Rushing to Urgent Care at 10:00 pm with a sliced finger in need of stitches does not present as a pleasant situation, but sitting on the crinkly table breathing in the smell of antiseptic, I felt at ease. It was a regular Wednesday night until I clumsily lost my grip on a glass jar, leaving my previously intact pinky finger a mess of blood. Instead of spending the rest of my night studying for a test at school the next day, I sat in a cold waiting room, hoping it would be a painless fix. Unfortunately, it wasn’t, but the experience was one I will never forget due to the immense kindness and compassion of the nurses. They chatted with me while they cleaned the wound, taking my mind off the pain of my injury, and repeatedly inquired as to how I was feeling, eager to take care of my every need. They exponentially surpassed their duties in patient care, making my visit an incredibly positive experience. I will be attending Edson College of Nursing and Healthcare Innovation at Arizona State University in the fall to obtain my BSN and become an RN. Having been a dream of mine for the past few years, I am beyond excited to make it a reality. For me, the appeal of nursing lies in the ability to help patients in their most vulnerable moments. Nobody expects a medical diagnosis until it becomes their reality, and that reality can be incredibly frightening. It takes an empathetic team of healthcare professionals to smooth the rocky road that lies ahead of a patient. Being that nurses spend more time with patients than any other medical staff, they have the greatest opportunity to put a patient at ease and bring them comfort and stability. Although my healthcare experience has been a generally positive one, there have been occasions where I wished that my nurses would have acted with more empathy for my vulnerabilities. I get very anxious in medical settings, so any trip to see a doctor is very daunting. It is in these situations that I think about how I can use my nursing degree to help others like me by simply showing empathy and validating their feelings, which are real. A kind gesture and comforting word will not cure a patient, but it will make their healing journey a positive one, and that to me is such an important aspect of care. I am so beyond thankful to be attending nursing school which will G-d willing give me the daily opportunity to make an impact on the lives of others. It is scholarship donors like you that make these dreams and aspirations possible. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Rushing to Urgent Care at 10:00 pm with a sliced finger in need of stitches does not present as a pleasant situation, but sitting on the crinkly table breathing in the smell of antiseptic, I felt at ease. It was a regular Wednesday night until I clumsily lost my grip on a glass jar, leaving my previously intact pinky finger a mess of blood. Instead of spending the rest of my night studying for a test at school the next day, I sat in a cold waiting room, hoping it would be a painless fix. Unfortunately, it wasn’t, but the experience was one I will never forget due to the immense kindness and compassion of the nurses. They chatted with me while they cleaned the wound, taking my mind off the pain of my injury, and repeatedly inquired as to how I was feeling, eager to take care of my every need. They exponentially surpassed their duties in patient care, making my visit an incredibly positive experience. I will be attending Edson College of Nursing and Healthcare Innovation at Arizona State University in the fall to obtain my BSN and become an RN. Having been a dream of mine for the past few years, I am beyond excited to make it a reality. For me, the appeal of nursing lies in the ability to help patients in their most vulnerable moments. Nobody expects a medical diagnosis until it becomes their reality, and that reality can be incredibly frightening. It takes an empathetic team of healthcare professionals to smooth the rocky road that lies ahead of a patient. Being that nurses spend more time with patients than any other medical staff, they have the greatest opportunity to put a patient at ease and bring them comfort and stability. Although my healthcare experience has been a generally positive one, there have been occasions where I wished that my nurses would have acted with more empathy for my vulnerabilities. I get very anxious in medical settings, so any trip to see a doctor is very daunting. It is in these situations that I think about how I can use my nursing degree to help others like me by simply showing empathy and validating their feelings, which are real. A kind gesture and comforting word will not cure a patient, but it will make their healing journey a positive one, and that to me is such an important aspect of care. I am so beyond thankful to be attending nursing school which will G-d willing give me the daily opportunity to make an impact on the lives of others. It is scholarship donors like you that make these dreams and aspirations possible. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Rushing to Urgent Care at 10:00 pm with a sliced finger in need of stitches does not present as a pleasant situation, but sitting on the crinkly table breathing in the smell of antiseptic, I felt at ease. It was a regular Wednesday night until I clumsily lost my grip on a glass jar, leaving my previously intact pinky finger a mess of blood. Instead of spending the rest of my night studying for a test at school the next day, I sat in a cold waiting room, hoping it would be a painless fix. Unfortunately, it wasn’t, but the experience was one I will never forget due to the immense kindness and compassion of the nurses. They chatted with me while they cleaned the wound, taking my mind off the pain of my injury, and repeatedly inquired as to how I was feeling, eager to take care of my every need. They exponentially surpassed their duties in patient care, making my visit an incredibly positive experience. I will be attending Edson College of Nursing and Healthcare Innovation at Arizona State University in the fall to obtain my BSN and become an RN. Having been a dream of mine for the past few years, I am beyond excited to make it a reality. For me, the appeal of nursing lies in the ability to help patients in their most vulnerable moments. Nobody expects a medical diagnosis until it becomes their reality, and that reality can be incredibly frightening. It takes an empathetic team of healthcare professionals to smooth the rocky road that lies ahead of a patient. Being that nurses spend more time with patients than any other medical staff, they have the greatest opportunity to put a patient at ease and bring them comfort and stability. Although my healthcare experience has been a generally positive one, there have been occasions where I wished that my nurses would have acted with more empathy for my vulnerabilities. I get very anxious in medical settings, so any trip to see a doctor is very daunting. It is in these situations that I think about how I can use my nursing degree to help others like me by simply showing empathy and validating their feelings, which are real. A kind gesture and comforting word will not cure a patient, but it will make their healing journey a positive one, and that to me is such an important aspect of care. I am so beyond thankful to be attending nursing school which will G-d willing give me the daily opportunity to make an impact on the lives of others. It is scholarship donors like you that make these dreams and aspirations possible. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Life without my grandmother stood in stark contrast to the happy-go-lucky years spent enjoying her company. She was such a constant presence in my life that I almost believed I would never lose her. She unconditionally devoted herself to me and my four sisters, living close to us even as our family relocated from state to state. I don’t remember her ever missing a family event, be it a birthday, graduation, or Jewish holiday. She put up with our inexhaustible antics at her house, sitting through our hour-long fashion shows or listening to us belt off-key to our favorite songs. When I was sick, she would sit with me and tell me stories: to younger me, it was some variation of Winnie-the Pooh, but as I got older it was a detailing of her travels across Europe. She spoiled us as only grandmothers can, buying us treats and other goodies. She embodied the importance of family, making it a priority despite the chaos that frequently accompanies it. I felt like the luckiest girl to have such an awesome grandmother. She was truly irreplaceable. In December of 2020, she passed away. It was a rough time for me and my family as we came to terms with her absence. However, her legacy remained a comfort and inspiration to me, reminding me of what a strong, motivated, and independent woman she was beyond her role as a grandmother. She attended Queens College in the 1950s but had to withdraw early due to a family situation. However, this did not stop her from chasing after her career dreams. She worked as a deputy sheriff in the 1960s, a role very few other women occupied during that period. Many years later, she became a legal administrator at a law firm in L.A., a profession mainly delegated to men. She refused to throw her dreams away simply because of her status as a woman without a full college education and taught me to do the same no matter the circumstances. Being a senior in high school, my goal is to attend nursing school and obtain my BSN. No matter how daunting it may seem, I am motivated to see it through and achieve my dreams because of my grandmother’s example of perseverance and grit. If she could accomplish what she did with much less available opportunity, I have no doubt that I can attain my goal. It is with her in mind that I continue on in my education and thank the lucky stars for having been blessed with the most remarkable grandmother.

Rushing to Urgent Care at 9:00 pm with a sliced finger in need of stitches does not present as a pleasant situation, but sitting on the crinkly table breathing in the smell of antiseptic, I felt at ease. It was a regular Wednesday night until I clumsily lost my grip on a glass jar, leaving my previously intact pinky finger a mess of blood. Instead of spending the rest of my night studying for a test the next day, I sat in a cold waiting room, hoping it would be a painless fix. Unfortunately, it wasn’t, but the experience was one I will never forget due to the immense kindness and devotion of the nurses. They chatted with me while they cleaned the wound, taking my mind off the pain of my injury, and repeatedly inquired as to how I was feeling, eager to take care of my every need. They exponentially surpassed their duties in patient care, making my visit an incredibly positive experience. My dream is to be a nurse so that I can provide my patients with the care they deserve, just as those nurses did for me. From a young age, I knew I wanted to work in the healthcare profession, but only recently decided on nursing. Nurses often spend far more time with their patients than any other healthcare worker, allowing them to form relationships with them on a deeper level. This provides them with a better understanding of the patient’s needs, whether that may be administering medication or providing emotional support. This aspect of nursing really spoke to me because I am passionate about giving to others by providing support to those in need. A few years ago, well before the sliced finger fiasco, I underwent a minor procedure at Phoenix Children’s Hospital. Having never experienced anything like it before, I was pretty nervous. However, the nurses were by my side from the moment I arrived until the moment I left, making sure I was comfortable and relaxed. They answered any questions I had and even brought me warm blankets. I remember their comforting words as I was wheeled into the operating room, imbuing within me a sense of calm that everything would be okay. I have been greatly impacted by many nurses in my experience as a patient and feel privileged to use my future nursing career to make a difference in the lives of others. To me, nursing is not just about meeting the basic needs of patients, it is about going the extra mile to provide them with top-tier care. This can mean greeting them with a smile and a simple “how are you?”, or offering consolation throughout a distressing time. I hope that through my nursing career, I can make a positive impact on the world by devoting myself to my patients and showing them unconditional kindness. I am beyond grateful for this scholarship opportunity and hope it will propel me toward making my dreams a reality.

The song that has the most important message to me is "Marjorie" by Taylor Swift. She wrote this song about her late maternal grandmother, Marjorie Finlay, who encouraged her to pursue her music career. The eloquent verses provoke a sense of nostalgia as she recalls the vivid memories and tidbits of wisdom that her grandmother imbued within her and the regret that she had not fully appreciated the insight she had to offer. My maternal grandmother was a big part of my childhood and early teenage years. She passed away in December 2020 but remains alive in my memories. She was an inspiration to my sisters and I, encompassing what it meant to be a strong, independent, and family-oriented woman. She worked as a sheriff during a time when not many women had jobs, and was later employed at a successful law firm. Additionally, since my toddler years, she had been a constant presence in my life, whether that meant telling me stories for hours on end or sitting through the so-called “fashion shows” my sisters and I put on for her. Despite the messes and chaos that accompany family life, she made it a priority and I am forever grateful to her for that. I share some of the regret Taylor expresses in her song, knowing that my grandmother had abundant wisdom to offer accumulated in her 87 years of life, yet I did not fully take advantage of it. Nevertheless, this song speaks the lesson of keeping the memories of our deceased loved ones alive and I hope to do so for my grandmother and carry on her legacy. Her life remains an inspiration for me, and as Taylor expresses so beautifully, her memory “alive in my head.”

My favorite Disney character is Baymax from Big Hero 6. The first time I watched the movie, I couldn’t help but fall in love with him. He is initially created by Tadashi Hamada to provide healthcare to those in need but becomes so much more than that for Tadashi’s brother, Hiro, after Tadashi is killed in a fire. He is Hiro’s closest companion, working alongside him to track down the villain of the movie, Dr. Callaghan, and saving him and his group of friends from harm in countless situations. But more than that is his endearing personality and childlike innocence, paired with his genuine desire to assist others, which attracts the adoration of viewers. He is programmed to help people, and therefore better the world. Because of this, he will not harm anyone or anything. He is a purely good being, and to me represents the potential good and purity of humanity that can be achieved through caring for others selflessly and making them feel loved. I aspire to be a nurse, through which I can make a difference in the world by taking care of others every day I have the opportunity. I want to devote myself to my patients and provide them with the best care possible, while simultaneously making them feel genuinely cared for. However, I understand that my dream of changing the world is extremely ambitious, as it likely won’t be my actions that tip the scale, but I believe that the world can be impacted when a group of people work together to change it. In the movie Big Hero 6, Baymax is part of a group of six heroes, including Hiro, who work to rid the world of villains and make it a safer place for others. An example of this in my life is an organization I volunteer for, called Friendship Circle, which is a program for children and adults with special needs, where they can come hang out for a few hours with teen volunteers who spend one-on-one time with them, making them feel special and loved. It is so cool to see so many people come together to make a difference for the special needs community, one person at a time. To me, although a fictional character, Baymax is a representation of genuine caring for others, which I believe has the power to change the world for the good.