

It is my goal to become a psychiatric nurse practitioner and here is why:
Growing up I always wanted to pursue a degree that would allow me to help others. At first, I was unsure of what exactly to do, but after going to the doctor about chest pains and having them tell me, a 12-year-old girl that I was most likely, "faking it to get attention", it became apparent to me that I needed to become a figure that would truly listen to my their patients. I would later figure out my chest pains were the result of anxiety which caused tension in my chest, hence the pain of heaviness that I had explained to my doctor. Realistically I know to support myself through 10 years of medical school is not attainable for me, which is why I decided a nurse practitioner was the best second choice for me. After having decided to pursue a nursing degree to become a nurse practitioner, my cousin experienced a manic episode and was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder. After seeing her struggle through her mental illness and witness my peers suffer from depression I was given a new goal besides just becoming a general nurse practitioner. Seeing my cousin, as well as my peers, persevere through such soul-killing illnesses inspired me to go beyond a general nurse practitioner career to a more specialized area of psychiatric nurse practitioners.

Monserrat from Arizona
High School Senior
University High School