Senior Leadership Scholarship Essay 40

I want to be in the healthcare setting and major in nursing at Missouri State University. I want to be that difference of stereotypes that get thrown at my ethnicity. One of my personal experiences was when my mom was in the hospital, I was only a 14 year old girl who felt hopeless because there was no one there to help the language barrier that we had but all those seconds and minutes felt like torture because the reason my being was in deadly pain. “Tu eres fuerte y yo creo en ti mi corazón.” This translates to “You are strong and I believe in you,” my dad tells me while I walk by because, in that hard moment, he froze, not knowing how to handle this situation. I had to take control and advocate that things weren’t right and she needed immediate help, walking into that cold and helpless room, waiting for the doctor. The first thing I noticed was the detached present. He looked at my mom and started to ask questions but very quickly realized there was a communication barrier so then he turned to me. Even though I had never spoken to a white man much less an educated white man I knew I had to take that responsibility for my mom’s well-being. He started talking in a mix of how he would talk to a grown-up and a child which sent me into a confused sense of state. The struggle I faced at that moment was not being able to translate the medical terms into Spanish and the fear lay very heavy on me because one wrong translation would cost my mother. Yet younger me found that courage to persevere and get my mother that surgery she needed.

“Gracias a Dios hablas español” translated to “ Thank God you speak Spanish” is one of a million reasons why I want to become a nurse. Now I want to be that positive break in the healthcare cycle, I want to be that bilingual registered Nurse who will guide that timid 14-year-old girl that I once was by offering that opportunity I did not have in my times of struggle. I want to be that gasp of fresh air of relief that my patients and their families have when going through something difficult. I want them to be able to tell others that this time there was someone who looks like them to help. That was not misleading and was there to see their lives get better. In addition, my lovely parents who came from nothing and gave me everything did a wonderful job in raising me to be how I am. I have one of the most caring hearts, I want to help everyone and anything regarding what they look like or going through. I feel that’s one of the most important traits to carry if you want to go into the healthcare field because you’re more likely to help that person better achieve their recovery process.