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Noelle Aguinaldo

785

Bold Points

1x

Finalist

Bio

Hi All! I am a Filipina-American who is pursing a career in the nursing field. I graduated from UC San Diego with a double major in Human Biology and Global Health. I have a strong passion for social justice and health equity/access and to address the barriers disenfranchised people face when accessing health care. I previously worked in the health administrative wing of the largest homeless organization in San Diego, helping uninsured and unhoused people access healthcare. I was able to closely work with the providers and witnessed how their interactions impacted patients outlooks on life and gave them hope. The providers were giving health care and the social support unhoused people were denied. They simply continued to care. I hope to one day provide inclusive, justice-based, patient centered, and compassionate care to my future patients. I have been offered the opportunity to begin my nursing career at Columbia University's Master's Direct Entry to Doctorate of Nurse Practitioner Program and started in June 2022. I will be able to grow my passion for health equity at the program, but know this will be a financial challenge because I come from a low income family and will be moving to one of the most expensive cities in the world. I would greatly appreciate your consideration in helping alleviate the financial burden of attending this program. Thank you for considering to help me on my journey!

Education

Columbia University in the City of New York

Master's degree program
2022 - 2025
  • Majors:
    • Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing

University of California-San Diego

Bachelor's degree program
2016 - 2020
  • Majors:
    • Public Health
    • Human Biology

Miscellaneous

  • Desired degree level:

    Master's degree program

  • Graduate schools of interest:

  • Transfer schools of interest:

  • Majors of interest:

    • Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
  • Not planning to go to medical school
  • Career

    • Dream career field:

      Health, Wellness, and Fitness

    • Dream career goals:

      Nurse Practitioner

    • Study Abroad Intern

      UC Davis Study Abroad - Pediatric Health in La Paz, Bolivia
      2019 – 2019
    • Tutor

      The Preuss School
      2019 – 20201 year
    • Pathmaker Intern

      Palomar Health
      2018 – 20213 years
    • Research Assistant

      UC San Diego Dermatology Clinical Trials
      2019 – 20201 year
    • Medical Assistant

      Lanoi Medical Group
      2020 – 2020
    • Instructional Assistant

      UC San Diego
      2018 – 2018
    • Department Coordinator

      Palomar Health
      2019 – 20212 years
    • Medical Resident Program Coordinator

      Father Joe's Village
      2021 – 20221 year

    Sports

    Volleyball

    Varsity
    2014 – 20162 years

    Awards

    • Most Valuable Player
    • Team Captain
    • Best Defensive Player

    Future Interests

    Advocacy

    Volunteering

    Philanthropy

    Nursing Shortage Education Scholarship
    The Filipino Nurse is a stereotype, but one that holds true; according to UCSF, 20% of nurses in my home state of California are Filipino. My family was no different, nursing was our ticket to the US. My aunt’s skills allowed her to sponsor the rest of my family for American citizenship. Nursing is integral to our story, and though through her I have the freedom to choose any path I wish, I hope to continue this legacy. I was always in awe of how compassionate and informative my aunts were when an ill family member was hospitalized; they knew the illness’s complexity after a brief chat with the nurse and were able to neatly package medical terminology in a comprehensible manner. These memories and my exposure to the medical field, through shadowing and collaborating with nurse practitioners as a hospital volunteer, are what inspired me to pursue nursing. Nursing is listening, making patients feel comfortable in an unfamiliar, sterile, and oftentimes intimidating environment, and taking their lived experience and biomedical data to pave a pathway to health. Nurses are integral to the healthcare system because they are the frontlines of patient interaction, spending more time providing care to the patient than diagnosing clinicians. They are not just support staff, but liaisons of medical information and the embodiment of what it means to holistically care for someone. In my undergraduate studies, I explored how health inequities are the culmination of a person’s environment: access to transportation, healthy food, and outdoor spaces. Health is the result of many factors, with medicine playing an integral but oftentimes reactionary role. I saw this every day while working at a clinic for the unhoused population. I watch providers go beyond their medical scope by connecting patients to social workers, basic resources, and housing. I aspire to provide this same level of comprehensive care to my patients as a nurse. I believe my optimism and compassion will make me a good nurse. When I disagree with someone, my first instinct is to put myself in their shoes and consider how their shoes might not have been as supportive as mine. This thought process is essential for a nurse in primary care who deals closely with chronic disease management. While it is important to provide evidenced-based medical care, it is also crucial to ensure patients don’t feel ashamed or inferior due to their health issues. I have heard this complaint many times from family members and friends who come back from their appointments feeling lectured or even berated. I will strive to create an environment where patients feel like they are talking to a friend who happens to be well-versed in medicine, working together to develop a plan of care. After graduating from nursing school, I want to work at a primary care focused Federally Qualified Health Center and continue to pursue my passion for combating health inequities, both at the individual patient scale and also at a larger systems level. Eventually, I would like to dedicate my time and skills to the Peace Corps and being a nurse would give me the hard skills to increase access to quality health in low socioeconomic areas. I want to go beyond practicing medicine, building trust in patients whose previous encounters with institutions of authority lead them to be skeptical of medicine. I believe that serving my community as a nurse will allow me to blend my passion for medicine with my desire to advocate for the medically underserved.
    Wieland Nurse Appreciation Scholarship
    The Filipino Nurse is a stereotype, but one that holds true; according to UCSF, 20% of nurses in my home state of California are Filipino. My family was no different, nursing was our ticket to the US. My aunt’s skills allowed her to sponsor the rest of my family for American citizenship. Nursing is integral to our story, and though through her I have the freedom to choose any path I wish, I hope to continue this legacy. I was always in awe of how compassionate and informative my aunts were when an ill family member was hospitalized; they knew the illness’s complexity after a brief chat with the nurse and were able to neatly package medical terminology in a comprehensible manner. These memories and my exposure to the medical field, through shadowing and collaborating with nurse practitioners as a hospital volunteer, are what inspired me to pusure nursing. Nursing is listening, making patients feel comfortable in an unfamiliar, sterile, and oftentimes intimidating environment, and taking their lived experience and biomedical data to pave a pathway to health. In my undergraduate studies, I explored how health inequities are the culmination of a person’s environment: access to transportation, healthy food, and outdoor spaces. Health is the result of many factors, with medicine playing an integral but oftentimes reactionary role. I saw this everyday while working at a clinic for the unhoused population. I watch providers go beyond their medical scope by connecting patients to social workers, basic resources, and housing. I aspire to provide this same level of comprehensive care to my patients as a nurse. After graduating from nursing school, I want to work at a Federally Qualified Health Center and continue to pursue my passion of combating health inequities, both at the individual patient scale and also at a larger systems level. Eventually, I would like to dedicate my time and skills to the Peace Corp and being a nurse would give me the hard skills to increase access to quality health in low socioeconomic areas. I want to go beyond practicing medicine, building trust in patients whose previous encounters with institutions of authority lead them to be skeptical of medicine. I believe that serving my community as a nurse will allow me to blend my passion for medicine with my desire to advocate for the medically underserved.
    Cindy J. Visser Memorial Nursing Scholarship
    The Filipino Nurse is a stereotype, but one that holds true; according to UCSF, 20% of nurses in my home state of California are Filipino. My family was no different, nursing was our ticket to the US. My aunt’s skills allowed her to sponsor the rest of my family for American citizenship. Nursing is integral to our story, and though through her I have the freedom to choose any path I wish, I hope to continue this legacy. I was always in awe of how compassionate and informative my aunts were when an ill family member was hospitalized; they knew the illness’s complexity after a brief chat with the nurse and were able to neatly package medical terminology in a comprehensible manner. These memories and my exposure to the medical field, through shadowing and collaborating with nurse practitioners as a hospital volunteer, are what inspired me to pusure nursing. Nursing is listening, making patients feel comfortable in an unfamiliar, sterile, and oftentimes intimidating environment, and taking their lived experience and biomedical data to pave a pathway to health. In my undergraduate studies, I explored how health inequities are the culmination of a person’s environment: access to transportation, healthy food, and outdoor spaces. Health is the result of many factors, with medicine playing an integral but oftentimes reactionary role. I saw this everyday while working at a clinic for the unhoused population. I watch providers go beyond their medical scope by connecting patients to social workers, basic resources, and housing. I aspire to provide this same level of comprehensive care to my patients as a nurse. After graduating from nursing school, I want to work at a Federally Qualified Health Center and continue to pursue my passion of combating health inequities, both at the individual patient scale and also at a larger systems level. Eventually, I would like to dedicate my time and skills to the Peace Corp and being a nurse would give me the hard skills to increase access to quality health in low socioeconomic areas. I want to go beyond practicing medicine, building trust in patients whose previous encounters with institutions of authority lead them to be skeptical of medicine. I believe that serving my community as a nurse will allow me to blend my passion for medicine with my desire to advocate for the medically underserved.