My name is Kiana Hernandez. I am 18 years old and a senior at Stony Point High School in Round Rock, Texas. I am going to continue my education at Texas State University to major in nursing. The reason I want to be in the medical field is probably the reason for many. To save lives. My dream is to work in the NICU to save babies that have just begun to live. Ever since I was young I’ve always loved babies so I can’t think of anything more fulfilling than getting to work with babies every day. Not only that, but I have the drive and spirit to deal with the challenges that many would come across while working in the NICU. According to the National Library of Medicine, “Overall NICU admission rates increased by 37% from 2008 to 2018” (Kim) With the admission rates increasing, this shows that the NICU field is going to grow drastically by the time I graduate nursing school. This makes me hopeful knowing that there will be more findings and cures at hand by the time I am in the medical field The person who inspires me the most in every aspect of life is my grandpa. If there is one person that I hope to be like throughout my life it is him. My grandma was in an abusive relationship before she met my grandpa who took in both my mom and my uncle. He paid thousands of dollars for my mom to undergo therapy for the abuse she underwent from her biological father. Not only was he always there for my mom, but he has always been there for me. All throughout my life from learning how to ride a bike to learning how to drive, he’s taught me it all. Every day my grandpa inspires me to be selfless and try to make someone better compared to when you found them. All in all, even if I do not end up being a NICU nurse, I know that my purpose in life will always be to help people. Whether I am in the NICU or the oncology field, I know that the medical field is where I am meant to be. I think the fun part about life is that you never really know what's going to happen. I could say I want to have a certain profession in ten years, but when ten years actually comes around I could be doing something totally different. That being said, I can’t pinpoint what profession I will have in the future, but I am excited for my next four years at Texas State University where I can find what my true calling is in the medical field.

September 14th, 2014. This was the day that my great-grandpa passed away and still to this day it was probably one of the most traumatic experiences I have ever endured. My family is very very tight-knit so this day changes us all forever. There were roughly 14 people in the hospital room as we all said our goodbyes, the room filled with sobs and tears. However, through all of this sadness, I will always remember the one nurse who was in the room who held all of us while we cried and gave us the kindest words of reassurance. To this day, that kind nurse is the reason I decided to go to nursing. I hope that one day I can be that beacon of light and support to families just like she was to mine. Earning a degree in nursing will help grow my passion because my dream is to one day be a NICU nurse. Ever since I was younger I’ve always loved being with babies and truly cannot think of anything more fulfilling than saving little lives every day. The person who inspires me the most in every aspect of life is my grandpa. If there is one person that I hope to be like throughout my life it’s him. My grandma was in an abusive relationship before she met my grandpa who took in both my mom and my uncle. He paid thousands of dollars for my mom to undergo therapy for the abuse she underwent from her biological father. Not only was he always there for my mom, but he has always been there for me. All throughout my life from learning how to ride a bike to learning how to drive, he’s taught me it all. Every day my grandpa inspires me to be selfless and try to make someone better compared to when you found them. A class that I would be interested in taking is the history of rock and roll. My dad passed on his love of Guns and Roses to me from a very young age and ever since then, my love has stemmed from not just Guns and Roses but almost all of 80s rock. Interestingly enough, my first concert was Guns and Roses at ACL in Austin, Texas. It’s safe to say that I was the only 14-year-old who knew all of the words to the songs they played. To me, it’s very important to have at least one class that has fun topics to learn about since a lot of classes I’ll be taking will be stressful and time-consuming. All in all, I believe that every aspect of my life has led me to pursue a degree in nursing. I am very excited to continue my education at Texas State University where I hope to further find my purpose and life and make friends along the way. For the past four years, I have worked tirelessly to get the best grades and be the best student that I can be, so I am very eager to see what my academic future holds.