Personal Vision

My education journey has been developing for almost a decade, but I thought I wouldn’t

attend college or pursue nursing until my sophomore year. I always knew I wanted to do

something involving medicine, but after struggling in school and pushing myself harder than I

should have, I honestly felt that college was not for me. I think God just has a sense of humor

because, in hindsight, I never really had a choice. I started volunteering at a healthcare event in

middle school, and I loved it because I enjoyed doing fun activities and working in my

community. Through that work, I met my mentor, the head nurse of the hospital that hosted the

health fair where I volunteered. Having her in my life was important because she introduced me

to a world of medicine I had never known. I still talk to her today. Initially, I wanted to be a

Sonogram Technician, but she kept encouraging me to look into nursing.

At first, I resisted. I knew that nursing required a lot of schooling, and at that point in my

life, especially as I got older and entered high school, I genuinely believed that college was not

the right path for me. I just wanted a career that allowed me to help others while providing job

security. Sonography appealed to me because I had always wanted to work in the maternal health

field, and it gave me that opportunity. The more I asked questions and learned about what

nursing could look like for me, the more I started to love the idea of becoming a nurse, especially

in labor and delivery or postpartum care. I also loved that nursing could lead to advocacy,

something I became increasingly passionate about while volunteering in healthcare. I won’t

pretend my decision was purely based on passion—job security was also important. Nursing

offered me the opportunity to make a difference and quickly start my career after completing

school, something I’ve alway valued. Ultimately, I chose nursing because I knew I could love it

and do it well. I would never take on a career that requires people to put their lives in my hands

unless I knew I could truly commit to it. Nursing allows me to help my family, secure my future,

and, most importantly, make a difference in people’s lives.

As I mentioned earlier, I wasn’t sure about attending college until my sophomore year,

and ironically, that was also the year I first toured Hampton University. We visited in mid-April

while we were in town visiting family, and I immediately loved the campus. It was the first

school where I felt safe, and when I started researching and asking questions about their nursing

program, it excited me about nursing and solidified my choice. I also appreciated that Hampton

answered nearly all my questions. Because I was coming in with many college credits, it was one

of the only schools that would accept them, allowing me a seamless transition. That was a

non-negotiable for me. I loved that I could go into medicine and would get to share the

experience with other Black girls. After spending my entire academic career in predominantly

white schools where I was often the only Black girl in the room, I wanted to experience being

surrounded by other Black students. While things have not always gone the way I want, I know

this program will help me meet my goal and give me the skills I need to succeed. I am excited

about the opportunity to grow as a student, a professional, and an advocate for women’s health,

and I look forward to making a meaningful impact in the field of nursing.