I am a first-generation college student and healthcare professional with more than 10 years of patient care experience. I currently work full-time as a Medical Instrument Technician in Cardiology with the VA and part-time as an EKG Technician at University Medical Center while maintaining a 4.0 GPA in Chamberlain University’s accelerated BSN program. Raised by a single mother, I helped care for my younger siblings from an early age. After experiencing bullying in high school, I left school and later earned my GED through Job Corps, where I became a Certified Nursing Assistant. My journey also included caring for my grandmother during her battle with terminal cancer and later losing my wife unexpectedly. These experiences delayed my dream of becoming a nurse, but never ended it. Today, I work two healthcare jobs while paying my own way through nursing school. Despite working as much as possible, tuition remains a significant financial burden. Scholarship assistance would reduce my need to take on additional debt or work even more hours, allowing me to devote more time to my education. My goal is to become a registered nurse who serves underserved communities, mentors future nurses, and shows others that their past does not define their future. I have fought hard to reach this point, and I am determined to finish.