Jennifer Hernandez

My name is Jennifer Hernandez, and I am a first generation student from El Salvador. Although there is a lot of pride that comes with being a first generation student, I must say that there are many obstacles we face. We should be setting ourselves up for success from the moment we enter high school, but sometimes we don’t have the guidance or knowledge that is needed to do so. For me personally, from a very young age I knew I wanted to become a nurse, I never really branched out to explore other options because I felt it is my calling. As a first generation student, it was really difficult for me because I had no one that I knew that was a nurse to ask for help. A lot of my decision making came from doing my research on the internet and speaking to my advisor. Although I thought that was enough, nursing is a very competitive field to enter and more is required in order to stand out. When I first came to Old Dominion University (ODU), I worked really hard as a freshman to have a competitive GPA. I later applied to nursing school and was waitlisted; realistically I knew that if I was not number one or two on the waitlist, my chances of getting in that time around was not very promising. This was a moment at ODU where I felt discouraged and was temporarily placed in a mindset that maybe I would not reach my goal of becoming a nurse. There was a lot of time I spent reflecting on what I could have done different and then I decided I needed to find ways to become a more competitive applicant. It was really difficult for me to find a mentor in helping me in my process of reapplying, so I returned to my advisor in the health sciences building. It was evident my GPA was not an issue, but he assured me I needed to set myself apart by seeking volunteer hours or certifications that were related to nursing. I decided to volunteer at the Children’s Hospital of King Daughters in their child life program and became certified in phlebotomy because at the time it was the only certification I could afford. I cannot forget to mention that while we have the pressure of reaching our career goals we also have the pressure of our parents at home pushing us to accomplish much more than they ever had the opportunity to do. As a first generation student, disappointing your parents takes a toll on you because we know their background and the reasons why they are so hopeful that you are able to reach your goals. Ultimately, I did continue to work hard and push myself every day to reach my goals. It is my pleasure to share with you that I will be graduating with my BSN this upcoming May and I am very proud to say that although my journey was not easy, it was completely worth it. I will successfully finish my journey with not one degree, but two, one in psychology and another in nursing. Moving forward if I were to be selected for this award I would like to use the money towards paying for my boards so that I can obtain my nursing license. In the near future, I would also like to make myself available through a personal blog to help high school and college students that are currently in the position that I was in when I was in dire need of a mentor to encourage me and help me reach my goals. I am very excited for my family to see me walk the graduation stage and I also cannot wait to finally be an advocate as a healthcare profession, while providing the best patient care I can provide!