could become a reality, COVID-19 struck. After the two waves of the pandemic, I decided I wasnt gonna wait, I applied for fall semester 2021 and was accepted. Documentation was done and I visa was granted. I succesfully completed my first semester at KIngsborough Community College with a 3.692 GPA.

Growing up I had the vision of going to college to be as easy as they make it in the movies, you get accepted, go to classes and graduate. As a female from the small island of Jamaica, it wasnt as easy as it seemed. I had applied to college in Jamaica in the year 2011 to attain a BS in Nursing degree journey to become a Certified Midwife. I have been intrigued to become a nurse from a tender age as I had already started the journey in my home country, Jamaica, but because of financial difficulties I had to stop. My reason for choosing nursing is because of the wide variety of different professions. My goal is to become a Certified Midwife with Master of Science in Nursing as I have an interest in the Labor and Delivery Unit. Due to the pandemic, we have lost many of our heroes to either burn out, unfair treatment and sadly death. My intention is to bring back my knowledge to my home country and hopefully become a Nurse Educator alongside my Midwifery dreams. My family was not financially stable to finance my education so I opted to take a student loan. Being excited to start college, little did I know the road was gonna be a long and unfriendly one. After my first year, I completed it with a 3.0 GPA. Not bad for a girl with no access to a laptop or any electronic device, just my ID to enter the library and study throughtout the nights with my blanket. Second year, I faced some additional trouble such as not enough money to attend classes and having to ask my classmates for notes because during that time books and pens were used to take notes and not ipads and laptops. It was also our first year on the wards as I was a nursing major student. GPA had a little drop to 2.8. Then the most unthinkable tragedy happen. My mother had a stroke and was hospitalized for three months, not being able to go to work to provide, I was unable to go to school, leaving me to make the saddest decision as a happy third year student. I had to take a leave of absense, which became a complete drop out. Fast forward to 2020, my friend had asked if I am considering finishing my education, I answered yes without even questioning. We spoke about the International students program where a sponsor can assist with my tuition and the first persons who came to mind was my aunt and her husband. She always had my education at her best interest, but at the time of my leave of absense, she had spent her hard earnings to purcahse a house. I approached her and she didn't give it a second thought. I started to look for college to attain my Associate in Nursing Degree as that was the most financially smart way to get my BSN. Before it could become a reality, COVID-19 struck. After the two waves of the pandemic, I decided I wasnt gonna wait, I applied for fall semester 2021 and was accepted. Documentation was done and I visa was granted. I succesfully completed my first semester at KIngsborough Community College with a 3.692 GPA.

Growing up I had the vision of going to college to be as easy as they make it in the movies, you get accepted, go to classes and graduate. As a female from the small island of Jamaica, it wasnt as easy as it seemed. I had applied to college in Jamaica in the year 2011 to attain a BS in Nursing degree journey to become a Certified Midwife. I have been intrigued to become a nurse from a tender age as I had already started the journey in my home country, Jamaica, but because of financial difficulties I had to stop. My reason for choosing nursing is because of the wide variety of different professions. My goal is to become a Certified Midwife with Master of Science in Nursing as I have an interest in the Labor and Delivery Unit. Due to the pandemic, we have lost many of our heroes to either burn out, unfair treatment and sadly death. My intention is to bring back my knowledge to my home country and hopefully become a Nurse Educator alongside my Midwifery dreams. My family was not financially stable to finance my education so I opted to take a student loan. Being excited to start college, little did I know the road was gonna be a long and unfriendly one. After my first year, I completed it with a 3.0 GPA. Not bad for a girl with no access to a laptop or any electronic device, just my ID to enter the library and study throughtout the nights with my blanket. Second year, I faced some additional trouble such as not enough money to attend classes and having to ask my classmates for notes because during that time books and pens were used to take notes and not ipads and laptops. It was also our first year on the wards as I was a nursing major student. GPA had a little drop to 2.8. Then the most unthinkable tragedy happen. My mother had a stroke and was hospitalized for three months, not being able to go to work to provide, I was unable to go to school, leaving me to make the saddest decision as a happy third year student. I had to take a leave of absense, which became a complete drop out. Fast forward to 2020, my friend had asked if I am considering finishing my education, I answered yes without even questioning. We spoke about the International students program where a sponsor can assist with my tuition and the first persons who came to mind was my aunt and her husband. She always had my education at her best interest, but at the time of my leave of absense, she had spent her hard earnings to purcahse a house. I approached her and she didn't give it a second thought. I started to look for college to attain my Associate in Nursing Degree as that was the most financially smart way to get my BSN. Before it could become a reality, COVID-19 struck. After the two waves of the pandemic, I decided I wasnt gonna wait, I applied for fall semester 2021 and was accepted. Documentation was done and I visa was granted. I succesfully completed my first semester at KIngsborough Community College with a 3.692 GPA.

"Righteous Savior, I come humbly before you today to confess the sins that my forefathers and I have committed you. We have not obeyed your word, and as a result, we have opened up doors for the devil to reinforce generational curses into our family. Lord, forgive us of all of these sins." This has been one of my mantras growing up since its discovery in early 2014. I do not believe in curses but what I believe in are Bad habits. Bad habits have been passed from generation to generation without even being noticed. We become comfortable with our familiars and believe bad habits are the norm. Being a first generation student who has the determination of a two year old, has taught me many things. Have little to no support can put a damper on the journey, but being resilient is imbedded in the DNA of anyone who is from the Motherland. I have faced days with no money and food as my mother, who was the only parent believed in my dreams and aspirations, was not on the financial stable side was unable to provide for all our needs. It was at the point as a third year college student, almost to the finish line, I had to make the hard decision. I had paused my future so that my siblings could have one. In having to help my family financially, I placed my education on pause and started to work. From small gigs as a brand ambassador to an assistant to a very unpleasant employer. from my monthly pay, I placed aside small amounts, even though it wasn't much, it was still a start as I was still hell bent on finishing my tertiary education. Even though my dream where placed on delay, it was never cancelled. Still reading, still learning as technology has improved, my love for the medical field never once dimmed. After six (6) years of working to make ends meet, my dream was still to become the first nurse in my family. After allowing my siblings to complete high school education, it only seemed right for me to achieve my dream. I had done research over the years to find the most suitable option as I am determined to get the best education to complete my education and attained my degree. This however, required a tremendous sacrifice. I would have to leave my homeland, Jamaica and travel to the US to study. With my savings and some financial help and support I am on my way. I will be the one to break the bad habit and complete my degree and will be the beginning of new habits.