TNAA’s BSN Scholarship Winner for Fall 2022: Kaylee K.
Kaylee K.’s helping heart was fostered and grown in early childhood, so a nursing career was a natural choice for her. She’s currently attending school in Kansas and will graduate with her BSN in 2024. From there, she’s interested in working as an ER nurse.
“Nursing is a very rewarding career in the sense that you constantly have the ability to positively impact the lives of others,” Kaylee said. “It is a very important job that allows the opportunity to be present as a care provider and as a nurturer for those at a vulnerable point in their lives.”
Positively impacting others – that’s one of the most significant values Kaylee’s mother instilled in her and her brother’s lives from a young age as her family would spend time giving to others whenever possible. These experiences allowed them to meet and interact with people from all backgrounds.
“Every holiday, we would do acts of kindness around the community, from paying for someone’s groceries to making Mother’s Day cards for breast cancer patients,” Kaylee recalled. “She always pushed us to help those less fortunate, for we may never know if we might find ourselves in similar situations.”
Her mother was right. When Kaylee was 10, her family lived in a domestic violence shelter for six months, and Kaylee learned first-hand the impact kindness from strangers could have.
“I lived with women who suffered from substance abuse and learned how impactful a simple smile or gesture could be to them,” she said. “This experience gave me the ability to exercise patience and provide empathy to those from different backgrounds. Once my mom got back on her feet, we dedicated a lot of our time to service.”
Kaylee taught first grade at her church, worked in the church nursery, volunteered in childcare at a non-profit organization for women in addiction recovery, volunteered at a nursing program, and more. Her own hardships and experiences through volunteer work grew her skillset to include empathy, patience, and communication.
Where She’s Headed
In the future, Kaylee sees herself becoming a travel nurse, getting outside her hometown and comfort zone to deliver extraordinary medical and emotional support for patients across the U.S. She plans to make her first stop somewhere on the East Coast.
“I’ve always wanted to move to a different city, and I feel that travel nursing is the perfect way to do so,” Kaylee said. “I didn’t grow up with money and have always yearned for travel experiences different from my hometown. I’ll be practicing something I love while getting to explore different parts of America.”
Apply for TNAA’s Scholarship
As her schooling continues, Kaylee now has a community of healthcare travelers and TNAA staff cheering her on as she pursues her passion for helping others. We hope this scholarship gives you peace of mind as you prepare to enter this new, challenging, and rewarding season of life.
Travel Nurse Across America will offer its next $2,500 BSN scholarship opportunity in the spring of 2023. View all the details and eligibility requirements on TNAA’s scholarship page, and stay tuned as we launch an allied health scholarship soon.
