Not Typical, But Meant to Be by Corrine

Not Typical, But Meant to Be by Corrine - April 2025 Scholarship Essay

I plan to major in nursing through an Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program. Although I’ve already earned a BS in Health Science, it took me all four years to truly find my calling. My path to nursing wasn’t straightforward, I wasn’t the student who knew right out of high school that nursing was for me. It took time, exploration, reflection, and hands-on experience to develop a deep passion for this field.
Growing up, I always knew I wanted to work in healthcare. I played multiple sports throughout grade school and naturally gravitated toward the idea of becoming an athletic trainer. It seemed like the perfect combination of my interests—health, movement, and helping people heal. But everything shifted one day in college during a class where we were asked to analyze real-time footage of sports injuries to understand mechanisms of injury.
As the video played, I felt an intense tingle crawl up my spine. Watching someone’s body twist in a way it wasn’t supposed to made me instinctively wince. In that moment, something clicked for me, just not in the way I expected. I realized I couldn’t stomach watching someone get hurt and standing on the sidelines. My heart was still fully in healthcare, but not in that role. I didn’t want to observe the injury—I wanted to be the one who helped put that person back together, who stood beside them in the healing process, not just during the moment of crisis.
I walked out of that class with a different mindset. It was the first moment I seriously questioned the path I thought I was on—and the first time nursing began to stand out to me.
Later, it was social media that opened my eyes to the wide range of nursing roles. Watching nurses share their “why” gave me a new level of clarity. I saw professionals who were passionate, creative, and deeply fulfilled by the work they did. It inspired me to learn more and ultimately commit to this path.
But the moment that truly confirmed everything happened at work. I’m currently a medical technician at an urgent care clinic, and one day I picked up a shift halfway through. I walked into a room with three older women—a mother and her two daughters. They had already been treated and were ready for discharge, so I jumped in to help. Before I could finish, they began asking me detailed questions about their aftercare. At first, I was caught off guard, but I took a breath and walked them through everything—adding extra details where I could. That’s when they shared that they were all retired nurses. And once they found out I wanted to become one too, they got “tough” on me in the best way. They told me, as a young Black woman in nursing, I would have to work twice as hard—and they were speaking from personal experience. Then, they noticed the cross on my necklace and asked if they could pray with me. I said yes. And right there in that room, they prayed over my future as a nurse.
That moment moved me more than words can explain. It felt like confirmation from God that this is exactly where I’m meant to be. Nursing was no longer just another option—it felt like a calling.
My journey to nursing hasn’t been typical, but it’s been intentional. Every experience—academic, professional, and personal—has made me more certain and prepared me for this next step. Nursing combines my interest in health, my love of service, and the fulfillment that comes with making a tangible difference. I’m choosing this major because I’ve seen what a difference nurses can make, and I want to be that difference for someone else.