What does inspiration mean to you? How would you use your platform in your future career in healthcare to inspire and uplift others?

Inspiration to me is like that Gettys image—a big yellow light bulb above the head that flickers on and ignites something inside. It's an “aha” moment—a rush of clarity where suddenly everything makes perfect sense and the path seems clear. I’ve had a few “aha” moments when it came to knowing what I wanted to do after high school as a career. I now truly know that I want to go to nursing school and eventually become a Nurse Practitioner specializing in women’s health. But beyond the career title, I had to ask myself: Who did I truly want to be as a professional? What did I stand for?

Sometime last year, I saw the story of Serena Williams’ birth experience on social media for the first time. After she had her daughter, Olympia, via C-section, she was at high risk for blood clots due to a pre-existing condition. When she requested a CAT scan to check for blood clots in her lungs, she was dismissed by a nurse. It was later found that there were, in fact, blood clots in her lungs that could have been fatal. When I heard this story, I thought to myself, “The 23-time Grand Slam Champion was dismissed?” If Serena Williams was dismissed, then what about other women who aren't a household name? That was another light bulb moment. I wanted to be the kind of Nurse Practitioner that not only cared for her patients, but cared to listen to them.

In Serena Williams’ words, “being heard and appropriately treated was the difference between life and death for me,” and this is why I want to become a Nurse Practitioner who advocates for all women—specifically Black women and women of color. My mission in my future career as a Black woman working in healthcare is to provide medically sound and culturally sensitive care. Healthcare is not “one size fits all.” Every case is unique. Every woman is unique, and every concern should be taken seriously. I aspire to use my future platform to close the gap between the health concerns of many women and the professionals they rely on to hear them.

Hearing Serena’s experience not only reinforced my passion for nursing—it inspired my purpose. With my platform as a Nurse Practitioner, I will strive for patient advocacy each time I walk into the hospital. From the perspective of women of color, I will be mindful of the cultural background of each patient, try to deeply understand their perspective, and meet them in the middle with my clinical point of view. I will make it a point to be part of the solution to Black women and women of color being unheard, misdiagnosed unnecessarily, and misunderstood.

Additionally, I aspire to support the next generation of nurses. I appreciated those who guided me with patience and kindness when I was learning something new. I want to share that light to inspire future nurses, remind them they belong, and uplift them by leading as an example.

What intentional actions are you currently taking to inspire people around you?

Inspiring others isn’t always done through grand gestures or big accomplishments. Sometimes, inspiration is quiet— perhaps through a small smile. I’ve worked as a Junior Volunteer at Baylor Scott and White for the past two summers in high school. Each June, we attend orientation before starting rotations. We’re taught hospital protocols and how to carry ourselves, especially when our role involves interacting with patients. The main advice I took from orientation was that a smile and positive body language go a long way in making someone’s hospital stay more pleasant. Every Tuesday and Thursday, that advice sets the tone when I clock in for my shift at the front desk.

At one volunteer info session, the hospital’s COO shared a story that stuck with me. A patient being discharged thanked her for the hospital’s excellent care and said he wanted to repay them. Jokingly, she told him the staff wanted a Starbucks but there weren’t enough funds. Weeks later, a $2 million check was on her desk—the rest of the money needed to build the new Starbucks. That moment showed me how even a positive experience or attitude can inspire big acts of change.

I’ve practically grown up at Baylor Scott and White. My mom has worked there for 25 years. Still, I was nervous my first day because I wasn’t going to the comfort of the rehab floor where she works. I was stepping into a new environment with new expectations. Since I’d been a volunteer before, I was better equipped to help new volunteers on their first rotations. Whether it was directing them what floor they're going to or giving them advice to make conversation with staff to make their experience less awkward. I inspire others by doing things intentionally to make a person's day simpler. I've found that inspiring leadership isn't about advancement down the road; it's about people and how I treat them at this moment.

As a Junior Volunteer, I have worked through different departments and have been assigned small but meaningful tasks on the Labor and Delivery unit and in the Pathology lab. In L&D, I helped nurses prepare IV bags and baby bags that hold hats and diapers for the newborns. In the pathology lab, my current rotation, I restock shelves with supplies like tourniquets and IV tubing. One lab tech explained how the lab supports the whole hospital. He said, “No matter how knowledgeable the doctors are, they can’t treat patients without the tests the lab runs.” The lab is behind-the-scenes work as he summarized. I see my volunteer role in a similar way, no matter how small the task, it matters. Inspiration is often behind the scenes, showing up consistently, doing your job well, and taking pride in it.

That’s how I show up each day. If I’m volunteering, at volleyball summer workouts, or working with the student council to plan senior activities, I show up with effort and a positive attitude. That’s how I lead, and that’s how I inspire.

If granted the scholarship, describe how you would utilize the award to propel yourself towards your goals and continue serving as a source of inspiration to others.

If granted the Desire to inspire Scholarship, I will invest it in my nursing school education to advance and challenge myself with a college degree. This scholarship award would be used to pay for nursing school tuition and room and board expenses. Support like this scholarship opportunity would allow me to focus less on the cost of college and more on molding into the healthcare professional I know I can be.

I have committed myself to learning and personal growth as an individual. Through volunteer experiences with Baylor Scott and White, I have gained lessons in humility and serving others despite how small a task might be. The Desire to Inspire Scholarship helps me continue this mindset into college. I would be able to focus on academic opportunities in college that could otherwise be overshadowed by cost. This award will allow me to invest in myself so that I can reach a bigger platform to inspire through my future career as a Black Nurse Practitioner with a goal of patient advocacy for Black women and women of color.

I believe being a source of inspiration at times is merely being present. I want to use this scholarship to be present. By pursuing my aspirations, I hope to be able to show other young Black women that their hopes should be in every room, every hospital, laboratories, and boardrooms. The Desire to Inspire Scholarship will not only help me in fulfilling my goals but open doors for others.