I was four years old when my family immigrated to the United States from Ukraine. It was a crazy experience and a big life change for all of us. There were many obstacles to be faced living a life completely far away from what we used to call home. It was very difficult to leave my grandparents back in Ukraine. They were a significant source of encouragement for me especially my grandfather. He was my hero. He was the main nurturer who provided a lot of encouragement and support for me in the very hard times of my life. In times of crisis when life felt like a crashing wave, he was the one I always ran to for guidance. Like most immigrants, we didn’t know any English, therefore it was extremely hard to communicate with anyone. …show more content…
My dad had gotten very sick. The doctors found a tumor in his large intestine. Hearing that, I felt like my whole life crashed before my eyes. My dad was such a good man that sometimes I thought why something so bad, would happen to such a good person. Doctors told him he needs surgery immediately, so dad had no other choice. He went into surgery and my mom and I were there by his side the whole time. Dad needed to stay in the hospital for a full week after surgery so we each took turns staying with him. I would come from school and go to dad, and mom would leave to work. We would take turns. This hardship was difficult for me to bare. My dad didn’t really speak any good English yet at that time, so I had to be there for him and translate everything. I knew I had to help him out. Hospital days were long. I remember sitting in a chair near my dad’s hospital bed and seeing all the nurses come in and out of his room. They were all so sweet and caring. They were all trying their best to get my dad to heal faster and get better. I remember sitting there and thinking to myself, how exhilarating it is to work as a nurse and make a difference in someone’s life every single day. From that day on, I have always wanted to become a nurse. I decided that I was going to study nursing so that I would be able to make a difference in people’s lives one day. Ever since I was a little girl, I have always enjoyed helping people. Whether it was helping my classmates with homework, helping my mom around the house, or helping my dad with translating. I always did it from the heart. I truly think that serving others is my passion and my calling in life. I went to my counselor in high school and told her that I wanted to do running start. She gladly signed me up for it. I did it for two years by taking prerequisites for the nursing program at Everett Community