My College Life

I was mortified to find out how naive I truly was as I entered my freshmen year of college this past August. I watched weekend after weekend become filled with parties and drunk Instagram posts. With each test, people began to care less and grades quickly plummeted from A’s to C’s and D’s. Knowing how hard I worked to attend my dream college, I would never consider throwing it all away. My weekends in high school were filled with homework, meets, working, and scholarship applications in any spare time. With a disabled Mom and a hard working Dad barely earning enough to support my family of 5, I didn’t waste any time. I applied for over one hundred scholarships my senior year, praying I would be able to earn enough to put towards my first

I knew I wasn’t coming from money where Mom and Dad would pay the bill just for me to throw it away at a party getting the “full college experience”. I have continued to work hard toward my dream career while attempting to earn enough money to pay for this expensive journey. One persistent question often begins to intensify the closer you inch towards becoming a high school senior: What do you want to be when you grow up? In kindergarten it’s a dream job, in middle school it becomes a real thought, and in high school it becomes a reality of “I now have to choose”. I chose to major in nursing for a number of reasons including my love for the field of science, making a difference in the lives of others, but most importantly because of one day that changed almost everything about my life. June 5th, 2009, my mom was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Though the day of her diagnosis is a blur, the defining moments that followed are what shaped who I became as a person and impacted my decision to enter the field of nursing. This was the day my mindset changed: This event influenced my college major more than any business or community

She modeled how to not only set goals, but to never give in to failure until you were able to reach achievement. MS taught me that I want to help others with what they are struggling with. Therefore, I chose nursing as the field I want to work in after college.

As I entered nursing, I wanted to be openminded, ready to be challenged, and determined to conquer the many hurdles I will stumble over. Nursing is no doubt a tough route to take and a hard major to conquer and achieve. However, I believe through the perseverance and a strong mind, anything is possible. I am stubborn when it comes to my goals and despite that I know there are many hurdles waiting to stop me in my path, I still plan to jump every one. I deserve this scholarship because I am not living your “typical” college experience. I am laughed at for missing out on the parties, the drinking, and living on campus in a room the size of a shoe box. Instead, I drive to school each morning with a different purpose in mind. I spend hours in the library and in my room completing homework and studying my hardest to receive the best grades I can. I deserve this scholarship because instead of worrying about getting the “college experience”, I’m worried about my future, my goals, and the reason I am at the University of New