I was interested in pursuing nursing as my mom is a nurse midwife, and I grew up hearing about her experiences and visiting the clinic where she worked. I have always loved medicine and working with vulnerable populations, so nursing was a perfect fit. My mom was also diagnosed with cancer when I was a senior in high school, so I spent a lot of time in the hospital during this time and was exposed to the nurse-patient relationship. These experiences showed me the significant impact a nurse can make on a person’s life.

I am from Raleigh and graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor's of Science degree in Neuroscience from East Carolina University in 2012.

The caring culture embedded in nursing drew my attention. When I was an undergraduate student, I got fascinated by the various skills nurses have, even beyond clinical settings. I still believe that nurses do not only provide care to an individual but also empower the individual to engage in their own health behaviors.

I started my journey in life in the heart of Miami, where I was raised in a proud, hardworking Dominican-American family. Like many immigrant families, we did not have adequate access to health care nor did we understand the value of preventative care. At 16, I was not excelling in the traditional high school environment, and, with my mother’s support, I enrolled in a high school completion program. During this time, my family relocated to Charlotte, and it was at Central Piedmont Community College that I found my way into nursing.

I was born in Manila, Philippines, and spent my formative years serving the underprivileged with my family at a rural vocational school and later in the inner city. After a severe encounter with Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever at age 3 with frequent finger pricks for blood tests, I announced I would become a “poke doctor,” so I could help others as I had been helped by the compassionate Filipino nurses who cared for me.