At Reynolds High School, I was very fortunate to have a handful of teachers that I could always go to for guidance and support. They are the pillars holding me up and I hope they know how much they’ve impacted my educational experience at Reynolds. Playing a pertinent role, there is one teacher I feel have made the biggest impact on who I am today. Ms. Madzelan left quite a strong impression on me as I was in her AVID class for my underclassman years. In her class lectures, she always spoke with conviction and passion and she was always wise with her advice, she told things as it was. Her sense of leadership and involvement in the community inspires me to put myself out there, as she is an AVID program coordinator, senior class advisor, and even a coach. Ms. Madzelan always encouraged me to sign up for volunteering events, loaded me up with opportunities, and always nudged me towards success. Her one simple advice to me was to say yes to every opportunity I was presented, and I took it wholeheartedly. I signed up for every volunteering event I was able to attend my freshman year and was very close to completing my silver cord requirements in just one year. I continued volunteering in the summer through an organization Ms. Madzelan suggested (handsonportland), and took a stab at applying for jobs, but had no luck because I was still young. Sophomore year had many opportunities arising for me as I was becoming an upperclassman next year. I often went to Ms. Madzelan for advice on what classes to take and she gave me her two cents on what she thought would be the best approach. As a first-generation student, it was incredibly helpful to have Ms. Madzelan as my mentor. She told me stories of former students and their experiences, she guided me towards success while also allowing me the room to grow and experience things for my own. I’ve always struggled with public speaking and recognizing that Ms. Madzelan would offer me opportunities where I could practice and improve. I am a much more confident speaker due to this and it has opened up many doors for me as a student to take on leadership positions. Although I was no longer her student junior and senior year, we kept close contact. When it was crunch time for seniors to complete college applications and scholarships, she was there every step of the way, guiding me through and answering my questions. She encouraged me to shoot for my dream schools and ensured me that I would make it. She motivated me to continue my train of achievements and not get comfortable with what I had. With her dedication and efforts to helping me achieve my goals, I was accepted into my dream college where I am currently attending as a nursing student in the graduating class of 2024. Through my four years at Reynolds, Ms. Madzelan has taught me how to be a proactive student. How to give back to my community, how to be an efficient leader, and that I must always say yes to every opportunity that arises. With these valuable lessons that I’ve learned from my role model, it will be the skill set I use to be successful beyond high school. Implementing what I learned from Ms. Madzelan, in college, I have signed up to be a part of 7 school clubs, an active community volunteer, and an academically competitive student. I have made it a habit to strive for the things I want and pursue my highest endeavors. As a future nurse, I can't wait to advocate for my patients and become a great leader like my role model, Ms. Madzelan.

I've only heard of it before, so it was incredibly worrisome for me to be experiencing imposter syndrome first hand. I have just recently completed my first semester of nursing school at the University of Portland. The semester was nothing like I'd imagined, but it went better than anything I expected. I was nervous about starting the next chapter in my life, and one that took on a significant financial strain, but I believe it to be worthwhile so I took the leap of faith. Staring nursing school and learning online required a huge adjustment period. To say the very least, I was stressed, confused, and anxious. Many times I asked myself "Is nursing school the right choice for me?" "Will I be able to complete this program?" One incredibly helpful class I took my first semester was Nursing Professionalism and Practice where I learned about identity formation as a nursing student and role accountability as a future healthcare provider. One of our projects was to research a historical nurse that significantly contributed to today's time. Margaret Sanger was my choice because she was a woman in STEM that I truly admire. I admire Margaret Sanger for her tenacity and dedication to her patients. She actively advocated for Women's Rights to their bodies because, during her time, abortions and birth control were illegal. Women suffered tremendous health problems and even death due to giving birth to up to 8 children. She risked her life for what she believed was right, at one point, Sanger had to flee the country to avoid being convicted and arrested for publishing articles about sex education. Her sense of duty and service as a nurse guided her actions and gave her the courage to write articles and open one of the first dispensaries for women to attain birth control. Margaret Sanger was known for her crusade for birth control, a term that she helped coin. If not for her valor and tenacity, medicine would not have advanced to what it is today. For this reason, I whole-heartedly am grateful for Margaret Sanger and her contributions. She is one of the women I admire the most. After learning about Sanger, I developed a greater sense of belonging in the nursing program. She reminded me of the reasons why I wanted to strive and thrive as a first-generation STEM college student and future nurse. I hope to hear and come into contact with many walks of life, I hope to heal and touch many lives. Most of all, I want to help others feel happy and be healthy. Being able to use my knowledge and share my education with others is my ultimate goal to achieve in STEM as a nurse.