Ally in the Battle of Managing Diabetes

“From when I was first diagnosed with diabetes at 11 years old, I saw the good and the bad from many care providers. I knew that I had to become one of the good ones.

It was my middle school nurse who taught me about diabetes management that inspired me to pursue nursing, and it was my disease that inspired my passion within nursing. I feel that if God allowed me to have diabetes, then I was to use it for good and to help others.

I was able to begin to use my experiences to help others at UCF, where my Honors in the Major undergraduate thesis explored how technology could help adults better control their diabetes. Now as a nurse, it is the most fulfilling feeling when I am able to help my diabetic patients and have an immediate rapport with them. In the future, as an endocrinology nurse practitioner, it is my dream to become the primary care provider I would want to have.

Knowing how much I could truly help other diabetics that live the same struggles I do drives me to further my education and career. The UCF DNP program was a perfect fit. I am able to pursue my doctorate part-time while continuing to work full time, and gain valuable experience as an ER nurse. From the caliber of faculty and the vast research opportunities to the expansive clinical experiences, I have no doubt that I will be fully prepared for this future role.

I feel so blessed as I am fulfilling my dreams of changing the diabetes care world, one patient at a time.”