Many choose to become a nurse because they are good with the sight of blood or because they want to make really good money. When I was younger, I wanted to be a doctor and a ballerina (go figure!). I always played doctor during the day, and dance at night. My grandma was diagnosed with cancer when I was four years old. We were very close and her diagnosis was heartbreaking. She died when I was six. At her funeral I did not cry. When my mom told me that I didn’t cry I felt like that was odd. I wondered if I did not feel sadness that she died. My mom told me that I always said that I had to be strong for everyone else. Little did I know that her funeral would prepare me for what was going to happen in the years to come.

When I was nine I danced with a girl who was diagnosed with cancer and died a few weeks later. This was another situation where I had to be strong for everyone around me. At her funeral, I wrote a poem about her life and how I was happy she was not in pain anymore. I expressed myself in this poem and it allowed me to show my feelings while still remaining strong. In middle school, I had another friend who was diagnosed with cancer. She seemed to be beating the disease, and when she moved away, we became pen pals. After having been away for two years, she died from complications after a surgery. Her mother called me and told me "thank you" because without me she would not have fought for as long as she did. She said that I gave her hope and the will to keep fighting. I believed in her, and that’s what she needed. After that day, I knew I wanted to make a difference.

That day I decided that I wanted to become a nurse. I knew I wanted to help people heal and give them the strength they need when they don’t have enough on their own. As I got in high school I met a nurse practitioner and she told me a little bit about what she does. She told me that I could work under a doctor and still make just as much of a difference. I also know that I want to work with children. With the hardship I have endured I believe that I can be an amazing nurse and make a difference in people’s lives. My goal is to become a nurse practitioner and to work in a pediatric ward. I want to specialize in oncology (cancer). When I look back on my childhood I don’t think about all the pain and sadness I had. I think about the people I met and how they made me who I am today. I am so excited to become a nurse and I cannot wait to make a change in the world.

When I wonder if I am choosing the correct career choice I think about a quote by Confucius, “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” I love helping people, and I love making a change in people’s life, so I know my choice is worth it.