I graduated from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2015 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. I was aware that I wanted to help others, but I knew that I did not want to solely counsel patients. My intended career goal was to eventually become a Physician Assistant, and to gain the necessary clinical hours I decided to take the Nursing Assistant route. Unfortunately, my plan to graduate from a Physician Assistant program did not go as planned. The greatest obstacles that affected my ability to achieve my goal of becoming a Nurse have been myself and finances. After my cousin passed in 2014, I battled anxiety and lost the motivation to complete my career goal of Nursing. I started to question my ability to continue towards my dream profession; although I did exceptional work in the hospitality sector. Witnessing my mother have multiple surgeries and health complications related to those surgeries, which deemed her physically disabled and unable to work; I became severely overwhelmed. I no longer had a financial support system to help me while enrolled in a Nursing program. Therefore, I decided to solely focus on the administrative side of healthcare, which I have worked in since 2019. On a more personal note, I began therapy and learned that low self-esteem affected many areas of my life. Working on myself and establishing a positive mindset, for the present and future, has given me the strength to intentionally take a leap of faith and apply to Nursing School. While researching programs, I never thought that an Accelerated Nursing program was a good fit for me. The thought of a fast-paced program and how I would financially support myself seemed daunting. However, after talking with a friend about his transition from coaching high school football to being a thriving Duke Nursing student, I was determined to reconnect with my career goal. Duke University’s ABSN program stood out to me because the program’s length provides a swift career transition into applying my passion for providing exceptional healthcare. I have learned that I work best in environments where I am challenged, while also constantly learning. In response to financial hardship, I know that I will have to accrue more student loans and apply for scholarships, but instead of feeling overwhelmed and stagnant, I am determined to take the necessary steps to secure my Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree.

Upon beginning my undergraduate degree as a first-generation college student in 2010, I was unsure of my career path. Initially, I registered as Undecided, but after switching majors multiple times, I finally decided to major in Psychology. I was particularly interested in Psychology after taking and excelling in AP Psychology in high school. However, deciding how I wanted to utilize my Psychology degree post-graduation was difficult. I knew that I wanted to help others in the medical field, but I was not intrigued by the thought of only counseling patients. After doing some research, I was set on becoming a Physician Assistant. I began the prerequisite courses and clinical hours that were necessary to apply to Physician Assistant programs. Unfortunately, during my junior year of college, my older cousin was diagnosed with Stage II Breast Cancer. I watched her battle this unrelenting, progressive disease for two years and helped care for her while on college breaks. It was then that I decided that I wanted to take a more hands-on approach to helping patients. After graduating college in 2015, I obtained my Certified Nursing Assistant I license and immediately began working at a local hospital in the Neurology/Oncology Unit. Ironically, this was the same hospital and unit where my cousin was admitted before her transfer to Hospice and untimely passing in June 2014. The Neurology/Oncology Unit was deemed the “toughest” unit in the hospital, but I gained extensive skills and self-awareness as a healthcare professional. Becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant allowed me to work with amazing Nurses and make a difference in patients’ lives thus helping me choose to get a more advanced Nursing degree. While researching programs, I never thought that an Accelerated Nursing program was a good fit for me. The thought of a fast-paced program and how I would financially support myself seemed daunting. However, after talking with a friend about his transition from coaching high school football to being a thriving Duke Nursing student, I was determined to reconnect with my career goal. Duke University’s ABSN program stood out to me because the program’s length provides a swift career transition into applying my passion for providing exceptional healthcare. In response to financial hardship, I know that I will have to accrue more student loans and apply for scholarships, but instead of feeling overwhelmed and stagnant, I am determined to take the necessary steps to secure my Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. After graduating, I hope to work in Labor & Delivery, Postpartum Care, Mental Health, or Substance Abuse treatment. These specialties are important to my mission as a Nurse, because of my personal experiences and experiences of family members.