Hero by Kinberly

Hero by Kinberly - April 2025 Scholarship Essay

“I need help.”

Throughout my life these words became both a moment of vulnerability and a catalyst for my purpose. Imploring for help meant that I wasn't strong enough for my mother when my father got deported or wasn't wise enough to earn money when we were close to homelessness. But through these struggles, I gain the view of humanity, I experience the beauty of benevolence of mankind.

Teachers slipped me food, knowing I had none at home. Strangers donated clothes so my family could have something “new” to wear. Nurses that gave me the courage to cry in despair as I sat with my sister and mother as my father figure took his last breath. It was in those moments of humility that I discovered the true meaning of care workers: not a job but an invocation to lift the fallen. I want to become a nurse one day to bring the same silent prayers others have brought me. Look at soon to be mothers knowing one day i’ll help her and her unborn child through harsh times. I view the world differently because I am destined to be someone that others view as heroes. I carry that lesson forward. Today, I study to become a nurse, committed to paying that kindness forward. Even when I am exhausted and want to quit, I can keep going because I am building a future where I can be the calmness in someone's day and that is worth every sacrifice.

“Let me help you.”