Growing up in western Washington, my mom was a physical therapist. I knew I wanted to be in the medical field and help people. I have always been an extrovert and wanted to work with people. My high school encouraged career development and job shadowing, which solidified my goal to go into nursing. You can do so many things with a nursing degree. There are a lot of paths you can take so you can find what you love doing.
I went to Gonzaga for my Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. In my third year of my bachelor’s degree, I got an email about a new scholarship, the Opportunity Scholarship. It was the first year of WSOS, so we got a $1,000 scholarship. The next year, I applied for an increase and received $5,000. This scholarship meant I could graduate with less student loan debt, which set me up for better financial planning after college. It gave me the freedom to find my path and not worry about how to afford it.
After I got my BSN, I entered the Jesuit Volunteer Corps and spent three years nursing in East Oakland, California. I missed my home state a lot and came back to work at the Polyclinic in Seattle, where I got to spend more time with patients, helping them see the options they have and supporting them on their health care path. I worked as a nurse for six years before I felt ready to continue my education. I’m working part-time and going to school at Gonzaga for my Doctorate of Nurse Practitioner degree. I may have to move around Washington to find a job, but eventually, I hope to land in Skagit or Whatcom counties to be close to my family.
My advice for Scholars is that it’s okay not to know exactly what you want to do. You can spend some time figuring that out! You can take time off to decide if you want to pursue the path you’re thinking about. Before you spend the money for school, make sure the dreams you pursue are the dreams you really want.