I am currently pursuing my goal of becoming a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP), driven by a deep commitment to addressing health disparities and the mental health crisis in underserved minority communities. My journey to this point has been shaped by personal experiences, an unwavering desire to make a difference, and a series of pivotal moments that clarified my path toward nursing. Growing up in Detroit, Michigan, I witnessed firsthand how a lack of mental health resources and poor coping strategies impacted my community. Many individuals, are grappling with untreated mental health disorders, turned to substance use or expressed their pain through aggression, perpetuating cycles of trauma and hardship. Leaving Detroit to pursue higher education exposed me to environments where mental health resources were more accessible, which highlighted the disparities in care and inspired me to take action. Initially, I was unsure of the best way to address these issues. However, my “aha” moment came while working in a clinical setting, where I observed how compassionate and well-informed mental health care could transform lives. I saw patients regain hope and stability with the right tools and support. I realized that nursing offered a unique opportunity to combine clinical expertise with the ability to build meaningful connections with patients and deliver culturally competent care. This realization solidified my decision to pursue a career in psychiatric nursing. Returning to school to advance my education has been both challenging and rewarding, but my experiences have only deepened my commitment to this path. I am eager to earn my master’s degree as a PMHNP at Yale University, where I can further develop the skills needed to serve my community effectively. My ultimate goal is to create a nonprofit organization that empowers the youth of Detroit by providing education on mental health, implementing coping strategies, and offering trauma-informed care. I also plan to collaborate with local schools, community centers, and health organizations to expand access to mental health resources and foster lasting change. While I understand that the challenges in Detroit extend far beyond what one person can address, I am motivated to make a difference—one life at a time. I believe that by breaking cycles of trauma and fostering resilience, I can contribute to a healthier and more hopeful future for my community. This journey has been shaped by perseverance and purpose, and I am excited to continue turning my vision into reality.

Growing up in Detroit, Michigan, in a low-income household taught me resilience and perseverance in the face of challenges. Witnessing my parent's unwavering determination to provide for our family instilled in me the importance of hard work and resourcefulness. At the same time, I saw how systemic inequities and a lack of mental health resources contributed to cycles of hardship in my community, inspiring me to break those cycles for others. These life experiences have shaped my passion for addressing health disparities in underserved communities, particularly around mental health and substance use disorders. I am committed to combating the stigma surrounding mental health by creating safe spaces for open dialogue, promoting mental health literacy, and providing trauma-informed care. Currently, I am pursuing my goal of becoming a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) at Yale University. By advancing my education and gaining clinical experience. I also volunteer in community outreach programs, working with vulnerable populations to address mental health challenges and advocate for accessible care. My ultimate aim is to establish a nonprofit organization in Detroit that empowers youth with the tools to process emotions and adopt healthy coping strategies. By combining evidence-based approaches with culturally sensitive care, I hope to reduce the reliance on substances as a coping mechanism and build resilience within the community. Through my dedication and lived experience, I aspire to break multigenerational cycles of trauma and foster a healthier, more hopeful future for Detroit.

I am deeply committed to addressing health disparities within underserved minority communities, particularly by combating the stigma surrounding mental health. Society often associates vulnerability with weakness—a misconception that must be deconditioned to create meaningful change. Growing up in Detroit, Michigan, I witnessed firsthand the challenges my community faces due to poor coping strategies passed down through generations and a lack of accessible resources. Many individuals in Detroit struggle to manage their mental health, often turning to substance use as a misguided solution or expressing their pain through aggression, which can lead to violence. These patterns have profoundly impacted the community, perpetuating cycles of trauma and hardship. Leaving my hometown opened my eyes to the depth of these issues and inspired me to take action. I am eager to pursue a Master’s degree as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) at Yale University. My ultimate goal is to establish a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering the youth of Detroit with the tools they need to better understand and care for their mental health. As a PMHNP, I will focus on developing community-based programs that prioritize early intervention and prevention. These programs will teach evidence-based coping strategies, provide trauma-informed care, and deliver mental health education tailored to the unique cultural and social dynamics of Detroit. I aim to create safe spaces where individuals can discuss their struggles openly, access resources, and feel empowered to seek help without stigma. Additionally, I plan to implement initiatives targeting substance use disorders, which are closely intertwined with untreated mental health conditions. Through medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for substance abuse, individual and group therapy, and harm reduction strategies, I hope to reduce the prevalence of addiction in the community. Collaborating with schools, community centers, and local organizations will help extend these services to populations most in need, particularly vulnerable youth. While I recognize that the challenges in Detroit extend far beyond what one person can address, I am committed to making a difference—one life at a time. Saving even one child from the cycle of trauma would be deeply meaningful, as I believe that child could inspire hope and lead by example, ultimately influencing others. I hold high aspirations of breaking multigenerational cycles of trauma and fostering a healthier, more resilient future for the people of Detroit. By dedicating myself to this cause, I hope to ignite positive change that will ripple through the current generation and beyond.

Everyone’s journey is unique in its own way and you must learn to embrace YOUR journey. Being a non-traditional student has shaped my career and has pushed me beyond the limitations that I had set for myself. I was the first person in my family to graduate from high school and college. I am currently pursuing a Masters degree at Yale University. This would not have been possible if it wasn't for my family’s unwavering support and love. My father moved from Chicago to Detroit by himself at the age of 13 and my mother had her first child at 16 years old.  I never faulted my parents for not obtaining an education because they made the best decisions based on the options they had. My 3 older brothers did not graduate high school, but they have always held me accountable for my actions. They ensured that I stayed on the right path by not allowing our environment to weigh in on my decision-making. I am proud to say that I have become the first person in my family to graduate from high school and college. I earned my Bachelor of Science in Nursing while being a student-athlete. Unfortunately, I graduated during the COVID-19 pandemic and was not able to pursue my dreams of playing football due to the world being shut down. Instead, I utilized my nursing degree and decided to work in the intensive care unit to help fight against the pandemic. The ICU has shaped the foundation for my nursing career. It has taught me that you can do everything in your power, but there is no guarantee of an outcome going in your favor. Most importantly, it has taught me life skills such as leadership, patience, persistence, and advocate for those that are in need.  In hindsight, the pandemic has ultimately worked in my favor. It has allowed me to develop nursing skills and find my true passion besides floor nursing. Being a non-traditional student I feel that I am prepared to pursue my goal of becoming a Psych Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. Upon graduating, I aim to make a change in underserved communities by developing a non-profit organization that will contribute to helping individuals who are suffering from trauma and/or substance abuse. For the past 4 years, I have been gaining experience as a nurse and working with some of the best physicians/practitioners in the area. The knowledge and experience that I’ve gained will directly translate into my studies as well as my career upon graduating.  Since graduating from college this has inspired both of my parents to earn their General Education Diploma (GED) and I could not be more proud of them. Other than making an impact on my community and other underserved communities. I want to be a pioneer for my family and create a new standard for the next generation, with hopes of them surpassing my success and creating an abundance of opportunities for our lineage.

I have reached a point where I can no longer ignore my calling as a nurse. I now understand that things that are meant to be will enter your life with little to no confusion. At a young age I discovered my talent for playing football, that same childhood dream eventually came to fruition after many years of discipline and dedication. Right when I began to live out my childhood dream as a professional athlete that very dream was cut short due to an injury. During my undergraduate years, I was fortunate enough to excel on the field and in the classroom. I was able to earn my bachelor's degree in nursing from the University of Charleston because I felt that my purpose was greater than football. I was recently realigned with my passion for nursing. After working in the intensive care unit during the pandemic as a new graduate within 2 years I experienced burnout early in my career. My experience in the ICU has taught me that healthcare professionals often overlook patients with mental health disorders. Patients who displayed clinical signs of mental health disorders were usually ignored or sedated. Yes, sedation keeps the patient safe throughout the shift, but it does not treat the underlying problem. Unfortunately, patients' conditions were dismissed because of the lack of awareness from healthcare providers. This contributed to my passion for mental health nursing and it gave me the courage to advocate for patients that were not able to advocate for themselves. I would like to become and create resources within underserved minority communities by fighting against health disparities. I aim to help change the stigma mental health has in underserved communities. Society mistakenly associates vulnerability with weakness. This way of thinking is unrealistic and must be deconditioned from our minds to make a change. It was not until I left my hometown that I realized how damaged and misled the city of Detroit, Michigan has become. This is primarily due to poor coping strategies adopted from the previous generation along with not having resources within the environment. Sadly, many people within the community of Detroit have decided to cope with their mental health disorders by relying on substances with the belief that it would be a solution for their problems. Unfortunately, others expressed their feelings with aggression resulting in violence. These decisions have altered the community of Detroit for the worse and at this moment there are not many resources available to address these concerns. I am eager to wholeheartedly pursue my Master's degree as a Psych Mental Health Nurse Practitioner at Yale University. Upon earning my degree I would love to pour back into my community by creating a non-profit organization that will help the youth develop a better understanding of their mental health. I plan on doing so by implementing coping strategies and also educating patients on the proper ways of processing and identifying their emotions. Detroit will require a lot more work than I will be able to provide. As long as I can contribute and do my part then I will be grateful for the opportunity. Saving one child out of thousands will mean the world to me because not only will it give hope to this current generation, but I anticipate that the same child will lead by example and influence others. I have high hopes of breaking multigenerational trauma with the expectations of bettering the current generation as well as generations to come.

I have reached a point where I can no longer ignore my calling as a nurse. I now understand that things that are meant to be will enter your life with little to no confusion. At a young age I discovered my talent for playing football, that same childhood dream eventually came to fruition after many years of discipline and dedication. Right when I began to live out my childhood dream as a professional athlete that very dream was cut short due to an injury. During my undergraduate years, I was fortunate enough to excel on the field and in the classroom. I was able to earn my bachelor's degree in nursing from the University of Charleston because I felt that my purpose was greater than football. I was recently realigned with my passion for nursing. After working in the intensive care unit during the pandemic as a new graduate within 2 years I experienced burnout early in my career. My experience in the ICU has taught me that healthcare professionals often overlook patients with mental health disorders. Patients who displayed clinical signs of mental health disorders were usually ignored or sedated. Yes, sedation keeps the patient safe throughout the shift, but it does not treat the underlying problem. Unfortunately, patients' conditions were dismissed because of the lack of awareness from healthcare providers. This contributed to my passion for mental health nursing and it gave me the courage to advocate for patients that were not able to advocate for themselves. I would like to become and create resources within underserved minority communities by fighting against health disparities. I aim to help change the stigma mental health has in underserved communities. Society mistakenly associates vulnerability with weakness. This way of thinking is unrealistic and must be deconditioned from our minds to make a change. It was not until I left my hometown that I realized how damaged and misled the city of Detroit, Michigan has become. This is primarily due to poor coping strategies adopted from the previous generation along with not having resources within the environment. Sadly, many people within the community of Detroit have decided to cope with their mental health disorders by relying on substances with the belief that it would be a solution for their problems. Unfortunately, others expressed their feelings with aggression resulting in violence. These decisions have altered the community of Detroit for the worse and at this moment there are not many resources available to address these concerns. I am eager to wholeheartedly pursue my Master's degree as a Psych Mental Health Nurse Practitioner at Yale University. Upon earning my degree I would love to pour back into my community by creating a non-profit organization that will help the youth develop a better understanding of their mental health. I plan on doing so by implementing coping strategies and also educating patients on the proper ways of processing and identifying their emotions. Detroit will require a lot more work than I will be able to provide. As long as I can contribute and do my part then I will be grateful for the opportunity. Saving one child out of thousands will mean the world to me because not only will it give hope to this current generation, but I anticipate that the same child will lead by example and influence others. I have high hopes of breaking multigenerational trauma with the expectations of bettering the current generation as well as generations to come.

I have reached a point where I can no longer ignore my calling as a nurse. I now understand that things that are meant to be will enter your life with little to no confusion. At a young age I discovered my talent for playing football, that same childhood dream eventually came to fruition after many years of discipline and dedication. Right when I began to live out my childhood dream as a professional athlete that very dream was cut short due to an injury. During my undergraduate years, I was fortunate enough to excel on the field and in the classroom. I was able to earn my bachelor's degree in nursing from the University of Charleston because I felt that my purpose was greater than football. I was recently realigned with my passion for nursing. After working in the intensive care unit during the pandemic as a new graduate within 2 years I experienced burnout early in my career. My experience in the ICU has taught me that healthcare professionals often overlook patients with mental health disorders. Patients who displayed clinical signs of mental health disorders were usually ignored or sedated. Yes, sedation keeps the patient safe throughout the shift, but it does not treat the underlying problem. Unfortunately, patients' conditions were dismissed because of the lack of awareness from healthcare providers. This contributed to my passion for mental health nursing and it gave me the courage to advocate for patients that were not able to advocate for themselves. I would like to become and create resources within underserved minority communities by fighting against health disparities. I aim to help change the stigma mental health has in underserved communities. Society mistakenly associates vulnerability with weakness. This way of thinking is unrealistic and must be deconditioned from our minds to make a change. It was not until I left my hometown that I realized how damaged and misled the city of Detroit, Michigan has become. This is primarily due to poor coping strategies adopted from the previous generation along with not having resources within the environment. Sadly, many people within the community of Detroit have decided to cope with their mental health disorders by relying on substances with the belief that it would be a solution for their problems. Unfortunately, others expressed their feelings with aggression resulting in violence. These decisions have altered the community of Detroit for the worse and at this moment there are not many resources available to address these concerns. I am eager to wholeheartedly pursue my Master's degree as a Psych Mental Health Nurse Practitioner at Yale University. Upon earning my degree I would love to pour back into my community by creating a non-profit organization that will help the youth develop a better understanding of their mental health. I plan on doing so by implementing coping strategies and also educating patients on the proper ways of processing and identifying their emotions. Detroit will require a lot more work than I will be able to provide. As long as I can contribute and do my part then I will be grateful for the opportunity. Saving one child out of thousands will mean the world to me because not only will it give hope to this current generation, but I anticipate that the same child will lead by example and influence others. I have high hopes of breaking multigenerational trauma with the expectations of bettering the current generation as well as generations to come.

I was recently realigned with my passion for nursing. After working in the intensive care unit during the pandemic as a new graduate within 2 years I experienced burnout early in my career. My experience in the ICU has taught me that healthcare professionals often overlook patients with mental health disorders. Patients who displayed clinical signs of mental health disorders were usually ignored or sedated. Yes, sedation keeps the patient safe throughout the shift, but it does not treat the underlying problem. Unfortunately, patients' conditions were dismissed because of the lack of awareness from healthcare providers. This contributed to my passion for mental health nursing and it gave me the courage to advocate for patients that were not able to advocate for themselves. I would like to become and create resources within underserved minority communities by fighting against health disparities. I aim to help change the stigma mental health has in underserved communities. Society mistakenly associates vulnerability with weakness. This way of thinking is unrealistic and must be deconditioned from our minds to make a change. It was not until I left my hometown that I realized how damaged and misled the city of Detroit, Michigan has become. This is primarily due to poor coping strategies adopted from the previous generation along with not having resources within the environment. Sadly, many people within the community of Detroit have decided to cope with their mental health disorders by relying on substances with the belief that it would be a solution for their problems. Unfortunately, others expressed their feelings with aggression resulting in violence. These decisions have altered the community of Detroit for the worse and at this moment there are not many resources available to address these concerns. I am eager to wholeheartedly pursue my Master's degree as a Psych Mental Health Nurse Practitioner at Yale University. Upon earning my degree I would love to pour back into my community by creating a non-profit organization that will help the youth develop a better understanding of their mental health. I plan on doing so by implementing coping strategies and also educating patients on the proper ways of processing and identifying their emotions. I have high hopes of breaking multigenerational trauma with the expectations of bettering the current generation as well as generations to come.

I have reached a point where I can no longer ignore my calling as a nurse. I now understand that things that are meant to be will enter your life with little to no confusion. At a young age I discovered my talent for playing football, that same childhood dream eventually came to fruition after many years of discipline and dedication. Right when I began to live out my childhood dream as a professional athlete that very dream was cut short due to an injury. During my undergraduate years, I was fortunate enough to excel on the field and in the classroom. I was able to earn my bachelor's degree in nursing from the University of Charleston because I felt that my purpose was greater than football. I was recently realigned with my passion for nursing. After working in the intensive care unit during the pandemic as a new graduate within 2 years I experienced burnout early in my career. My experience in the ICU has taught me that healthcare professionals often overlook patients with mental health disorders. Patients who displayed clinical signs of mental health disorders were usually ignored or sedated. Yes, sedation keeps the patient safe throughout the shift, but it does not treat the underlying problem. Unfortunately, patients' conditions were dismissed because of the lack of awareness from healthcare providers. This contributed to my passion for mental health nursing and it gave me the courage to advocate for patients that were not able to advocate for themselves. I would like to become and create resources within underserved minority communities by fighting against health disparities. I aim to help change the stigma mental health has in underserved communities. Society mistakenly associates vulnerability with weakness. This way of thinking is unrealistic and must be deconditioned from our minds to make a change. It was not until I left my hometown that I realized how damaged and misled the city of Detroit, Michigan has become. This is primarily due to poor coping strategies adopted from the previous generation along with not having resources within the environment. Sadly, many people within the community of Detroit have decided to cope with their mental health disorders by relying on substances with the belief that it would be a solution for their problems. Unfortunately, others expressed their feelings with aggression resulting in violence. These decisions have altered the community of Detroit for the worse and at this moment there are not many resources available to address these concerns.  I am eager to wholeheartedly pursue my Master's degree as a Psych Mental Health Nurse Practitioner at Yale University. Upon earning my degree I would love to pour back into my community by creating a non-profit organization that will help the youth develop a better understanding of their mental health. I plan on doing so by implementing coping strategies and also educating patients on the proper ways of processing and identifying their emotions. Detroit will require a lot more work than I will be able to provide. As long as I can contribute and do my part then I will be grateful for the opportunity. Saving one child out of thousands will mean the world to me because not only will it give hope to this current generation, but I anticipate that the same child will lead by example and influence others. I have high hopes of breaking multigenerational trauma with the expectations of bettering the current generation as well as generations to come.