1. Two weeks into freshman year, I found myself out of breath and confined to bed. My hair
was falling out and I started many days with a round of chemotherapy. Prior to my diagnosis, my
main worry was my free­throws percentage, but after it, I worried about surviving Leukemia.
Blood counts, medications, infections, and a lack of energy were constants. But despite these
things, my new reality of fighting cancer didn't kick in until I was in the thick of it. I was in my
Seattle hospital room getting an infusion and I overheard my doctor say I would miss school for
3 months (little did I know I wouldn't end up going home for a full year). The effects of
chemotherapy and radiation treatments showed me I was in this for the long hall; I lost a ton of
weight and most days I barely had enough energy to walk around my hospital room. Fighting
cancer was painful but it also pointed me in a direction that hadn’t been on my radar: a career in
nursing.
I first considered nursing as a profession after my on­call nurse, Nicole, gave me art
lessons in my room just so I had something to do. I wouldn’t say I was the perfect patient; I
would argue, get angry, and lash out. I wouldn’t want to eat, drink, take meds, take a shower, or
do anything else that was necessary to get myself healthy again. Then, Nicole gave me a
notebook, nice pencils, and a straight edge; I had a project for the day. My first art lesson was to
draw my hospital room. The project may seem unexciting, but the more I drew the more my
frustration slipped away. Nurses have a greater responsibility than distributing meds and
checking vital signs. Patients have no idea how to adjust to their new way of life. It becomes a
nurse’s mission not only to take care of the patient physically, but also to teach them how to live
in their new world and give them the tools to get back to “normal.”

2. Largely as a result of Nicole’s influence on me as my nurse, I decided to do what I could
to help other teens like myself get through this process. During my time in Seattle, I grew away
from many of my good friends. We struggled to connect because my life had completely
changed. This gave me the inspiration to create a website that tells personal stories (from teen
cancer survivors) of hope and survival as well as stories about friendship with the goal that teens
everywhere can use it as a resource to get through similar situations. I wanted to help teens talk
to each other about cancer so others like me can have the resources to communicate and connect,
something to help them adjust to life after treatment. I’ve also volunteered at Camp
Make­A­Dream, a place where kids who have survived or are undergoing cancer treatment can
create lifelong relationships. At the beginning of the camp, a lot of the kids were quiet and
needed support, but by the end everyone was having fun, creating friendships, and could not wait
to come back the next year. I know that I have done something worthwhile when these kids can
go back home being a better version of themselves.
My journey has been both a struggle and a fulfilling experience. I never let my hardships
interfere with my goals, though there were times I owed that entirely to Nicole and her mission
not only to get me healthy, but happy. To prepare for my nursing career I’ve volunteered at the
intensive care unit at Saint Patrick’s Hospital and the Ronald McDonald House so I can see how
to focus on the individual and their well­being. I’ve come a long way since my diagnosis and I’m
ready for whatever life throws at me next.