Judy Hill Memorial Award

My name is Melissa and I live in Squamish, BC. I became a nurse because it provides the best of both worlds for me: caring for people, and working in a medical field. Since I was in my early teens, I knew I wanted to work in a medical field. I chose nursing because it fulfills this desire and allows me to work with and, care for people which has become another passion of mine. When Covid-19 began, I wanted to be involved in helping those that fell ill and this pushed me to apply to nursing school. I had been working in another field before the pandemic, but the overwhelming urge to want to be one of the nurses helping people recover from Covid was strong and so I applied to nursing school. Entering nursing school has been challenging, but when I’m at the hospital and I can see the effect of good nursing care for the patients, it makes it all worth it! In my spare time (what little I have) I like to trail run, hike, camp, and rock climb. I love nursing because it allows me to work a meaningful job and have time to pursue my outdoor hobbies.