David Jenson

Winner: 
August 2009
Class of 2010

Essay

This I believe about nursing… “Nursing is a way that I can concretely serve others and make a difference”

A little over four years ago I was pretty unhappy with where my life was going, so I decided to make a huge change. Growing a beard was only part of the change; I also moved away from northern Virginia and went to work at a wilderness rehabilitation program in Mesa, Arizona called the Anasazi Foundation. At Anasazi I worked as a Trailwalker, hiking with at-risk youth for a week at a time in the Arizona wilderness. I would spend 24 hours a day for a week at a time with those kids. I was there to help out with every aspect of their life, from how to pack a backpack to how to talk openly with their parents. One of the most important things we tried to teach the kids was that within each of them there exists a seed of greatness. In other words, each person has something unique, important and valuable to share with those around them. By helping the kids to recognize this seed within themselves, I was able to help them feel that they have an important and valued place in the world. I found that as I cared more and more about the kids, my personal problems that had seemed so serious no longer mattered. I was able to leave behind the world of college to find what my life was really about: serving others.

It is through nursing that I plan to continue serving others and in more significant ways with a greater knowledge base. Something I’ve come to understand over the past few years of working with at-risk youth in different settings is that I need knowledge to truly be able to serve. I could never have helped the kids at Anasazi if I didn’t know how to pack a backpack myself and I can’t make a real difference for people or my community if I don’t have the knowledge to do so. Nursing is a way that I can concretely serve others and make a difference. I’ll be able to look for the seed of greatness within each patient that I serve and know that the individual I am serving is worthy and so my service has value.     

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has allowed me to pursue a nursing degree during a time when the economy may have prevented me from doing so. The scholarship I received is allowing me to gain the knowledge base necessary to become a nurse. It is that knowledge that is key for me to be able to provide meaningful service. I believe that as a nurse I’ll be able to serve others in my community and through that service lead a fulfilling life.