What was the task? What resources did you utilize to learn it? What did you learn about yourself during this process?

This Nursing program is designed to blend high-quality clinical experiences with online didactic learning. Successful students must be flexible, adaptable, and self-directed. Please describe a time when you independently learned a complex task. What was the task? What resources did you utilize to learn it? What did you learn about yourself during this process? I am having trouble condensing my thoughts and writing a moving essay that tells a good story. NEEDS TO BE AROUND 250 WORDS! 60 days. 60 days to live is what the doctor told me when I found out my dad was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer during my early years of college. As a caregiver, grappling with feelings of fear and helplessness becomes a daily challenge. The responsibilities of young caregiving can sometimes blur the lines between adolescence and adulthood. While my friends were navigating their typical college experiences, I navigated the complexities of medical appointments, treatment plans, and caregiving duties. Striking a balance between caregiving responsibilities and personal growth becomes a delicate dance. I attended college with the intention of going to pharmacy school but quickly had to reevaluate the situation due to my father’s condition. I graduated with an Allied Health Science degree with the intention of one day returning to work in the healthcare space. With the need to financially support my two younger siblings, I was quickly pushed into choosing a professional career that was higher paying. One of my coping mechanisms to help distract me from the hardships of life was working on passion projects such as trying to build a website. I started with HTML and CSS – the fundamentals of building a website. I spent my free time watching YouTube tutorials, digging through Online forums, and joining coding communities. I joined a coding bootcamp to refine my skills. This eventually helped me land a 4+ year career in a startup tech company. I excelled quickly as an individual contributor and was quickly promoted to build and lead a team from the ground up. I navigated the complexities of remote work through the pandemic successfully supporting the company through the merger of 5 companies. The process of independently learning to code revealed my innate capacity for adaptability and self-direction.

I discovered a resilience within myself to confront challenging situations and a commitment to delivering to the best of my abilities. Ultimately, this experience not only enhanced my appreciation for medical professionals but also deepened my empathy and compassion towards those in need. It has almost been 10 years since my father’s initial diagnosis. After 2 clinical trials, 2 brain surgeries, countless hours of radiation, and ongoing chemotherapy, I am happy to announce me and my father are still preserving the the journey of life. The initial shock eventually gave way to a profound sense of responsibility as the realization dawned that caregiving would become an integral part of everyday life while balancing work and academics. My early adult life has served as a profound learning experience that showcased my ability to independently tackle a complex task with no formal education for my own growth while managing terminal patient care for my father. This self-directed approach aligns seamlessly with the qualities required for success in this nursing program, where flexibility, adaptability, and self-directed learning are paramount. I am eager to bring these attributes to the program, confident that my past experiences have prepared me for the rigors of blending clinical experiences with online didactic learning.

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