There are so many heart-wrenching things that happen in our city every single day that it is hard to imagine how we can impact them.

 

Below is a heart-warming piece of hope for the future that we can all participate in helping to make happen.

 

Below is the story of Rachelle. She is a 24-year-old incredibly accomplished single mom of a little 2-month-old daughter, who is forging her way despite a lot of obstacles – to not only make a better life for herself and her little girl – but affect countless lives along the way through her chosen career path as a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) and eventually a Family Nurse Practitioner.

 

Rachelle graduated from Patrick Taylor Science and Technology Academy with a great GPA and big dreams for her future which she is on her way to making reality. She’s graduated from excellent Phlebotomy and EKG programs and is trying to continue her studies towards her Practical Nursing degree which she is almost finished with - but is currently trying to both save up money towards books, materials and supplies for the program as well as retire $1187 in debt that she accrued as a result of a car crash a few weeks after her daughter’s birth.

Her personal statement is below. We thought about making it shorter because no one has attention spans these days but it is a glimpse into the intentionality and purpose of her life so please check it out if you have time! And please join me in helping to help her pay off her debt so she can continue her studies, go on to impact countless lives and be a New Orleans success story to boost our community up.

 

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My name is Rachelle. I am a 24-year-old single mother and aspiring nursing student. In February 2022, I gave birth to my first child - a beautiful little girl named Marilyn Rose’Marie. Giving birth was the worse pain I have ever experienced but the best experience of my life.

Marily is a healthy and plump, breastfeed baby who has already doubled in weight since her birth. I love caring for my child. I’ve had a few tragic events occur throughout my lifetime including the death of my mother. Hence, I am evermore grateful to have such a sweetheart daughter. Her smile makes me glow. My mother passed away from pancreatic cancer when I was twelve years old, but she raised me well. I named my daughter in her honor, and she has truly restored joy in my life.

 

I decided to pursue my nursing career shortly after the death of my first love in 2017 and I’ve been chasing that dream since. I graduated high school in 2015 and went off to college in Lafayette, thinking I wanted to become a child psychologist. Towards the end of my freshman year, I was told by a school nurse that I may have thyroid cancer. After having multiple tests, the doctors concluded it be best for me to remove half my thyroid. To have the procedure completed, I had to return home from school. During my time at home, I fell in love and decided to continue my education at home. I enrolled in local Phlebotomy and EKG programs. I also fell in love with the medical field. I loved the rush I felt after successfully drawing a patient’s blood. This gave me the inspiration to become a nurse. My mother was a nurse as well, so I saw fit to follow in her footsteps.

 

My boyfriend at the time passed away from a heart attack in a car crash and left me heartbroken. I no longer wanted to remain in New Orleans, but I knew I had to continue with school. Thus, I returned to Lafayette after being accepted into ULL BSN Program. I had a hard time battling depression while in school, working full time at Costco, handling all my living costs and running my greeting card business, but I managed. Once the pandemic lock down took place, I decided it was time to return home and now I am enrolled in the Practical Nursing (PN) Program while I simultaneously work as a Medical Assistant at Touro Infirmary. Halfway through the program, I became pregnant and graduating as a new mom will be the next big accomplishment of my life. I intend on continuing my education until I become a Family Nurse Practitioner. Having a child has truly changed my perspective on life because I am now responsible for another being. It is my goal to be a great role model and continue to prosper in all aspects of my life and have a positive impact on my community through working to improve public health individual by individual.