Leadership Role
Being a leader offers an opportunity to influence others and work collaboratively to achieve a shared vision. Thus, leaders can capitalize on whatever leadership position to learn how to navigate through complex leadership situations, including in higher education, such as pursuing a Ph.D. or in the workplace. I have been a student leader during my undergraduate studies and a financial secretary of the men’s church fellowship association. While these might appear like minor leadership roles, they have played a significant role in my decision to pursue a Ph.D. I believe that furthering my education will open new leadership roles on which I will use the skills and experience I have already learned, including communication and organizing skills.
From my experience, I will become a successful nurse scholar. My current experience will allow me to work and research individually and collaboratively in groups to address emerging issues in nursing research. I have developed collaborative skills during my previous leadership roles due to the demand to work together to accomplish common objectives. I have realized that nursing is a complicated discipline, and I have to capitalize on collaborative avenues to develop knowledge. The challenge is more real in advanced education, such as in a Ph.D. setup. I will perform research both individually and in scholarly groups to generate higher level learning in the higher education setting. Such endeavors are critical in finding solutions to critical issues such as a chronic illness that are becoming serious in health care.
Commitment to Diversity
During my undergraduate leadership roles, and the role I held in the church, I have discovered that the country has become highly diverse. As I continue pursuing higher learning, I acknowledge that I will encounter even more diverse people and communities. I also realize that I will be required to research differences in care recipients. Therefore, as I train and prepare to transition into the care setting, I want to serve humanity without bias. I understand that people differ in terms of their race, religion, sexual orientation, and social status, among other aspects. These are socially assigned differences that should not affect the way I interact with or serve other people in society. I will become an advocate of equality in the community that I am fortunate to serve.
As a student leader and during my undergraduate studies, I came across various culturally disadvantaged students. Some of the learners were unequally represented in the educational setting because of the lack of adequate resources. However, such students still required to achieve social mobility through support from leaders in various positions, including leaders. I understand the importance of embracing differences and ensuring that all students require equal opportunities to succeed in life. I have, in the past, approached the church to support culturally disadvantaged students, such as by raising funds to support their education. I had a responsibility as a leader to address the disadvantaged and empower the minority students to become successful in their education and future. I have been able to raise money to help tens of students to improve their educational endeavors. I have realized that I can contribute positively to cultural diversity within nursing by learning about the educationally underrepresented segments of society and advocating for change within the institution. For instance, I can speak to the faculty to find ways of ensuring real cultural inclusion within the institution.
Coping with the Challenge
Over the years, I have learned that different challenges characterize life, while the ability to overcome such difficulties makes us stronger. I believe that nothing in life comes easy, and to succeed, I have to excel by understanding that failure means a chance to rise again and try. I have embraced the aspect that life will always allow us to fight another day. I understand that to be successful, quitting should never be an option no matter how difficult life might appear. Failure only means to do it again in a better way until I achieve what I want. So far, I have succeeded in various aspects, including my previous academic endeavors. I had to face various struggles to overcome challenges and succeed in my educational journey.
During my undergraduate education, I struggled to undertake a certain course, but I missed it by a few points. I could have chosen to give up on the course and take an alternative. However, I knew that missing the course would jeopardize my chances of becoming a nurse practitioner. It was important for me to pursue the course; it was a challenge I needed to overcome. I mastered the courage to approach my instructor and those classmates who performed well in the course. Through various discussions and guidance, I conceptualized difficult concepts, passed the next assessment, and later excelled in the course. The most important lesson I learned is that my mindset played a critical role in my inability to thrive through adversity. Hence, I had to change my mindset to achieve success.