Personal Narrative: Costa Rica

As a young child, I was always drawn towards the field of health care. I remember reading about the many options that are held within it and wondering what path it would lead me on. Neonatal nursing was something that always came into my mind, but it was often pushed to the side by people and teachers who thought I should become a pediatrician instead. This became a real struggle for me, but as I grew up and began researching and exploring the health care field I came to a decision for myself. I came to the realization that everyone was wrong. I didn’t want to be a doctor at all. This sudden burst of independence from what everyone else wanted was the first step to reaching my end goal. Along with this, an accelerated education, volunteer

One time, I was taken aback and saddened by a patient yelling a plea to God as she was suffering through tremendous pain. As I walked into the room, the first thing this patient did was stop yelling and attempt to put on a calm face. It was a sobering moment, but I proceeded to ask her if I could do anything to help. What struck me most about this moment, was how much fight this lady could conjure up to hide her pain and yet still remain compassionate towards me. I hadn't expected anything, but this experience was a brilliant reminder of why I wanted so badly to improve the conditions of patients across the medical spectrum. I couldn't fathom the extent of this patient's pain, but I could fathom the idea of pain itself. In the patient, I saw a little bit of myself. I wanted to help this patient greatly and desired the means to do so. In this patient, I saw the nature of humanity. Human beings, for the most part, are inherently good and strive to be selfless even at their weakest moments. In fact, most people I know tend to be more worried about others than themselves, whether it be from a positive or negative perspective. As I got to know this patient, I realized how much she wanted to be with her family and see her grandchildren grow up. Though she was aware of the pain and suffering, she was also aware of what could be once she got through this struggle. Once I become a medical doctor, I can give back

The day has finally come to go on vacation. My family and I departed promptly from our house at 4:30 in the morning. Our flight was scheduled for 7 in the morning at Pittsburgh International Airport. We had to arrive their early because all people flying international had to be their two hours before the flight would leave. We boarded the flight out to Punta Cana, which is located in the Dominican Republic. I can remember that I was so excited to go, that I was the first on the flight. I am pretty sure that it took about three hours to get to the Dominican Republic from Pittsburgh. It was a really long flight to me because I could not wait to get there and I just wanted to land. Finally, the moment has come and we landed. When we departed

1.To wrap up, I first told you how this globe represents the different countries I have visited and yet to visit.

Costa Rica is a very beautiful and unique place. It was my first time going there and I loved it! It was much different than the United States in ways I didn’t mind or even enjoyed. We saw many things and went many places while we were down there. I am ready to go back again already and do new, exciting things. However, we did a lot while we were down there.

When I was a junior in High School I did a work study every morning at my community hospital; Dundy County Hospital. I am from rural southwest Nebraska, so our hospital is very small in comparison to the hospitals here in Lincoln. One day, while I was work studying in the Physical Therapy department there was a code red announced over the hospital’s intercom system. Almost instantaneously the hospital came alive. That day an Amtrak had derailed only a couple miles out of town. That day I was able to witness first hand our community come together like I have never seen before, and it all started at our hospital. At that moment, I realized that helping people and providing healthcare is what I wanted to spend the rest of my life doing. Since I will be a part of the healthcare community in the next few years, I have taken an interest in the major changes that have been implanted in the healthcare world, one of those changes being the introduction of Obamacare, or the Affordable Care Act.

I have had a plethora of unique life experiences, many of which have happened in the last couple years of my life. In the past three years I have traveled to Guatemala, all over Germany, and Hawaii. During the summer of my freshman year of High School, I went on a missions trip to Guatemala. My church took 10 boys, and 10 girls; we spent a total of a week in a small impoverished town called . I believe that this trip allowed me, for the first time, to see, and be enveloped in a new culture. During the trip I ate new foods, played new games, and learned about the Guatemalan culture. I was able to spend time with all of the local kids, and learn how to respect a new culture. Then, this last summer, I was able to take a part in a German Exchange program with my school. After taking 3 years of German in High School, I was one of twenty people selected to go on a three-week long exchange program in Germany. The trip consisted of a week traveling with the 20 people chosen to go. The other two weeks were spent living with my host family and German partner. During my stay there I visited Berlin, Munich, Cologne, and traveled to the Netherlands. This was another chance for me to experience a new culture, and to further my German speaking skills. However, more importantly, it allowed me to make lifelong friends in another part of the world. About a month after I got back from Germany, my family went on a 12 day vacation to Hawaii. During my time there I had the opportunity to do a

I began volunteering at the Hope Line Resource Center to assist those in the community. This way I could assist with helping people become healthier to avoid facing the same situation my mother was in. Furthermore, I volunteer in health fairs to spread awareness of the ways people can put their body in a healthier state with Urban Health Plan. I wanted to do this to increase the community’s knowledge of how they can take control of their health. I eventually became an intern in the clinic with Urban Health Plan to have a chance to get involved in the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) department and to collaborate with pediatricians to further understand the healthcare field. What happened to my mother motivated me to get involved, which eventually taught me that we all have the ability to take care of

In my travels of the world I have found myself immersed in many cultures and varieties of ethnicity; I have been very fortunate to live in a day and age where such communication and experience is possible in one lifetime. I have seen La Cathedral de Notre Dame, the Statue of Liberty, the home of Da Vinci, and so many more wonderfully spiritual and historic monuments. Yet still I can say with the utmost certainty that no location has left such a lasting impact on my soul as the quaint, simple country of Costa Rica. Although many places have penetrated me with a sense of what the majestic earth and her inhabitants are capable of and have forced me to question whether or not anything is beyond the grasp of human ingenuity, none have brought

Early on in life, I wanted to dedicate my life to serve the population one way or another, to help make a difference, and medicine has been the path I’ve chosen. When I was younger, I wanted to be the one to help my family when they were sick, but I helplessly sat around being able to do nothing. Even when I was asked what I wanted to be I replied a few things; a singer and dancer like Michael Jackson, a lawyer, engineer like daddy, or a doctor. I think you may know which one I stuck with. Recently when my twin sister tore her ACL, it magnified the feeling of helplessness and affirmed my aspirations as well. As a child, my mother became sick when my pregnant with my younger brother Andrew. There’s been many deaths in my family such as the passing of my father’s dad to cancer, that they didn’t know he had until he died. My maternal

It was the last day of my trip, and while I was washing plates in my grandmother’s house, the sunlight was reflected on the plates to my eyes. The fear going through my veins, my mind confused with everything that have happened two weeks ago. Uncertainty of what event would destroy or rebuild my heart. What would happen next ?. The future is unpredictable, so far that is a concept that now I understand. Considering the time spent in my country Colombia , vacations, friends, and parties were the words that stay on my mind for the first two weeks, otherwise the next two weeks were not what I planned. Firstable I was not supposed to be there for these last two weeks, but I am grateful. “No puedes viajar hoy” were the words asserted by the airline

For many years I have developed an interest in the medical field, in helping people who are at very crucial times in their lives. I have known that I do not want to pursue to be a doctor or a nurse, but rather a professional with in that field who can aid others and follow up on the responsibilities and make them priorities, just as much as doctors make the patients’ health their point of focus. I have also expressed interest in Child Welfare, which aligns very well with my personal experiences. It is however for that reason that I chose to write this paper on a field of service that otherwise I may have not chosen but that I still envision myself pursuing.

It all started in preschool, where I would sit and study my world map poster while eating breakfast every morning. I always kept a list of places that I wanted to travel to when I got older. The endless possibilities of places to visit and sites to explore has always intrigued me. This idea of traveling the world is one many children dream about, but for most of youth in the United States it never becomes a reality. I spent a majority of my childhood traveling around the United States. I saw most of the country growing up, which made me want to explore even more. On the evening of my eighteenth birthday I booked a flight to France, despite disapproval from my parents. I knew that traveling by myself to a foreign country would have many obstacles. However, I wanted to experience a new culture and meet new people.

Nurses and doctors were rushing, babies were crying, parents were panicking, and I was just standing in the middle of it all and observing it quietly. I 'll never forget the summer of 2014 where I shadowed various departments of a hospital and gained experiences that 'll last a lifetime. In this hospital, I had witnessed two vast extremes: life and death. Both scary in their own unique way. Witnessing such extremes allowed me to develop a new perspective about the amazing doctors and nurses who see it on a day to day basis. This newly found perspective has influenced on what career path I plan to take in the not-so-distant future.

My goal in life is to continue my education towards becoming a labor and delivery nurse. As an elementary aged little girl, I’d sway back and forth on what I wanted to be when I grew up. One day, I wanted to be a firefighter and the next day I’d decided that I wanted to be a sign language interpreter, which were both my parent’s professions. Anything to be like mom and dad! I ran around the house with my fisher price stethoscope and first-aid kit and asked if I could check-up on anyone and everyone. Nowadays, when I think of who a nurse would be, it is exactly what fits my personality. A calming, comforting friend to whomever they are around. I am passionate about helping people, and love the health aspect of the medical field. Growing up, I was heavily influenced by nurses in my family who talked highly of their profession. Their lifestyles of working and having families of their own at the same time could be achieved. Flexibility in schedules, comradery in the workplace and comfortable attire were surface level perks as I began my research into this career. When my grandpa got admitted into the hospital this fall after a heart attack however, my idea of why I wanted to go into this profession shifted. Emotions were flooding and at an all time high as I quickly wanted to help in any way possible. I felt helpless and was so grateful for the nurse who stayed by his side aiding him in anything and everything. The one thing in my life I