CNF BIPOC Award

My name is Renata Kanerva, and I am extremely honored to be the recipient of this academic nursing scholarship from the Canadian Nurses Foundation. I am currently undertaking my third year of nursing school at UBC Okanagan in Kelowna. My path to becoming a nurse has largely been driven by my athletic childhood. When I was growing up, I was a national level gymnast, training and competing at a very high intensity. Growing up in the world of gymnastics, I developed appreciation for the healthcare field. Witnessing and experiencing the injuries and physical demands of gymnastics made me learn the vital role that nurses, alongside other healthcare professionals, play in the recovery and well-being of athletes. These experiences from a young age sparked my interest in working in the healthcare field. Initially I thought I would want to become a physiotherapist but as I came to better understand myself, my abilities and my interests, nursing became an obvious first choice. Being a high energy person, nursing provides the perfect fast-paced and interactive environment to keep me engaged and satisfied while also providing me with endless opportunities to build relationships with clients and coworkers and to pursue life-long learning. I believe that altogether, my process to becoming a nurse was drawn from a large compilation of life experiences, alongside my characteristic traits and interests.