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.

I was hospitalized when I was 19. Being young and still determining what career I wanted to pursue, I decided to attend nursing school after the care I received from one of my nurses. Her empathy and sincerity for my situation demonstrated how compassion could be employed in a career. I wanted to provide the same level of service to our community that she had shown to me.

I was born in England and moved to North Carolina, from Guam, due to my father receiving orders from the Air Force. I received my bachelor’s in exercise physiology from East Carolina University. I had known prior to college that I wanted to pursue a health care career and participated in clinical shadowing at Vidant Medical Center and Johnston Health throughout my undergraduate career. Many of my Fridays were spent at the hospital where I gained exposure to pediatrics, geriatrics, and emergency medicine.

After 15-plus years as a professional actor, I discovered a desire to pursue nursing. I decided to become a nurse after I had the chance to volunteer at OCA-A Special Place for Special Kids, which works with individuals with autism. The group of volunteers and I worked with some of the adults at OCA to put on a small production using techniques from Kelly Hunter, who had created the Hunter Heartbeat Method, which uses iambic pentameter and sensory games to help children and young people with autism work on communication, awareness, play, etc.

As a Cary, N.C., native with a desire to become a veterinarian, I attended North Carolina State University and earned a bachelor’s degree in animal science in 2004. However, life had other plans for me.

I joined the Air Force in 2006 and spent seven-and-a-half years as a medic. During this time, I earned my MBA with a concentration in health care management from Colorado Technical University and spent the next four years working as an Air Force health care administrator. 

I lost my father in the ICU. During his stay in the hospital, I admired and was motivated by the solicitude and vigilance of the nurse that took care of him and how she supported my family. During this time, I learned about the nurse’s responsibility in being the bridge of communication between the patient and the rest of the health care team. From that moment, I knew I wanted to become like the nurse that assisted my father.

I was born in May on International Day of the Midwife with the support of Duke Regional Hospital’s midwifery practice. Since then, my life journey has carried me around the world and back to my roots.