Kentucky Mission Trip

An experience that really changed my life was when my grandfather was on the verge of death in the hospital. I remember seeing my family crying and my heart ached. I visited him every day and came home to study for my exams. I would sleep late every night to study and cry. In that moment, I realized how precious life was and how much of an impact we as individuals have other people. Ever since, I have tried to enjoy every single moment of life, whether a simple walk to school or spending time with my family.

To start, I have gone through a lot of troubles that has changed me both physically and mentally. On the other hand, the hardship that has influenced me the most happened in elementary school. I was a small, timid 3rd grader, terrified to talk or even make new friends. Additionally, I was struggling on every subject, and receiving grades from Cs to Fs. My teachers tried to put me in special classes, yet they did little to no use to help me move forward. Eventually,

An incident that changes the direction of my life was, when I broke my foot. As a young kid I loved playing sports and do aggressive activities. One day playing soccer someone who was bit stronger than I was, kicked my foot which caused the bones to break. I fell to the floor not knowing what just happened. All I remember is that some EMT’s come to the rescue and took me to the hospital. I was so glade and appreciative with the EMT’s that took care of me. As a result I told myself I will do everything that I can to help out the community just liked I was helped instead of worrying about myself and not others. I started volunteering with the fire department and received all the certifications required in order to start helping those in need.

Growing up I was always exposed to the medical field because my mom worked in the emergency department in the local hospital. When I graduated high school, I got a job working in the construction field making a great salary, for as young as I was. Because of this, I continued to work in this field for the next eleven years. It wasn’t until I was 29 years old when I got laid off of my construction job and my whole world came crashing down on me. I moped around for a month but quickly realized that this is now my time to pursue my dream of becoming a Firefighter and Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). That next summer I enrolled at Aims Community College in

A major setback I have faced is suffering with an eating disorder. For five years I have struggled with this illness. I have been hospitalized, and I have been in program at The Center For Change twice Finally, I told myself that I had to get better, or I was going to die. A year ago, I chose recovery. It is quite possibly the toughest challenge I will ever face, but the grueling process of recovery has allowed me to take back my life. Fortunately, I did not go through this on my own. I have been truly blessed with the best support team which includes my family, my friends, therapists, and my Stake President and doctor, Pres. Vance. I have grown into a more confident and compassionate person by helping others with eating disorders and other

A couple years ago I lost my grandpa to an illness. It had to do with his diabetes and then it begin to progress to the point where he ended up in the hospital and then needed to be in a nursing home. After seeing the way that nursing home treated him and the other patients/residents made me not only disappointed in the nurses but also encouraged me to one day pursue a career in the medical field. When I graduated high school and went to college I was unsure on what I wanted to do. I was interested in automotive technology and radiology as well. Since I was undecided I begin some basic courses. After 2 years in college I was still unsure and decided to give myself the experience of working in the Eagle Ford Shale. It was heavy labor in all

I grew up dreaming and admiring the work of Florence Nightingale, Mother Teresa, and my aunt who is a Gynecologist Specialist while providing utmost care and assistance to sick family members who were in pain, especially my grandparents, my three months premature daughter, and my mother-in-law who fought with cancer for 15 years. Throughout my school years, I worked hard towards my dream, however, when in college I met my husband, was married and moved to Kansas. It was not until, after fourteen years of marriage that I started working as a Pharmacy technician and acquiring my CNA certificate that I felt as if God has chosen me for this purpose and I decided to acquire BSN degree. Since CVS was a neighboring store, I met people with various illnesses, started seeing them on a routine basis, and tried my unsurpassed in providing them with comfort, assistance, and support, while using empathy and tolerance in satisfying their needs. Most of all, I started

Another critical moment in my life that changed me forever occurred in August of 2001. At the peak of hurricane season, Louisiana was terribly affected by Hurricane Katrina. Katrina devastated millions of people across the south. For the first time in my life I got to experience what it felt like to be homeless. I had lost everything! And even though it was not much, it still mattered. There were several moments when I prayed and wished that my father could be there. No child, my age should have to go through with what I did. In hopes to find assistance, my mother left me and my siblings with my grandmother for a few months. These months were terrifying. I remember crying several nights

I have this thing for windows. I love windows. Windows all alone, windows together, windows with good views, windows with bad views. I especially like the old, square, wood framed windows from the colonial times. On top of that I love the history of how America was formed and hardened in the American Revolution. So you can imagine that when I found out that I was going to Philadelphia, home of the Liberty Bell, the courthouse where the Declaration of Independence was signed, and countless bits and pieces of history, I was pretty excited.

I feel that I've had an opportunity to be a student of life. I've been lucky enough to hear stories from my patients about their trials and triumphs, their setbacks and how they've overcome them, and how to have a remarkable outlook on life in the bleakest of moments. I’ve dealt with patients who have stabbed themselves in an attempt to commit suicide. I’ve been in scenarios where my squad had been hit by indirect enemy fire and I was the only medic to deal with the situation. I’ve responded intelligently in an ambulance to emergencies numerous times. These experiences have molded me into the man I am today. I’m empathetic and nonjudgmental. I challenge myself to look at the

I have had multiple experiences in the past few years of my life that have greatly impacted me and changed the way that I go about life. During my Junior year, I learned that I had been granted the opportunity to attend the California Boys State program. This program took place during the summer after my junior year, and it was one of the greatest experiences I have ever had. I met hundreds of new people from all across the state. During the program, I made many great friends, and I still talk to a group of around fifteen people from the program. While talking to other people from what seemed so far away, it really opened my eyes to the scale of the entire country, or the world. For once, I truly realized that everybody has their own problems and their own life. Every person that I talked to had a different story and it was very stunning.

The event that made me see larger societal forces could impact what happened in someone's life was when I was in grade 11 and my friend Alexis died of suicide. Her family did everything they could to get her help but Nova Scotia did not have the support system in place to help them help her. Because I know the specifics of the situation I realized how hard it is for someone with a mental illness to get help.

Last year, I was struck by an epiphany about how to react to the troubles of life because of a simple cheer competition in Dallas. At the time however, it was not just a "simple competition." Placing first in the Dallas Spirit Festival was imperative to not only me, but also my team. It was so important to us we practiced for hours on end, day in and day out to ensure our routine was perfect. Going into the competition, we were all very nervous but by the end of this experience I was able to discover something I never realized before; something that would change my outlook on life forever.

Sometimes in life certain challenges tested us as people. Last September, Hurricane Maria affected my friends and family members in Puerto Rico. All the situations they deal with, helped me appreciate my own family here in California, appreciate what I have, and helped me understand how important family attachments and values can make an individual a better human being.

During 7th grade, I went through an emotional obstacle. My father had to leave for a year for his job, and this had a huge toll on my family. However, I overcame this obstacle with the support of my family and with faith. I kept the idea in my mind that he would be proud