The drive behind everything I do revolves around mental health and being educated. Both of my parents are from Mexico. My mother learned how to speak English and got her G.E.D. while I was in high school. As for my dad, who is my stepdad, his highest level of education is middle school. When I and my other siblings would get our report cards, some of us were congratulated for great grades, while others (like me) were told "Persistence is your best trait" and "As long as you tried your best" because of the below-average scores. Today I am still that persistent, proud Mexican-American girl aiming to get a bachelor's degree in nursing science. Throughout my college years, I changed my mind about what career I was going for, nonetheless, I did not stop taking classes because I believe in higher education. As an adult in college, I have had to figure out what my learning style is and how to learn in different ways. One thing that college made more noticeable was the difficulty to stay focused. Several reasons made it hard for me to stay present. These reasons pointed to mental health concerns such as ADHD, depression, anxiety, and mood disorder. l I knew I had to do something to improve my mental health to fully be capable of comprehending assignments and lectures. Going to a therapist and a psychiatric nurse practitioner made my schooling and life flow greater than they did before. Getting help has inspired me to pursue a career where I can improve someone's overall health. As a first-generation Mexican-American, it is important to me that I set a great example for my people and be able to help Spanish speakers seeking medical help and being emotionally supported. My current goal is to attend Chamberlain University in Nursing this summer for a BSN. I intend to get hands-on experience in many fields so I can gain insight into the mind, bodies, and souls of people of all ages, races, and ethnicities. After working for a couple of years as a BSN I plan on going back to school to become a Nurse Practitioner in Psychiatry. As a future NP in Psychiatry, I hope one day to open a clinic where I can help people get the right medication and dosage. I want to help people live a life where their mental health is in good standing and not let mental issues negatively impact their lives.

I am the third born out of seven children.Both of my parents are from Mexico, my mom from Navajoa, Sonora and step dad from Zacatecas. That makes me a first generation Mexican-American and college student. Being part of a big family has its pros and cons. Grade school for instance, we would all show our report cards to our parents at the same time, so naturally it was evident who was excelling and who was struggling in school. Unfortunately, I was almost always struggling in school with average to below average scores. Being compared to my siblings was always disencouraging because I felt I wasn’t smart enough. During 1st grade up to middle school I was in a class that I referred to as “resource,” it’s where kids who were struggling or slow learners would go to receive extra help. Another extra class that I was in was speech class, I struggled with pronouncing words. Although these classes helped to keep me on track with my school peers, being in them made me feel inferior. Now as an adult I feel grateful to have been given the extra resources to help me in school, and be the encouragement kids need. Fortunately things changed when I moved schools during seventh grade. I begged my parents to not put me in the resource classes anymore and said I could handle school without it. I remember how I tried my best in school, luckily, my home room class and science teacher, Mr. Attebery was extremely encouraging. Mr. Atteberry is part of a huge milestone in my life, he would constantly be verbally supportive and reassuring me that I can get A’s. That school year was the first year where I received A’s, I was so proud of myself. Those years were hard on me as a thirteen year old. There were days where my family would go without electricity and would ration our food. Somehow, I managed to do well in school and from there on I have been doing well in my classes and giving school my all. I am currently finishing up my prerequisite classes to apply for a nursing program. I am striving towards getting my bachelors degree in nursing then after some years of experience become a Nurse Practitioner. Becoming a Mexican-American bilingual nurse will be helpful to Spanish speakers with a language barrier. It is estimated about 11% of nurses in the United States are Hispanic. I want to be a part of this percentage and be that person that helps break the barrier between the patient and proper care. Coming from a hispanic family, I better understand the struggles latinos face in the U.S. because I have gone through them, witnessed, felt, and heard the struggles from my family. I am able to sympathize with these people, these experiences help broaden my understanding and give insight to what struggles minorities might be facing. From all that I have lived through as a first-generation Mexican American and college student, I am proud that I am striving for a better life with a higher education. I want to be able to give back to my people and serve as a role model. All my struggles serve a purpose to have a voice and help others with what I can. As a hispanic nurse, I’ll be able to help people physically and mentally, especially people with language barriers.

The drive behind everything I do revolves around mental health and being educated. Both of my parents are from Mexico. My mother learned how to speak English and got her G.E.D. while I was in high school. As for my dad, who is my stepdad, his highest level of education is middle school. When I and my other siblings would get our report cards some were congratulated for great grades, while others (like me) were told "persistence is your best trait" and "as long as you tried your best" because of the below-average scores. Today I am still that persistent, proud Mexican-American girl aiming to get a bachelor's degree in nursing science. Throughout my college years, I changed my mind about what career I was going for, nonetheless, I did not stop taking classes because I believe in higher education. As an adult in college, I have had to figure out what my learning style is and how to learn in different ways. One thing that college made more noticeable was the difficulty to stay focused. Several reasons made it hard for me to stay present. These reasons pointed to mental health concerns such as ADHD, depression, anxiety, and a mood disorder. l I knew I had to do something to improve my mental health to fully be capable of comprehending assignments and lectures. Going to a therapist and a psychiatric nurse practitioner made my schooling and life flow greater than it did before. Getting help has inspired me to pursue a career where I can improve someone's overall health. As a first-generation Mexican-American, it is important to me that I set a great example for my people and be able to help Spanish speakers in seeking medical help and being emotionally supported. My current goal is to attend Chamberlain University in Nursing this summer for a BSN. I intend to get hands-on experience in many fields so I can gain insight into the mind, bodies, and souls of people of all ages, races, and ethnicities. After working for a couple of years as a BSN I plan on going back to school to become a Nurse Practitioner in Psychiatry. As a future NP in Psychiatry, I hope one day to open a clinic where I can help people get the right medication and dosage. I want to help people live a life where their mental health is in good standing and not let mental issues negatively impact their lives.