Personal Statement

No salt, no smoking, and good clean moral living were some of the ideals my parents impressed on me. I would become sick, and the motto was toughen up. Why? ou may ask, that!s because not one, but both of my parents were "egistered Nurses. In my household were the stories of the sick and maimed the funny, and the tragic. #y father centered himself within the educational system obtaining many advanced degrees, his repeated words of wisdom had to do with only one thing$%ducation. I would volunteer as a child and teenager as a candy striper, work for important life skill badges as a brownie and &irl 'cout, and keep a healthy lifestyle with sports such as soccer and softball. I volunteered helping others as the president of my (atholic youth group, and later as a lay leader in the )' *rmy. *fter the military, I decided to be a stay+at+home mother for my three children, holding this appointment in high regards. I became very active with my husband in the church during this period in my life. I would spend up to four day a week, feeding the homeless, sewing blankets for the homeless, helping with special pro,ects with children, and serving the elderly in nursing homes. -his is the period in my life that I reali.ed something that was life+changing for me, I felt best and most accomplished when I helped and served others. No ,ob is too small/ no task humbling enough, the ,oy it brings me to truly help someone in some way is a reward in itself. When my sons started high school I decided to get an idea of the working world again, and took a position in &uest 'ervice at a newly built -arget in town. I was only there to work part time to reac0uaint myself with work but, -arget 0uickly recogni.ed my leadership skills, and I was promoted to manager over the entire front end of the store. -hen in 1233 my husband of twenty years and the father of my three children became terminally ill with a rare form of cancer, untreatable stage four terminal bone and lung cancer. I decided to take a leave at work th and, with the help of 4ospice, nurse him for the last year of his life. 4e died on 5ecember 16 , 1233, right after our last (hristmas together. -he e7ceptional service of 4ospice, my e7perience in the military, my parent!s e7ample, and my love of helping others, lead me to seek out a second degree as a "egistered Nurse. -he -arget (orporation has a strong ethical center, they not only kept my position open, but they were a source of support during and after the death of my husband. I chose to stay on during my bereavement for an additional period of time for this reason. 8nowing, nursing school is a full time achievement/ I left -arget in the summer of 1239, and completed two classes in algebra at :ensacola 'tate (ollege. I then decided to come back to #anatee (ounty to have the support of my family while I complete the rest of my prere0uisites, and nursing school. I am currently enrolled at -he 'tate (ollege of ;lorida and I am one class away from being eligible to apply for the nursing program. I also took a certification course at 'outhwest ;lorida -echnical Institute, and became a certified nursing assistant. I am currently working as a certified nursing assistant at <lake #edical (enter. I work on the private surgery floor, to gain as much e7perience as possible. I am also currently beginning a regimen in nutrition, and weight training. I plan on completing the rest of my nursing school prere0uisites, and taking the -%*' test by the end of fall this year. I would like to take more certification classes as well, like phlebotomy, and perhaps =:N. )ltimately I would like to gain a <'N and work first as a trauma nurse for one year, then as a travel nurse for five years, traveling e7tra during this time for special mission!s trips to third world or impoverished countries or regions in the world. -he rest of my career I hope to dedicate solely to the terminally ill, with 4ospice. I would like to volunteer in the local community with 4ospice, red+cross, a local church, or an %co+based outreach. I would like to reach my nutrition and fitness goals as well in order to have the healthiest strongest body possible to serve others. #ost of all I hope to live my life in a way that heals and inspires others, to be a better stronger, healthier form of themselves.