TD Aboriginal Nursing Fund Award – Baccalaureate

My name is Alicia Wheatley and I am from Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. I am a busy mom to two young boys. About five years ago I struggled with my health and was admitted to the hospital several times over the course of a year. This experience is what made me want to pursue a nursing career. As a patient, I realized how important the nursing role is during such a vulnerable time. Seeing the compassion and care nurses take to help their patients every day made me realize I wanted to do the same. When I realized this is what I wanted to do, I started my journey by doing some upgrading to ensure a successful application into nursing school. I was beyond thrilled when I was accepted into the Bachelor of Nursing program at Dalhousie University in Yarmouth.

In September 2019, I will be going into my second year of the three-year accelerated BScN program. Returning to school with a young family was a very difficult decision financially. However, I am confident it was the right choice for me and my family. I am incredibly grateful for this scholarship as it will help lessen the financial burden on me and my family and allow me to focus more on my studies. Once I am finished my degree, I hope to continue to learn and possibly take a masters or a specialty. I am very excited for what my future holds.