I do not know how to express how thankful I am for this scholarship opportunity; there are not many like it where I can unapologetically share my faith journey and how the Lord has called me to the mission medical field. It is also a blessing to know that there are individuals and groups that really do care and want to help fulfill my dreams! I grew up in a large, conservative Christian family, and that privilege paved the way for the path in which the Lord would lead me. From an early age, I always have found an interest in caring for others in healthcare. Some of that was because I was a copycat to an elderly missionary nurse. I wanted to copy every move she made! But the Lord used that to call me to the country of Suriname, South America, where my role model served. He made that clear to me, and I have never doubted that. Since I was homeschooled, I was able to graduate at the age of 15. This gave me the unusual opportunity to enroll in community college. However, around that time, I tried to forget the idea of becoming a nurse. I told myself those aspirations were merely girlish copycat imaginations. Down deep in my heart, I knew I was fighting God's perfect will because of fear, but He wouldn't let that calling leave me. I'm so thankful for His patience and love! I agreed to become a CNA, and I enjoyed it greatly. Along with CNA class, I completed Anatomy and Physiology and Medical Law and Ethics, only because it was paid for by grants. In my stubbornness, I refused to see what the Lord was trying to convey to me, so He graciously used different means to work on my heart. One Sunday, we had a sweet missionary family from Vanuatu (next to New Zealand) in for a mission's focus Sunday. The interesting thing was that they were not medically trained in the least bit, but the stories and experiences that were shared showed me how the Lord was trying to get me to surrender to His perfect will (Romans 12:1,2). I broke down in tears during the service, and it was at that point where I surrendered my will and gave up all my dreams, ambitions, and desires. He, in turn, gave me such peace to quell my many fears about becoming an RN. He didn't stop there. As I prayed and made sure my heart and motives were right, He led me. My first prayer was: What college do You want me to go to? I knew that since I was going to be a missionary, I wanted to attend a Christian university. He gave me a special peace about Maranatha Baptist University. Lord willing, I intend to transfer to MBU's nursing school, and I am very excited! My desire is to use nursing as a way to reach out to others when they need Jesus the most. The verse that has really convinced and encouraged me through this journey has been Philippians 1:6, Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ! I do not know exactly what the future holds for me, but I am confident that I will never be alone, and for that, I am eternally grateful!

I was raised in a very conservative, Christian home, where all of life’s problems and controversial issues were always brought back to Scripture. Since I am still so young, I do not have tons of experience with this issue, but I have come to realize that one does not need experience to know and believe the truth. So why do I believe that life is sacred and worth protecting at all costs? I will proceed to answer this question based on the values of Scripture and through a Christian perspective. The first, and perhaps the most fundamental reason is based on Exodus 20:13, “Thou shalt not kill.” It sounds like a very simple and absolute commandment, but in this society, it has been made a subjective, emotionally and circumstantially based option. God is the only One who has the authority to give or to take away life in such situations as terminating pregnancies, killing embryos for stem cell research, or using euthanasia. It is not our duty! My second most fundamental belief on the pro-life topic is the belief that life begins at conception. From the minute the group of cells earns the title of zygote, to the point where she is called a fetus, she is a human being with eternal and priceless value. Those who desire an excuse to rid their lives of a “clump of cells” or an “accident”, try to convince themselves it is okay, or that the baby is worthless. Oh, how I long for them to know the beauty and preciousness of a little baby in utero or not! Psalms 139 marvelously describes how precious and loved we really are, from the very point of conception. Verses 14-16 elegantly tell us how we were “embroidered” in our mothers’ womb by God. That means that NO ONE is an accident! He fashioned each of us the way He desired, even if it was not the way we wanted. I am pro-life because I understand how dear and wonderful every human being is in God’s eyes, and that God has a very special plan for each child. My goal is to see every little one through the same lens. I have been called by God to be a missionary nurse. I do not know all what the future holds for me, but I know that wherever the Lord leads me, I will promote life at all stages of life. I hope and pray that I will have the strength and courage to stand up for life even when it is the most difficult thing to do! My heart breaks to think of all the millions of little ones stuck in frozen nitrogen, or those many millions who have already been brutally murdered. Even though I am one person, through the Lord's strength, I must make a difference and save as many lives as I possibly can. This may be accomplished through a private conversation with a mother considering abortion, or fostering a tiny newborn who was given up by a mother who did change her mind. Whatever the case, my goal is to protect the sanctity of life, because it is precious to God!

“Direct Impact: The Best Source of Inspiration” The day was January 17, 2022; a very gloomy and frigid afternoon, when my mom and I were on our way home from the dentist. The unpleasant, rainy weather combined with my numb mouth from the recent fillings stifled my usual bouncy personality. That was to change when, unbeknownst to us, the temperature dropped and the rain turned to black ice. Suddenly we were careening out of control! The next thing I remembered was the sensation of being in a washing machine full of glass and screaming as loud as I could. The car flipped several times horizontally into a freshly plowed, frozen field; we missed a telephone pole by inches. After recovering from the heavy shock, we exited the car quickly for fear something would explode. Amazingly, I still had my phone in my pocket so I called 911. It was a miracle that we were not knocked unconscious or worse! Once the ambulance arrived, we both were met with the tender, loving care of emergency responders and other health professionals later on in the hospital. Fortunately, neither of us had any serious injuries; only some deep cuts and shock. In spite of the lack of staffing in the Emergency Room that day, the nurse and doctor assigned to me were very efficient, kind-hearted, and compassionate. Even though we did not need specialized care, the excellent care my trauma nurse provided to us inspired me to follow the same career path–nursing. Little did she know that her kind-hearted work would motivate me to be a future nurse. Inspiration comes through many different ways, nature, a celebrity’s new song, or a quote on the back of a cereal box. However, the kind of inspiration that really resonates with a person is the type that directly impacts them in a positive way. This happened to me. As I watched the trauma nurse sew up my deep wounds and make sure I was okay, I saw in her what I could see someday in myself. I could actually make a difference in someone’s life when they need professional help the most. I could help a weary mother give birth to her baby, give life-saving care to a dying Emergency Room patient, comfort a child during a necessary blood draw, or hold a elderly patient’s hand as they reach the brink of death. I could be an inspiration to others! No nurse has ever become what they are by simply dreaming about it, which is why I am in the process of taking steps toward my goal. And I am very excited! Being currently enrolled in my community college, I hope to complete some important prerequisites before transferring to Maranatha Baptist University which is where I plan to earn my Bachelor of Science in Nursing. My desire is to inspire and impact the lives of others for the better, and maybe even motivate them to help others. Serving others and having a direct positive impact is the best type of inspiration.

“Direct Impact: The Best Source of Inspiration” The day was January 17, 2022; a very gloomy and frigid afternoon, when my mom and I were on our way home from the dentist. The unpleasant, rainy weather combined with my numb mouth from the recent fillings stifled my usual bouncy personality. That was to change when, unbeknownst to us, the temperature dropped and the rain turned to black ice. Suddenly we were careening out of control! The next thing I remembered was the sensation of being in a washing machine full of glass and screaming as loud as I could. The car flipped several times horizontally into a freshly plowed, frozen field; we missed a telephone pole by inches. After recovering from the heavy shock, we exited the car quickly for fear something would explode. Amazingly, I still had my phone in my pocket so I called 911. It was a miracle that we were not knocked unconscious or worse! Once the ambulance arrived, we both were met with the tender, loving care of emergency responders and other health professionals later on in the hospital. Fortunately, neither of us had any serious injuries; only some deep cuts and shock. In spite of the lack of staffing in the Emergency Room that day, the nurse and doctor assigned to me were very efficient, kind-hearted, and compassionate. Even though we did not need specialized care, the excellent care my trauma nurse provided to us inspired me to follow the same career path–nursing. Little did she know that her kind-hearted work would motivate me to be a future nurse! Inspiration comes through many different ways, nature, a celebrity’s new song, or a quote on the back of a cereal box. However, the kind of inspiration that really resonates with a person is the type that directly impacts them in a positive way. This happened to me. As I watched the trauma nurse sew up my deep wounds and make sure I was okay, I saw in her what I could see someday in myself. I could actually make a difference in someone’s life when they need professional help the most. I could help a weary mother give birth to her baby, give life-saving care to a dying Emergency Room patient, comfort a child during a needed blood draw, or hold a elderly patient’s hand as they reach the brink of death. I could be an inspiration to others! No nurse has ever become what they are by simply dreaming about it, which is why I am in the process of taking steps toward my goal. And I am very excited about it! Being currently enrolled in my community college, I hope to complete some important prerequisites before transferring to Maranatha Baptist University which is where I plan to earn my Bachelors of Science in Nursing. My desire is to inspire and impact the lives of others for the better, and maybe even motivate them to help others. Serving others and having a direct positive impact is the best type of inspiration.