I

believe that a great deal of human disease and suffering is preventable

through the empowerment which people accomplish through social change and
education. This is what leads me to be a Nurse Epidemiologist, with goals of
prevention and chronic disease management. My philosophy holds that healthy
lifestyle and comprehensive medical care must become normalized across our
entire population. This holds especially true for individuals who are part of
vulnerable populations and under served communities. I know this because I have
lived it. I became extremely interested in health and the human body when I
became a mother, but I became certain about being a nurse through the experience
of becoming a single parent living below the poverty line. I valued my childrens
comprehensive well being over financial gain, turned down a high-paying job in
another city, and chose to stay in my community. While adapting to this life
changing decision, I fell in love with the people in my community. There was a
beauty which arose from the interdependence and structure of the community, born
out of need. Through the experience of poverty came rich and authentic
relationships. The challenges I faced and the ones I saw in people around me
opened my eyes to the magnitude of life disparities in vulnerable communities.


I am currently majoring in Nursing with a Public Health minor. I have a
desire to make this corner of the world a better place for its inhabitants. As
Theodore Roosevelt wrote, Do what you can, with what youve got, where you are.
I may not be able to change the entire world, but I can make life better for those
around me and influence a new generation. My experiences from nurturing
parenting and living in community combined with my love of science, nutrition,
exercise, and problem solving has led me to an ultimate goal. That goal is to
optimize health, prevent disease, and minimize the effects of chronic disease in
vulnerable populations.


My short term goal is to work in community based healthcare with a focus on
preventative medicine, chronic disease reduction/management, contagious disease,
and broad spectrum wellness of the individual and community. I will positively
affect peoples attitudes towards health to normalize healthy lifestyle and
comprehensive care in under served communities. I hope to see empowerment and
social change in our world. I currently work in a fitness facility where I interact with
people on a daily basis who have chronic pain, have suffered strokes, and are
afflicted by other diseases and limitations.