John and Sanne Hansen/Craig Martin Memorial Pediatric Award

My name is Rachelle Eldik and I am now entering my final year of the accelerated BScN program at the Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto. I chose to become a nurse because of my passion for hospitality and caring for others. From a very young age I was eager to work in healthcare although I never knew where I fit into the healthcare world exactly.  However, after experiencing illness in my own family and witnessing the profound impact that nurses made on my mother’s and brother’s healing journeys, I was sure that nursing was my calling. Finishing my undergraduate degree in Medical Sciences & Biology at Western University with Distinction and as a Western Scholar was one of my greatest accomplishments. Graduating with these distinctions made me proud of the passion and effort I put into my academics and guided me to beginning my current BScN program, my current most prized accomplishment. I am most honoured to identify as a nursing student and work towards such a professional, personal, and fulfilling career. I cannot wait to see what the future holds for me and my nursing career!