CNSA Advocacy in Nursing Award

Hello! My name is Jessica, and I am from Alberta. I am currently a BScN student at Red Deer College through the University of Alberta’s collaborative program. I chose to become a nurse, partly, because of my mom – a RN specialized in the operating room. I had the amazing opportunity to grow up visiting my mom at the Rockyview General Hospital, learning how to use equipment at open events, and watching certain operations. Furthermore, I have always found that every activity I participated in all had the same thing in common – to help people. In more recent years, I graduated from NAIT’s Disaster and Emergency Management diploma program, where I achieved high academic standings. I am very proud to be currently working with the Alberta Emergency Management Agency (AEMA) where I support operations that provide relief to impacted populations from disaster events. Alongside this accomplishment, I hold various volunteer positions with provincial- and national-level non-profits. I also embrace smaller, yet equally valuable achievements close to me, including the ability to try new things! I am most proud of my capability to persevere and demonstrate resiliency in my academics, personal life, and extracurricular activities, especially throughout COVID-19. Moving forward, I am excited to begin my second year of nursing studies and participate in more hands-on learning opportunities, as well as student council!