Kristelle Turalva-Albano by Kristelle

Kristelle Turalva-Albano by Kristelle - March 2021 Scholarship Essay

Finish your education, anak (child).” I’ve heard this many times from my grandmas’, something that stuck with me as long as I could remember. I’ve admired the many family members I have that work in the medical field; most who are registered nurses, live-in CNA’s, and the newest one, a doctor. My dream job that I’ve always wanted to become was a registered nurse.
My name is Kristelle Nalani Turalva-Albano. I am thirty-one years old. I am a single mother to two boys, Justice (11) and Journey (4). I graduated from Lahainaluna High School in 2007 with a cum laude diploma within three years. I was born and raised in Lahaina, Maui. Growing up I was raised mostly by my grandmother, Luisa. My parents got divorced during my intermediate years and they moved away for a fresh start.
My grandmother, Luisa moved her from the Philippines. She worked numerous jobs to make ends meet. Not only did she work numerous jobs, but she would also go to work very early before her shift started to sell her garden products and come home with cans and bottles to recycle for extra cash flow. She grew up with nothing and only went to school till she was first grade. She has always been my role model and has inspired me to work hard for what you want in life.
Growing up I can say that I held on to so much hurt and pain because of my parents divorced that I felt like I lacked something within me. I started working when I was sixteen while being in high school to work for the essentials that I needed. I had to grow up so fast because of my parent’s divorce, I had to wake up and kind of vouch for myself. My grandma was there for me but not in a way that most child grew up with having their parents provide for them. I pretty much had to work to survive at such a young age.
After high school, I started college taking perquisites for the nursing program. I was so driven I started college the day after graduation. I was well involved within my community through volunteering. I was a contestant for the Miss Maui Competition, which I didn’t take the title, however I got a small scholarship for my community service involvement and got awarded for Miss Congeniality. I always strived for chances of getting scholarships to help me get through school.
During my second semester of college, I got into an intimate relationship. My plans didn’t go as I intended as I became a mother on March 22, 2009, the day that changed my life forever. I think being exposed by society and everyday life I’ve always had trouble with my own self-insecurities. It’s hard to put into words, what I’ve endured throughout my short years of life.
Over the course of ten years, I’ve endured so much which hinders me to this day. In the past ten years of my life, I tried to continue college while working numerous jobs to support my son and me. Many times, I would have to drop out of school because I mentally and physically wasn’t in a great state of mind. In today’s society, you see so much information around us and how to avoid or address certain topics like: domestic violence, drug use, the list goes on. It’s totally different when you’re in the situation. I experienced so much domestic violence, from numerous restraining orders to police reports.
I think getting attention from someone and the feeling of puppy love gave me the sense of feeling whole. I seen so many red flags and most time I tried to run away from it all but just end up back into the situation. Most times, I wanted to work it out to keep my family together. It’s really hard for me relive each moment because I remember each episode so vividly. When I had my second child on April 5, 2016, I knew mentally that it was going to be tough. My life was as if I was a single parent and surviving with two kids on my own. My kids father hit rock bottom with drug-use, and I knew my kids and I were in danger. It took years for me to realize what myself worth was and for me to realize and come to my senses that I had enough, and I knew I deserved better. I put my first born through a lot and I didn’t want to keep this cycle of domestic violence keep running my life. In February 2018, I finally ended a chapter in my life that gave me a sense of ease. It definitely was a learning experience and still to this day I still have insecurities and worries that affect me.
I worked three jobs in 2018 to support myself and my two kids. I decided to go back to school to finish what I started. I’ve been taking classes since Fall of 2018 and have finished all of my prerequisites for the nursing program. Since COVID has hit, I have been unemployed since March 2020 and haven’t received any benefits from unemployment since the ending of November 2020. With financial burdens and life chaos, I’m faithful and very positive in using this time to pursue my goals of becoming a nurse.