Advancing Optimal Health

A CampusRN Scholarship Program finalist for the Northeast region:

The poet Marcus Valerius Martial wrote that a good life is not merely to be alive, but to be well. Having learned this truth by experiencing diminished health myself, and having seen its effects in those close to me, I believe society will collectively benefit by recognizing their role in having a good life. I hope to participate in society's move toward reassigning the value of health to priceless. My desire to serve society and to help individuals and families achieve their optimal quality of life motivate my pursuit of a BSN, followed by a Family and Oncology DNP degree.

Through my certification as a nursing assistant and my volunteer work with Planned Parenthood and Hoag Hospital in California, I have learned to appreciate what each professional in the nursing field contributes to patient care. I believe that my personal qualities best match the profession of a nurse practitioner, whose most important and effective role is as a primary care provider. By ensuring accessible and affordable services for my patients and focusing on a holistic and patient-centered approach, I will help patients achieve an optimum level of health. In addition to treating illnesses, my role as an educator and counselor will assist individuals and families in making healthy lifestyle choices. This will help in the prevention and/or intervention of disease.

The qualities that define the nursing professional I strive to become are being a genuinely humble, open-minded and accepting person. I believe that having developed these characteristics over time, as a personal response to life experiences, is one aspect that sets me apart. As a minority Caucasian born and raised in Hawaii, I learned to dissolve barriers by listening to others, and educated myself about cultural diversity in order to broaden my perspective. The enrichment of my life through these experiences creates a desire to work in culturally diverse and underserved populations upon obtaining my degree. Integrating personal experiences with my educational training will help me to provide quality care in unique populations that is culturally sensitive and tailored towards my patient's needs.

My goal is to eventually open an independent practice, while working collaboratively with a physician, in an underserved area. I will work to find creative means of providing free or low-cost healthcare to those in need. I am guided by the inspiring story of one Los Angeles clinic's success of charging a high premium to financially secure patients in exchange for 24-hour access to a healthcare provider. This allowed the clinic to offer free healthcare to the poor and underserved.

The World Health Organization defines health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. In my pursuit of a graduate degree, I will explore individual health with this holistic approach and learn to assist family members to make positive changes together, thereby strengthening the community as a whole. I am committed to upholding Martial's ideal; helping those I care for to achieve their own optimal wellness.


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