Olivia, the hospital’s beloved "queen," trotted into the hospital playroom on an inflatable pony, energized for the activity ahead: managing the toy ice cream cart. Each afternoon, right as the playroom opened, patients and their families filed into the playroom, escaping the confinement of their bedrooms.

This particular afternoon, I worked as an Olivia’s Ice Cream Shop Associate. I carefully worked with my manager, Olivia, to curate a menu with signature flavors, recruiting Olivia’s older sister as a cashier. The afternoon flew by with a flurry of orders. In between ice cream sales and brainstorming meetings, I also got to know Olivia’s parents. I watched how Olivia’s parents balanced hospital visits while still trying to provide Oliva’s older sister with typical summer activities, how her father worked from the hospital in the afternoons, relieving Olivia’s mother to quickly go home before spending nights another night with Oliva at the hospital. Their unwavering dedication revealed a pediatric cancer diagnosis does not just impact the patient; it transforms the entire family’s life.

Unlike the doctors, nurses, or therapists, I did not have access to Olivia's medical history, yet as a volunteer, I had the opportunity to get to know her and her family beyond her diagnosis. By understanding her personality and quirks, I built a bond with Olivia that was based purely on who she was as a three-year-old girl, while attempting to restore normalcy in the life of a toddler whose childhood years were ripped away from her. From moments in the playroom—transforming unfamiliar discouraging environments into sanctuaries of comfort—I realized how I could ease an entire family’s experience during an incredibly difficult time in their lives. I want to dedicate my career to uncovering deeper ways to support patients and their families as a pediatric oncology nurse.

Major
Nursing 

Honors Program
Nursing Honors Program

What drew you to the Forty Acres Scholars Program?
At Finalist Weekend, through panels, campus tours, and School of Nursing programming, I learned the value of a degree from the University of Texas. But it was during program dinners, game nights, and conversations with current scholars that I firsthand experienced the strength of the Forty Acres Scholars Program—its community. Knowing I would be surrounded by nineteen other students, each navigating the excitement and challenges of college for the first time, ambitious to make an impact, and above all unconditionally supportive, made it clear that this program would not only shape my four years at UT, but also my career and life beyond. The authentic connection I witnessed within the FASP community in just one weekend made it apparent that the program's worth extends far beyond a full-ride scholarship.