My Passion for Emergency Services and Community Involvement Nine years ago, I joined South Country Ambulance with a simple goal: to get patient care time to prepare me for nursing school. What I didn’t expect was how deeply I would fall in love with the work—especially the sense of purpose that comes from serving others in their most vulnerable moments. Over time, my passion grew beyond just emergency care. I quickly gained rank and became a lieutenant, the first and only female lieutenant in our department. I became increasingly aware of the emotional and psychological toll this job takes not only on our patients but on my fellow EMTs and first responders as well. I saw colleagues struggle after traumatic calls, often in silence, and it made me realize that mental health care is just as critical as physical first aid. Educational and Career Goals This realization led me to pursue a path that blends both emergency medicine and mental health. I’m currently furthering my education to become a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP). My goal is to take this specialized skill set back to the field—not only to become a more compassionate and effective EMT, but to be a trusted mental health resource for my South Country and EMS family. I want to bridge the gap between emergency response and emotional care, especially for those who are always expected to be strong. Mental health is often hidden away and ignored. I want to use my education to open doors and break barriers, use early recognition to help those in need. Positive Impact on the Community First responders often put others before themselves and rarely seek the help they need. With my training as a PMHNP, I aim to change that within my own ambulance company by offering free, confidential counseling to my coworkers. By doing so, I hope to foster a culture where mental health is openly discussed and prioritized. My ultimate goal is to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health in emergency services and create a support system that uplifts those who serve our communities every day. This journey started as a way to fund my education, but it has become a calling to serve on a deeper, more meaningful level—for my patients, my coworkers, and my community. Everyone you meet is fighting their own battle, whether it’s in their time of crisis and they called 911 or it’s the person responding to that 911 call putting aside all of their own needs to help someone in their community. I have the utmost respect for first responders, they put everything and everyone before themselves. I want to use my education to guide them to be able to navigate the most challenging moments. Receiving this scholarship would not only ease the financial burden of my education, but directly support my mission to give back in a way that is often overlooked. I am committed, driven, and ready to make a lasting difference in the lives of first responders and those we care for.