Presented Challenges by Aileen

Presented Challenges by Aileen - December 2023 Scholarship Essay

Although overwhelming, life often presents us with challenges where giving up feels like the easiest option. However, after experiencing and living through challenges, my perception of the world conflicts with these thoughts. My many personal experiences are the reason for fueling my success and great passion for nursing, a chance to remind others that giving up should be a distant thought.
At the age of 8-years-old, I was inspired and motivated to become a nurse. As part of an underrepresented minority in nursing, the lack of medical staff available to help my family left me a translator many times. At doctor visits, my mother questioned whether to voice concerns due to language barriers. Knowing the feeling of frustration from not being fully understood, I understand the need to break down these barriers, creating a diverse medical field where others like my family know they will feel safe when receiving medical assistance. Being bilingual and bicultural, my Hispanic background allows me to use my skills in effectively communicating in English and Spanish to understand patients as a nurse better.
However, my main inspiration would strike me a few years later, seeing the true stigma surrounding mental health, which sometimes approaches receiving help from mental illness with apprehension. Joining NAMI and Make-A-Wish allows me to see the power of understanding and sympathizing with others. I understand the power my actions have to make a difference in the lives of many. Serving as my main motivator, I aspire to work as a nurse to remind and minimize the shame that comes from receiving help from others. I am inspired to advocate, support, and create awareness for the stigma surrounding mental health and remind others to continue fighting to overcome their challenges.
Though unwanted, life comes with challenges that many struggle to overcome. I am inspired to help others through their battles while creating a more diverse medical field, benefiting many through newly found support. I hope to make a difference in society, removing the stigma surrounding mental health which stifles the ability of people to seek help. Through learning and gaining new perspectives from experiences and life observations, being a nurse will give me the opportunity to continue making a difference.