Personal Statement

Nursing is hard work, passion, self-discipline, and motivation. To prepare myself to become a nurse, I actively practice these in my daily life. I do this by understanding my identity and through my leadership experiences across campus and with my family. My parents were born in Laos and came to America as refugees after the Secret War in 1961. Being a first-generation Hmong American child, realizing my identity prepares me to engage with future patients who hold various identities that may be or not be visible to me. This empathetic mindset will educate me to be a holistic nurse as I continue on this journey. In addition to my identity, I am a daughter and the third oldest of 12. This means that my footsteps moving forward are guides that

I have taken my learning in the classroom to observe and practice outside of it by reporting skin breakouts to the nurse, listening and respecting what residents say, and helping other CNAs with their tasks. These are all direct physical preparation for becoming a nurse. I also took on leadership opportunities to train CNA students during the summer. I showed them where to find a resident’s kardex, how to assist with the residents’ activities of daily life, how to chart, and give reports to the next shift. I have come to see that being a nurse is more than learning about illness and treatment. For example, I had a resident who is hard of hearing, so I took it upon myself to learn some basic ASL to show respect and address the language barrier between us. Thus, I strongly believe that a nurse is more than a direct treatment center. A nurse is a leader, a friend, a life-long commitment to humility, and an educator. So, in addition to taking my pre-requisite courses and being a CNA, I have continued to educate myself by attending conferences and educational opportunities to grow as a

At UW-Stout, I learned from Judge Kashoua Kristy Yang, Circuit Court Judge in Milwaukee County, that “Being a leader means work. It means you have to be the face whether you want to or not, whether you like it or not, and whether you know it or not. It means you are taking time away from family. It means you are taking time away from other things you want to do. It means commitment.” This quote is applicable to the work of nurses, especially now when the profession is being faced with rises in diseases, and viral and bacterial infection