Frances Mary Stoddart Award
Both of my grandmothers worked as nurses in rural and international settings and I have multiple nurses in my extended family, so I guess you could say it is in my blood. Although I always knew I wanted to work with and help people, I took a less than direct path to nursing. After finished a degree in behavioural science, I worked for several years with adults and children with developmental disabilities in employment, home, and school settings. Yet in the back of my mind I knew I wanted to unite my love for working alongside people with a technical degree that opened doors for me to work in a variety of settings at the individual, group, and community level to effect positive change. Enter nursing. I am becoming a nurse so that I can help people, meeting them where they are at and working alongside them to meet their health goals. In every capacity, I seek to facilitate holistic wellness of the individual, family, and community, recognizing and responding to the central impact of social determinants on health and wellness. I am beyond excited to be developing into the role of a nurse and look forward to the day when I can fully engage alongside my colleagues, moving forward with the evolving and dynamic nature of our health system to continue providing quality care.