Thank you, Mentors, for the generous scholarship to help me earn a degree that will allow me to continue to fulfill my passion of helping others. I will be attending Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph Missouri this fall to major in Nursing and then continue to pursue a higher degree in the field of nursing.

I have always enjoyed helping others. When I was little I would create cards or color pictures for neighbors when they weren’t feeling well. My grandma worked at a Nursing Home and every summer when I would stay there for a week, I would spend time each day helping with the activities provided for the residents. I became very close with some of them and would be sure when we returned to Grandma’s over Christmas to stop by to bring them a little gift. One of my strengths is an Includer, which means I’m always looking for ways to make sure others are taken care of and not left out.

What really sealed my path to go to school to become a nurse was a terrible car accident I experienced during my sophomore year of high school. With numerous injuries both physically and mentally, over the course of the following two years, I had the chance to meet with a variety of health care professionals specializing in different areas of medical support. Most of them had a great rapport with me and my family, which we greatly appreciated during this time of healing. However, when we encountered a couple who weren’t so great at their job, it made me even more determined to be the nurse that a family could count on during their time of medical assessment and treatment.

Now with Mentors financial support I can become the nurse that families in medical crisis will want by the bedside of their loved ones. While I’m earning my degree I hope to be able to travel overseas to provide missionary nursing support to families living in severe poverty and I hope to be able to serve as a mentor in this role. I also hope to engage with other opportunities in St. Joseph that will allow me to mentor youth in the community and as I reach my junior and senior years, I plan to provide support and guidance to incoming freshmen. Thank you again for helping me to pursue my passion and make a difference for others.