Anita George Award

My name is Desiree Turner. I am a 39-year-old female who strongly identifies with my Indigenous roots. I was born and raised in northern Manitoba where I learned how to respect and live off the land through growing, harvesting, hunting, and fishing. I am a sole parent to 3 amazing children aged 20, 15, and 5, they are my strength and the reason I strive to achieve my life goals. I want them to understand that individual choice determines how much one learns in life and that the best things in life are not free but result from determination, hard work, and dedication.  

I decided to pursue nursing later in life as I wasn’t happy with my career at the time and wanted to achieve my dream career as a health care provider before it was too late to do so. Throughout life, I dealt with most challenges alone and always wished I had someone to support me through these times. Therefore, I want to be that person that I never had, who supports people where they are in their most vulnerable times. I want to provide the best therapeutic healthcare possible to each client despite age, gender, or ethnicity. My short-term goal is to work closely with the Indigenous populations and my long-term goal is to become a nurse practitioner.