CNSA 2SLGBTQIA+ Award

My name is Saranyaa Mahendrarajan, and I am extremely honoured to be awarded a CNF Scholarship. I graduated from McMaster University with a degree in Honours Biochemistry in 2020. After my undergraduate degree, I was unsure of what career path I wanted to pursue. I knew that I wanted to work in healthcare, but I wasn’t sure in what capacity. Thus, I explored my options by working at Toronto Public Health on the COVID Response Team, working as a pharmacy assistant at Shoppers Drug Mart, and volunteering in outpatient clinics at a community hospital. During this time, I discovered that I loved interacting with patients at the bedside, but I also had a passion for public health. As someone who grew up in a marginalized community, I am determined to address these inequities through my career. I hope to one day advocate for more inclusive and culturally sensitive health policies, and I am inspired by the goal of creating systemic change to improve health outcomes for all. Thus, I decided to choose to apply to the University of Toronto’s Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing program, as a career in nursing would allow me to start off at the bedside, and then later follow my passions in public health. As a new graduate nurse, I plan to start my career in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), and then one day continue my education to become a public health nurse.