I am a dependable, self driven nursing student seeking more opportunities to grow both personally and professionally in the healthcare world. I wholeheartedly believe that nursing is the most fitting place for me as I have always had a passion for supporting and caring for others. There is such a large fulfillment in offering emotional as well as physical support which can serve as a meaningful difference in someone’s life. My ultimate goal is to contribute to the success of those in the healthcare field and provide adequate care to patients and their families. I am in my junior year of nursing school at Ball State University and serve as a servant team leader of BSUs Impact organization, an organization that focuses on creating and nurturing black disciples of Jesus Christ. Through this role and the help of my current and past college courses, I have expanded on my adaptability and leadership skills as well as expanding my understanding of service and empathy. All of which - I believe - are very essential to the field of nursing. I aspire to become a nurse that is not only respected but is seen as one who is authentic and is admired for their emphasis on holistic care. As a future black nurse, I have a strong passion to serve as a representative of the people of color within the healthcare system. In particular, the black community, who all too often are misunderstood, unheard and unjustly dismissed, need to have someone who will advocate and uplift them in their most vulnerable moments. My goal is to dismantle the mistrust and provide a trustworthy presence that will restore their confidence in a place where there may be very little. With the help of this scholarship, it will allow me to put more of my focus onto my clinical training and studies. On its own, nursing school can be very demanding in very many ways and requires a lot of time and energy in order to succeed. Receiving this scholarship would be an immense support in granting me the ability to dedicate my efforts more fully on becoming an excellent nurse. Without the additional financial stress of nursing school supplies, extra study materials, scrubs or comfortable footwear for the long hours on my feet, I can focus all of my efforts on transforming myself into the nurse that I have always yearned to be.

I am a dependable, self driven nursing student seeking more opportunities to grow both personally and professionally in the healthcare world. I wholeheartedly believe that nursing is the most fitting place for me as I have always had a passion for supporting and caring for others. There is such a large fulfillment in offering emotional as well as physical support which can serve as a meaningful difference in someone’s life. My ultimate goal is to contribute to the success of those in the healthcare field and provide adequate care to patients and their families. I am in my junior year of nursing school at Ball State University and serve as a servant team leader of BSUs Impact organization, an organization that focuses on creating and nurturing black disciples of Jesus Christ. Through this role and the help of my current and past college courses, I have expanded on my adaptability and leadership skills as well as expanding my understanding of service and empathy. All of which - I believe - are very essential to the field of nursing. I aspire to become a nurse that is not only respected but is seen as one who is authentic and is admired for their emphasis on holistic care. As a future black nurse, I have a strong passion to serve as a representative of the people of color within the healthcare system. In particular, the black community, who all too often are misunderstood, unheard and unjustly dismissed, need to have someone who will advocate and uplift them in their most vulnerable moments. My goal is to dismantle the mistrust and provide a trustworthy presence that will restore their confidence in a place where there may be very little. With the help of this scholarship, it will allow me to put more of my focus onto my clinical training and studies. On its own, nursing school can be very demanding in very many ways and requires a lot of time and energy in order to succeed. Receiving this scholarship would be an immense support in granting me the ability to dedicate my efforts more fully on becoming an excellent nurse. Without the additional financial stress of nursing school supplies, extra study materials, scrubs or comfortable footwear for the long hours on my feet, I can focus all of my efforts on transforming myself into the nurse that I have always yearned to be.

I am a dependable, self driven nursing student seeking more opportunities to grow both personally and professionally in the healthcare world. I wholeheartedly believe that nursing is the most fitting place for me as I have always had a passion for supporting and caring for others. There is such a large fulfillment in offering emotional as well as physical support which can serve as a meaningful difference in someone’s life. My ultimate goal is to contribute to the success of those in the healthcare field and provide adequate care to patients and their families. I am in my junior year of nursing school at Ball State University and serve as a servant team leader of BSUs Impact organization, an organization that focuses on creating and nurturing black disciples of Jesus Christ. Through this role and the help of my current and past college courses, I have expanded on my adaptability and leadership skills as well as expanding my understanding of service and empathy. All of which - I believe - are very essential to the field of nursing. I aspire to become a nurse that is not only respected but is seen as one who is authentic and is admired for their emphasis on holistic care. As a future black nurse, I have a strong passion to serve as a representative of the people of color within the healthcare system. In particular, the black community, who all too often are misunderstood, unheard and unjustly dismissed, need to have someone who will advocate and uplift them in their most vulnerable moments. My goal is to dismantle the mistrust and provide a trustworthy presence that will restore their confidence in a place where there may be very little. With the help of this scholarship, it will allow me to put more of my focus onto my clinical training and studies. On its own, nursing school can be very demanding in very many ways and requires a lot of time and energy in order to succeed. Receiving this scholarship would be an immense support in granting me the ability to dedicate my efforts more fully on becoming an excellent nurse. Without the additional financial stress of nursing school supplies, extra study materials, scrubs or comfortable footwear for the long hours on my feet, I can focus all of my efforts on transforming myself into the nurse that I have always yearned to be.

Can you imagine being the ripe age of 8 and helping take care of your newborn little sister? Not to say that I was the sole person taking care of her, however, I would say that I spent a lot of time helping my parents do things like feed, play and change her just because I liked to. From then on out I think that I figured out about the fact that I loved babies. But then three years later, my older sister had a child of her own. And boy did I love that. Now here I am, a sophomore in college, with a niece, nephew and another little sister who came just a few years later. I say all of this, just to help ground the fact that I have been helping take care of children for as long as I can remember. So, deciding that I would like to become a Labor & Delivery nurse was one of the easiest decisions I’ve had to make. In addition to already feeling made for the job, there is also a big societal issue that comes to mind. There have been multiple accounts where POC families, specifically black families, have been mistreated by the healthcare systems. And although these instances happen in any health department, the most prominent and disturbing place we see them in is the delivery room. Now I highly believe that there is a much higher need for black and people of colour, like myself, in the healthcare system in general. It is also important to me to ensure that these black female patients and their offspring are treated with the utmost respect and that their needs and wants aren't just pushed aside because of someone's racial beliefs or preferences. And I am determined to help many more mothers and their families feel comfortable while they embark on one of the most influential moments that an individual can go through. In order to accomplish this goal, I have set my eyes on finishing my 4 years of college while majoring in nursing and minoring in Infant & Toddler Specialization. As I go through these years, I plan to commit myself to working hard in hopes that my work will pay off and be shown through the action of becoming a nurse. The field of nursing can be demanding as well as challenging. However, I know that I must keep my eyes set on the main goal at hand. To get rid of the large problem of POC mother and infant loss, I plan to use my knowledge, already obtained and gained through my college years, to advocate and assist said mothers and their families not only by becoming a nurse myself but by encouraging other nurses to advocate for their patients as well. Using word of mouth and social media, we can actively make more people aware of this problem in hopes of taking care of and saving POC families just like we would for nonPOC families.

During my high school years I became deeply influenced by the some of the very intriguing facts I had learned. I had heard a few stories from women of colour, pointedly, black women, who were undoubtedly mistreated by their nurses and doctors who were present during their time giving birth in the hospital. Although I have never physically seen these experiences first hand or have heard of them by my own family, there are many stories that showcase the fact that black women, especially, get denied treatment because of racial stereotypes and discrimination. Which could definitely be related to why there are higher rates of infant and mother loss in this specific race. This is just the sad reality of the day and age that we live in. I highly believe that there is a much higher need for black and people of colour, like myself, in the healthcare system in general. It is very important to me to ensure that these black female patients and their offspring are treated with the utmost respect and that their needs and wants aren't just pushed aside because of someone's racial beliefs or preferences. And I am determined to help many more mothers and their families feel comfortable while they embark on one of the most influential moments that an individual can go through. In order to accomplish this goal, I have set my eyes on finishing my 4 years of college while majoring in nursing and minoring in Infant & Toddler Specialization. As I go through these years, I plan to commit myself in showing my dedication in hopes that my work will pay off and be shown through the action of becoming a nurse. The field of nursing can be demanding as well as challenging. However, I know that I must keep my eyes set on the main goal at hand. To get rid of the large problem of POC mother and infant loss, I advocate for POC families by sharing their stories with the community I surround myself with. I also plan to use my knowledge, gained through my college years, to assist said mothers and their families not only by becoming a nurse myself but by encouraging other nurses to advocate for their patients as well. Using word of mouth and social media, we can actively make more people aware of this problem in hopes of taking care of and saving POC families just like we would for nonPOC families.

During my high school years I became deeply influenced by the some of the very intriguing facts I had learned. I had heard a few stories from women of colour, pointedly, black women, who were undoubtedly mistreated by their nurses and doctors who were present during their time giving birth in the hospital. Although I have never physically seen these experiences first hand or have heard of them by my own family, there are many stories that showcase the fact that black women, especially, get denied treatment because of racial stereotypes and discrimination. Which could definitely be related to why there are higher rates of infant and mother loss in this specific race. This is just the sad reality of the day and age that we live in. I highly believe that there is a much higher need for black and people of colour, like myself, in the healthcare system in general. It is very important to me to ensure that these black female patients and their offspring are treated with the utmost respect and that their needs and wants aren't just pushed aside because of someone's racial beliefs or preferences. And I am determined to help many more mothers and their families feel comfortable while they embark on one of the most influential moments that an individual can go through. In order to accomplish this goal, I have set my eyes on finishing my 4 years of college while majoring in nursing and minoring in Infant & Toddler Specialization. As I go through these years, I plan to commit myself in showing my dedication in hopes that my work will pay off and be shown through the action of becoming a nurse. The field of nursing can be demanding as well as challenging. However, I know that I must keep my eyes set on the main goal at hand. To get rid of the large problem of POC mother and infant loss, I advocate for POC families by sharing their stories with the community I surround myself with. I also plan to use my knowledge, gained through my college years, to assist said mothers and their families not only by becoming a nurse myself but by encouraging other nurses to advocate for their patients as well. Using word of mouth and social media, we can actively make more people aware of this problem in hopes of taking care of and saving POC families just like we would for nonPOC families.

During my high school years I became deeply influenced by the some of the very intriguing facts I had learned. I had heard a few stories from women of colour, pointedly, black women, who were undoubtedly mistreated by their nurses and doctors who were present during their time giving birth in the hospital. Although I have never physically seen these experiences first hand or have heard of them by my own family, there are many stories that showcase the fact that black women, especially, get denied treatment because of racial stereotypes and discrimination. Which could definitely be related to why there are higher rates of infant and mother loss in this specific race. This is just the sad reality of the day and age that we live in. I highly believe that there is a much higher need for black and people of colour, like myself, in the healthcare system in general. It is very important to me to ensure that these black female patients and their offspring are treated with the utmost respect and that their needs and wants aren't just pushed aside because of someone's racial beliefs or preferences. And I am determined to help many more mothers and their families feel comfortable while they embark on one of the most influential moments that an individual can go through. In order to accomplish this goal, I have set my eyes on finishing my 4 years of college while majoring in nursing and minoring in Infant & Toddler Specialization. As I go through these years, I plan to commit myself in showing my dedication in hopes that my work will pay off and be shown through the action of becoming a nurse. The field of nursing can be demanding as well as challenging. However, I know that I must keep my eyes set on the main goal at hand. To get rid of the large problem of POC mother and infant loss, I advocate for POC families by sharing their stories with the community I surround myself with. I also plan to use my knowledge, gained through my college years, to assist said mothers and their families not only by becoming a nurse myself but by encouraging other nurses to advocate for their patients as well. Using word of mouth and social media, we can actively make more people aware of this problem in hopes of taking care of and saving POC families just like we would for nonPOC families.

Can you imagine being the ripe age of 8 and helping take care of your newborn little sister? Not to say that I was the sole person taking care of her, however, I would say that I spent a lot of time helping my parents do things like feed, play and change her just because I liked to. From then on out I think that I figured out about the fact that I loved babies. But then three years later, my older sister had a child of her own. And boy did I love that. Now here I am, a freshman in college, with a nephew and another little sister who came a few years later. I say all of this, just to help ground the fact that I have been helping take care of children for as long as I can remember. A specific memory that amazed me the most is the time when me and my sister were laying on our soft, brown couch at home. She was laying on her back with her round basketball belly out for show, examining my niece doing what we supposed was gymnastics inside of her body. I recall being so fascinated by how the human body can develop a whole new living being that could turn out to do so many different things. From this experience along with my many experiences with kids, I realized that I really wanted to be a nurse. Another thing that I love just as much as children, is gymnastics. I had done it as a child but didn't get to show my expertise in my the sport as I had to withdraw from it due to financial reasons. Because of this, I was very excited to learn that the gym i use to practice at was hiring. So, during my last few years of high school, I was able to teach children my favorite sport. You can only imagine how much I adored that job. Simultaneously, I was deeply influenced by the very intriguing facts I learned pertaining how the women of colour were being treated in the healthcare system. I had heard a few stories from women of colour, pointedly, black women, who were undoubtedly mistreated by their nurses and doctors who were present during their time giving birth in the hospital. Although I have never physically seen these experiences first hand or have heard of them by my own family, there are many stories that showcase the fact that black women, especially, get denied treatment because of racial stereotypes and discrimination. Which could definitely be related to why there are higher rates of infant and mother loss in this specific race. This is just the sad reality of the day and age that we live in. I highly believe that there is a much higher need for black and people of colour, like myself, in the healthcare system in general. I am determined to help many more mothers and their families feel comfortable while they embark on one of the most influential moments that an individual can go through. Tie in my love for babies and one can see why I would love to go into the field of nursing.

For many years as a child, I dreamed of becoming a photographer and youtube influencer. I was obsessed with nature and all things natural and wanted to capture it in real time. I wanted to take photos that made people feel emotions that they've never felt before. In addition to this I wanted to show others the kind of person I was. Seeing many other influencers with high quality cameras to share content made me very eager. I even asked my parents for a camera and even made a list of all of the cameras that I would really like but also thought that my parents could purchase. I eventually got a camera but the dream dwindled away as I got older. It was around this time that I discovered that I loved children and babies. For a large majority of my life, I have been surrounded by children. At the ripe age of 8, my parents had a little baby girl so at this moment they had 4 children to take care of which, in addition to the new baby, included me, my little brother and my older sister. Because of this I took up the role of helping my parents with my little sister. I would say that I spent a lot of time helping my parents do things like feed, play and change her just because I liked to. From then on out I think that I figured out about the fact that I loved babies. But then three years later, my older sister had a child of her own. And boy did I love that. Now here I am with a nephew and another little sister who came a few years later. A specific memory that amazed me the most is the time when me and my sister were laying on our soft, brown couch at home. She was laying on her back with her round basketball belly out for show, examining my niece doing what we supposed was gymnastics inside of her body. I recall being so fascinated by how the human body can develop a whole new living being that could turn out to do so many different things. From this experience along with my many experiences with kids, I realised that I wanted to be a nurse. When my family started asking what I wanted to do with my life after high school, they were very pleased to find out that I wanted to go to college for nursing. Very few members of my family even got the opportunity to go to college let alone had a job that was even remotely in the healthcare field. So, the family support was through the roof which helped solidified my hope to become a nurse. My family was more than willing to help me on my new journey through life and have been helpful of many things at this time. As I am a freshman in college at Ball State, people like my mother and grandmother have worked to push and encourage me especially in the many hard times I've had. The nursing program can be very overwhelming at times especially making sure you can even get in. Seeing the amount of individuals around me that have decided to move on to different careers because of such difficulty has certainly shown a certain gloom over my desire to become a nurse. However, with their support I have been able to stay on my own track and am determined to push through the adversities to become my version of successful.

Can you imagine being the ripe age of 8 and helping take care of your newborn little sister? Not to say that I was the sole person taking care of her, however, I would say that I spent a lot of time helping my parents do things like feed, play and change her just because I liked to. From then on out I think that I figured out about the fact that I loved babies. But then three years later, my older sister had a child of her own. And boy did I love that. Now here I am with a nephew and another little sister who came a few years later. I say all of this, just to help ground the fact that I have been helping take care of children for as long as I can remember. A specific memory I have that amazed me the most is the time when me and my sister were laying on our soft, brown couch at home. She was laying on her back with her round basketball size belly out for show, examining my niece doing what we supposed was gymnastics inside of her body. I recall being so fascinated by how the human body can develop a whole new living being that could turn out to do so many different things. From this experience along with my many experiences with kids, I realized that I wanted to be a nurse. Specifically, a labor and delivery or mother and baby nurse. I was also deeply influenced by the very intriguing facts I learned during my four years of high school. I had heard a few stories from women of colour, pointedly, black women, who were undoubtedly mistreated by their nurses and doctors who were present during their time giving birth in the hospital. Although I have never physically seen these experiences first hand or have heard of them by my own family, there are many stories that showcase the fact that black women, especially, get denied treatment because of racial stereotypes and discrimination. Which could definitely be related to why there are higher rates of infant and mother loss in this specific race. This is just the sad reality of the day and age that we live. I highly believe that there is a much higher need for black and people of colour, like myself, in the healthcare system in general. I am determined to help many more mothers and their families feel comfortable while they embark on one of the most influential moments that an individual can go through. Tie in my love for babies and one can see why I would love to go into the field of obstetrics.

Adversity in my life has come in so many different ways. Which includes my car breaking down and not having a working vehicle to use to get from place to place. It includes struggling to have a relationship with my family and to share my feelings with them at all. It includes having to reteach myself how to love and cherish every part of who I am when there were so many supposed reasons that were working to show me the exact opposite. All of those instances involved me having to step in and persevere. Every time there is an obstacle placed in my path I was telling myself that if I want to become the most powerful and successful version of myself then I would have to make sure that they didn’t break me down by giving myself grace. Telling myself every time I felt discouraged that the only way I could become the strongly devoted woman that I wanted to be was to deal with those problems as they come but also a day at a time. Take the hardship and difficulty as they are and accept that it is the way of life. The only thing left to do is to do all that I can to ensure that the future that I have set for myself comes into fruition. Doing such things has kept me as positive as I can be and ready for what adversities life has to throw in my direction next. I’m hoping that in the future, I can help women, specifically women of color, cherish the first moments they have with their child whether it is their first birth or their last. Witnessing my sister go through quick and painless births but hearing so many stories of other women having the worst experience of their lives is absolutely heartbreaking. The discrimination and lack of access to good quality healthcare is way more prevalent to women of color during childbirth and with this being the most crucial moments of a woman's life, it should not be the case. Adding more difficulties to this already stressful time will only cause more pain and suffering. During my sister’s stay in the hospital, I watched as doctors walked her through step by step, addressed every concern that she had, and made sure that she was the most comfortable. I hope that I can help women so that they know that they can confide in me to help their experience be one of the best they have in their entire life. Especially aiding the women that have a similar complexion to my own, which would not only ease their minds but also mine as I know that we are now being properly taken care of in the way that we should have been all along. When given the opportunity to give comfort instead of enforcing adversity, I plan on taking advantage of it and putting my capabilities to full force. I will need to continue to push through my own adversities in order to certify no woman goes through any during my care. The care that my sister received is achievable everywhere and it starts with more like me.

Throughout my high school years, I have spent the time falling for the nursing field. To be specific, the world of labor & delivery has gained the most interest to me. Not only does my life inside of school encourage me to know more but the life outside of it does as well. What sparked my attention to L&D nursing was the child development class I took freshman year. It started with me filling up extra space that I had when needing to meet my credits with an easy class that had little to no homework. But then, it turned out to be me spending my time in an easy but entertaining class that appeared to have me on the edge of my seat. This is when I decided that nursing was what I wanted to do. Therefore, I joined what my school called Project Lead the Way (PLTW) science courses as they would help prepare me while also giving a little bit of an inside look at what the health field would truly bring. My suspicions of my abilities to go through with this career were only confirmed when I thought of the outside experience that I had already gained with children. You can ask anyone around me, and they will tell you that wherever I go, there is a child trotting not too far behind. From watching little siblings to teaching those that were barely out of diapers, it has become a part of me to care for the little ones around me. So, it was also not a surprise when I told everyone that I wanted to go into some sort of childcare nursing. Not only do I have a tiny bit of experience, I would also have the opportunity to help my community. Nursing gives me a chance to support the black community where there is very few people involved. Considering the fact that there aren't many black nurses in the labor & delivery field alone and many black women are not treated fairly while they are in the so-called safe space of a hospital or clinic, it is safe to say that black nurses are in a high demand. It if important to me to ensure that these black female patients and their offspring are treated with the utmost respect and that their needs and wants aren't just pushed aside because of someone's racial beliefs or preferences. It absolutely warms my heart to envision myself as being a black female nurse that takes pride in helping her patients leave the hospital with the best experience they will ever have while being in the hospital. I feel it is the least we could do especially for women who have spent their last few months preparing to give birth to a human being. With that being said, obtaining my bachelor’s degree in nursing is my ultimate goal not only for myself but in order to help others too. Even though this major tends to be very rigorous, by using my determination and deep love for my community nothing will stand in my way.

I get so excited when I see a black owned business getting opened, so when one popped up in my town, you know I had to try it. And it was amazing getting to see people that look like me as the face of an operation in a town where there aren’t many of us. When COVID hit, many small black owned businesses all over the country had to close or shut down in order to stop the spread of the virus. I know that this hurt a lot of people because they weren’t getting money or any income from this and they already do not get as much recognition as they should. But now that things have settled into our new normal the same businesses are back and I am ready to support them and many more. I like to advocate for black businesses by finding as many as I can, hopefully buying from them, and sharing their talent in hopes that they gain a lot more customers. It is important that we recognize all of their hard work and dedication they put into their shop. I have my own business myself called Sunshine’s Works. I know ,first hand, the many struggles that business owners must deal with when beginning a business. It kicks off really well with many orders and then it just stills for a long while. The only people really buying your items are family. Not that it is a bad thing, you just wish more people would come to you. Next thing you know it’s been a year with little to no sells at all and you’re having to find more and more ideas to catch someone’s attention. I would love for more people to support and advocate for me, so why not support other people so they aren’t struggling as I was. To implement this, I like to go to and participate in pop up shops specifically. It is really fun to see what people are coming up with these days. Especially, when seeing the stores with very common items such as jewelry, candles, purses, etc. It’s fun to see how creative people are with their business and how they make it they’re own. Which is quite notable in those of the black community. Everything we create is unique! I try to buy something from at least 3 of the shops that are at the pop up shops so that the owner knows that people WILL buy their items and that there is hope that they will be the next known name brand. Now more than ever, is a time where we don’t know if we will live to see another day because some people think that they are so superior to us and that we are the trash that they leave on the curb outside of the gas station. It is time that we show everyone that they can no longer step on us like we are nothing because we are in fact something. We are just as powerful if not more powerful than they are. We will not be pushed to the ground because they don’t like the color of our skin. Therefore, helping black-owned businesses gain representation and support while everyone is coming out of the harsh times left by COVID will do just that.