I'm a year away from graduating from nursing school, and the question that I'm always asked is, "What specialty do you want to work in when you graduate?" When I tell people I want to work in pediatrics, their reactions often range from admiration to disbelief. "You want to work with kids all day?" I get questioned. Throughout my nursing school journey, my answer has always remained the same: absolutely. Children are tiny humans who believe in magic and have imaginary friends. They think I'm a magical fairy infusing fairy dust into their IVs and that the MRI machine is a spaceship. In their world, the care team is their superheroes with the superpower of healing. Being part of a child's playful imagination isn't just a job, but it's a privilege. As a nursing student with a desire to pursue a career in pediatrics, I'm able to step into their world and create a bridge to provide care and connection. One of the most rewarding aspects of pediatric nursing is the opportunity to work with a diverse range of ages, from newborns taking their first breath to hormonal teenagers. Every age presents its challenges and triumphs, but I've noticed a common aspect that has emerged throughout my experience working with kids so far. Kids are resilient. It's one of the most inspiring qualities of pediatrics. They can bounce back from challenges both physically and emotionally with strength that surpasses their small stature. Whether faced with unfamiliarity or undergoing a painful procedure, they always find joy despite hardship. Moreover, pediatrics offers the opportunity to advocate for kids. Children often struggle to articulate their needs or fully understand their medical conditions, leaving them vulnerable in daunting healthcare settings. However, as their nurse, I get to be their voice, translating their fears, emotions, and body language into care plans to ensure that their needs are met. I get to stand by them during some of the most challenging times in their youth and cheer them on as they reach milestones. My decision to become a nurse came from a deep desire to care for others and make a meaningful impact on their lives. From a young age, I've always been drawn to the idea of helping people heal, both physically and emotionally. Nursing combines evidence-based studies, compassion, and advocacy, fostering profound connections that are essential to patient care. It's a profession that requires you to think critically while remaining empathetic, and I can't think of a better way to dedicate my life than to be a source of strength and support for those in need. Choosing a career in nursing, specifically pediatrics, feels like I'm answering a calling I always knew was there. It's a career that has allowed me to combine compassion, advocacy, and a sense of whimsy. It's an opportunity to make a difference, not just in a patient interaction but for a lifetime, as the care I provide to a child can help shape their future. I'm choosing this path because children remind me that even in the most serious settings, there's room for magic and hope. If I can play even a small role in making a difference in their hospital stay, then I've found not just a career but a purpose in my life.

It was the middle of my shift, and I was routinely rubbing cream on one of my patient’s wounds during my afternoon check-ins with my patients. As I was doing this, my patient started crying and speaking in a foreign language while grabbing my hand intently. She did not appear in pain or discomfort, but I paged the nurse to the room to address her concerns as he spoke her language. The nurse listened with a sincere smile and turned to me to translate that my patient appreciated how much love and support I gave her through the care I provided her. She continued to hold my hand while my eyes began to fill with tears. She even proceeded to call me her “Sweet Angel." Although, there was a great language barrier between my patient and me. A universal language we shared connected us and drove me to provide my patients with the best care possible; that language was love. Working as a Certified Nursing Assistant was something I wanted to pursue to prepare myself for the medical field and my intended major. The unexpected and heartfelt experiences I’ve gained and the diverse healthcare settings I’ve worked with have furthered my goal of continuing my healthcare career to become and nurse and pursue my passions within this occupation to spread love continually. There is beauty and honor in providing aid and nurturing strangers while seeing them in their most vulnerable moments. In this occupation, you’re contributing to humanity by advocating for a cause bigger than yourself and being the voice for those who don’t have one. This occupation fuels my inquisitive mind through the never-ending wonders of the human body and works as an outlet for me to express my compassion for the community in which I’ve grown up in. I grew up in the heart of Northern California, the Bay Area. The Bay Area is a culmination of different cities considered a melting pot of different cultures and people. However, it also has a wide range of health disparities that I want to target as a nurse with a public health degree as my minor. I strive to advocate for the mental and physical health of underrepresented communities I've experienced growing up. I’ve witnessed these communities and served in them primarily in Oakland, California, as a Direct Support Professional in a care home working closely with individuals with disabilities and mental illnesses. I am determined to continue my impact. Most importantly, I want to contribute to the diversity in the healthcare field. I want to provide acknowledgment and familiarity to individuals with the same identities as me, an androgynous Filipino-American woman living in the San Francisco Bay Area as a First Generation individual raised by immigrants. As I further my education in nursing, I hope to inspire others the way I’ve been influenced by community, family, and individuals within my healthcare experience so far.

Many of our leadership experiences first begin in our families. I was blessed to be in the leadership position of being a younger sister to a brother with autism. Born ten years after he was, I never fully comprehended much of a difference between us. Growing up, I became more aware of his life compared to mine and, most of all, how the outside world viewed him. I then realized the life we lived as siblings and the vitality of being a leader in his life. Our mom and dad devoted much of their time teaching Mitchell simple tasks and motor skills while tending to his hyper-fixations. I followed in their footsteps and caught on to the importance of the balance of assertion and the value of support, leading me to be one of the most influential leaders in his life. I was a natural teacher and advocate, slowly becoming a leader and not even knowing it. Every time I lead my brother in tasks, from speaking in public to reminding him how to wash his hands, he taught me about compassion, patience, and advocacy- the foundation of what it means to be a leader. Every day as I lead my brother, he serves as a catalyst that shifted my viewpoint and shaped me to look further beneath the surface of an individual. Being a leader to Mitchell has taught me to show and treat others with the care and respect I want my brother to receive equally. I hold compassion in my heart and carry this trait as I take on other leadership positions as club officers, in medical internships, and in managing my small businesses. My brother lacked some motor skills that I possessed, and if I wasn't keeping composure helping him, frustration in both of us arises. When I think of the word patience, I think of those situations and hear my brother say, "Slow down, I'm almost there." To be a leader, you need to remember that it's not always about you. You're part of a team that moves up as one, and by putting yourself first, the wheels begin to fall off. One of the biggest lessons my brother has taught me was to stand up for what I believe. Talking to a friend, I opened up about Mitchell, and he decided to mock my brother ignorantly. He told me, living with him must be a burden and began to shake, speaking gibberish, deeming him inhumanely. In our society, what people haven't experienced firsthand becomes stigmatized, and the victims become dehumanized. As an advocate for my brother, I knew I had to help break the negative narrative and help increase the advocacy for the autistic community. I looked to social activism and began spreading awareness about the autism spectrum and slurs being used to disregard autism. By being a leader, you commit to standing up for your beliefs, being a voice for the unheard. There were times where I struggled with accepting Mitchell's situation. Now looking back, seeing my impact on him, he has equally helped me grow into a strong-willed woman filled with an openness to learn- the leader I am today. Through being amid countless health professionals in my brother's life, I strive to be a part of the numerous compassionate women of color leaving their marks on the world as leaders in healthcare. As I enter college and my future career, I aspire to expand my parents' care home that houses adults with disabilities similar to my brother's to promote wellness for diverse communities, significantly in the underrepresented.