My name is Ariella Bleich and I am currently in the one year accelerated nursing program at Fairleigh Dickinson University. Recently, I was privileged to have been awarded the prestigious Robert Wood Johnson Foundation-New Careers in Nursing Scholarship. I have always been a firm believer that getting a great education and working hard will set you on the path toward achieving your dreams. So, I would like to take this opportunity to thank RWJF for this extremely generous gift, and more importantly, your assistance in helping me fulfill a dream of mine.
This past May I completed my degree in Biology at Stern College for Women and began Fairleigh Dickinson University's one year accelerated RN program all within the same week. I always knew that I wanted to go into the health field, so without any delay I jumped right into it. Throughout high school and college I constantly volunteered in various ways to make myself as much involved as possible in this area. During my first year of college when I studied abroad, I worked as a medical clown. I spent hours every week in the pediatric and adult oncology wards where I fully dressed up in a costume with a balloon pump in my hand. It was rewarding to offer laughter as a therapeutic tool to the patients. Seeing nursing care up close and having the ability to develop relationships with patients made me realize that I really wanted to be a part of this profession.
To this end, I had become very involved in an organization called Chai Lifeline. Chai Lifeline is a not for profit agency that assists children who are fighting cancer and other chronic illnesses. In the two summers prior to beginning nursing school, my desire to become a nurse grew even stronger as I volunteered in Chai Lifeline's sleep away camp. Each year I was assigned a camper, and as their counselor I was responsible for administering daily medications, overseeing diets, and supervising their exercise procedures. Spending almost every hour of the day and night (24/7) with my camper enabled us to develop a close relationship, not unlike the nurse-patient relationship with all its responsibilities. I loved every minute of it. In addition, I served as a "big sister," in Chai Lifeline's Big Sister Program where I provided weekly home companionship to a child with muscular dystrophy. Both these experiences further fueled my interest in learning about the body through the nursing profession. To do this I not only enrolled in science courses in college, but took the opportunity to work in the office of an obstetrics/gynecology practice near my school in midtown Manhattan while juggling college courses a couple of times a week. When I finish my nursing education I hope to work in both the labor and delivery unit, as well as in the pediatric oncology ward.
Now, halfway done through the one year nursing program at Fairleigh Dickinson University, I have learned a tremendous amount. I have also involved myself in school activities such as participating in the health fair on campus and even going out to help the community in a project called Rebuilding Together where I helped underprivileged families fix up their dilapidated homes. I have gained a wealth of knowledge from my clinical experiences this year at various hospitals. I came to the Fairleigh Dickinson University nursing program with the intention that it would give me a superior education and set me on the right path towards becoming an outstanding professional nurse. I am extremely passionate about helping others in a health-related environment, and I can imagine nothing more fulfilling than waking up every morning knowing that my career is my passion.
