As I begin my experience at The Ohio State University, I am starting to think deeply about what kind of person I am now, and what kind of person I would like to become. I have always been a very observant and thoughtful girl. I believe these traits have helped me become a visual learner. In my high school classes, I was always reading from power points, reading notes, reading from textbooks, studying diagrams, or watching educational videos. These methods of visual learning all seemed to work for me and I kept near perfect grades throughout my entire high school career.

I come from a loving family of five. My parents have each had such positive impacts on my life and have taught me how to be responsible, respectful, caring, and compassionate. Being the oldest of three children in my family has taught me a lot. I have grown up with one little brother and one little sister. My little brother, Nicholas, was born in 2001 with Spina Bifida. The exposure to the complex medical terms, passionate nurses, intense surgeries, various medications, and numerous disabilities has greatly contributed to my burning desire to become a nurse that I have felt inside me since the day my  brother was born.

For the past five summers, I have volunteered with Cincinnati’s Miracle League Baseball program. I began to get involved with this program when my brother started playing baseball on a team. The program is for people of all ages with various disabilities who all share a love for the game of baseball, but would be unable to play without accommodations. After the first year he played, I decided to apply to volunteer. I was assigned a “buddy” named Hunter who is a young boy with Spina Bifida, similar to my brother. I helped Hunter understand the game and grow on and off the field. We became more than just assigned buddies; we became friends. This high school experience taught me the values of patience and acceptance. It helped shape me into who I am today.

Although I am unsure as to what specific field I would like to go into, I could not be more sure of my reasoning for wanting to become a nurse in general. Helping others is my passion. Whether I am holding the door open for the person entering behind me, or changing the bloody gauze for my friend who just had nose surgery, I do what I can to help. In the future, I plan to help others in ways that I have never been able to help before. As a nurse, I see myself as a person who is meticulous, patient, wise, experienced, successful, and passionate, and that is exactly the kind of person that I want to be.