I am from Seoul, South Korea, and have been in the States since high school, so I can say that I spent half of my life in Korea and the other half in the States. I come from a medical family background. My father is a doctor, and my sister holds a DNP in nursing. It was natural that I got interested in the field of medicine and nursing since I would often hear both of them talk about how their days at the hospital went and their experiences with patients.

I was born and raised in South Korea. With a BA degree in Education, I worked as a school teacher before moving to the States in my late 20s. Perhaps, my career in nursing started from more practical reasons. While I enjoyed teaching English to children in Korea, I felt the need to choose a career that puts me in a more competitive position as a non-native English speaking, foreign-born worker in the U.S. Nursing stood out as a path that is respected and in need in American society while also requiring a high level of professionalism and knowledge.

I am originally from Hawaii but have lived in many states and countries during my military career. I have an associate’s degree in Intelligence Studies and an associate’s degree in the Pashto-Afghan language from the United States Air Force. In my military career, I was a linguist, and, during my military deployments, I encountered many meaningful moments as an interpreter. Some of these moments included working in a medical setting, where I witnessed what health care providers do. This inspired me to begin my nursing education.

Originally from Severna Park, MD, I moved to West Virginia at the beginning of my freshman year of high school and graduated from Preston High School. If you asked me what my ideal career would be when I started high school, I would have told you that I would be an attorney. That’s right. I fully intended on going to law school. During my junior year of high school, I had fulfilled all of the requisite courses to graduate in addition to taking general education college courses at night.

I grew up in Rockville Centre, a suburb of New York City on Long Island. During my high school summers, I volunteered at a summer camp for adults and children with special needs. Working with people with developmental disabilities and having exposure to their unique health care needs from such a young age are initially what inspired me to become a nurse and ultimately to pursue an oncology specialty.

Growing up in Clayton, North Carolina, I have been interested in medicine since I was very young and wanted to become a forensic pathologist at the age of 11. When I was 15, I began working as an EMS cadet. I learned that I loved the adrenaline of responding to an emergency and decided at that time I wanted to respond to emergencies. I still do this in my current job, but my responsibilities look very different.

Originally from Dubuque, Iowa, I graduated from Simpson College with a BA in Rhetoric & Speech. I originally planning to be an analyst with the CIA, but, during my senior year in college, I had a life changing moment. My roommate had a grand mal seizure one day in front of me, and I had to do some quick thinking to help her. The feeling was so intense I knew I needed to completely change my path and go into nursing, so I did. I never looked back, and I have no regrets.

I grew up in a country where resources were limited. I had the privilege of attending an institution that draws inspiration from the teachings of St. Ignatius, promoting the member to strive for excellence in every aspect of life; to be there for others. While completing my undergraduate degree, I participated in multiple outreach programs in the underprivileged portion of the Philippine community, allowing me to experience life in another's shoes, a life where the smallest resources were scarce.