1st Quarter, 2005
Nursing Scholarship Winner
Binta Lewis
Born in Monrovia, Liberia (West Africa), she migrated to the U.S. in 1996. She is the mother of two small children, Denell age six and Destiny age five.
A Portion of Binta’s Winning Essay:
I want to become a nurse because I strongly believe that I can make a difference in the lives of others in my community and the world. As an African, I am confronted everyday with the lack of medical professionals on my continent. Eventually, my goal is to become a Nurse Practitioner and work with UNICEF – Africa.
I was motivated to become a nurse by some wonderful nurses I encountered at the Long Beach Memorial Hospital in Long Beach, California when my youngest daughter was in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit).
My younger daughter was born at twenty six weeks of pregnancy. She had to stay in the hospital for two months. Her nurses were very helpful and compassionate. They made a very frightening experience become tolerable for my family and me.
Since my oldest daughter was just two years old when her sister was born, I found it difficult at times to find and pay for a babysitter for me to visit her sister in the hospital. Again, these nurses were able to help me solve this problem by connecting me with resources in the community. I was very impressed by the level of care and commitment that they showed me during this very difficult period in my life.
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Today, my daughter is a healthy four year old, and I thank God every day for the wonderful nurses who helped me. I can think of no better way to repay their kindness than by becoming one of them. I want to become a nurse with a strong commitment to helping my patients and community.