I graduated from TFA in May 2012 after attending there since kindergarten. I attended college at The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, where I received my Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing upon graduating in December 2016. TFA definitely prepared me for the rigorous college courses I took as a nursing student. I am truly grateful for the beneficial impact it had on me academically.

In January 2017, I took the state board exam to become a Registered Nurse in Florida. Shortly after becoming licensed, I started a full-time job as a Registered Nurse in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Florida Hospital for Children in Orlando. I have been working there a little over a year now, and I love it. Despite their serious illnesses and injuries, the kids are so strong and inspiring. Also, my co-workers are amazing. Together, they have helped shape me into the nurse I am today.

My family lives in Orlando. My sister Grace, a 2015 TFA graduate, is a student at the University of Florida, where she is a junior studying Nursing. She is excelling academically and has made many great friends. My brother David is a junior at TFA; he enjoys hanging out with friends and playing lacrosse. I love when I am able to attend his games. My parents are always encouraging me and have helped me reach my goals.

My time at TFA was filled with many inspirational teachers. A couple of teachers who stood out to me were Mr. David Oliver and Mrs. Vanda Harvey. Mr. Oliver taught me Anatomy & Physiology, and it sparked my interest in the human body and what an incredible miracle of God it is. It certainly was not an easy course, but this helped prepare me for nursing school. Mr. Oliver also was very real with students and would lead us spiritually. His relationship with Christ was very evident in the classroom every day. Mrs. Harvey was an amazing English teacher. She taught me my freshman year. She made reading enjoyable for me and easy to understand. She would explain stories so well. She related so well to students, including me, and prepared me for college by always holding me accountable towards schoolwork.

Today, I attend and am very involved in Celebration Church Orlando. While I was attending The University of Alabama, I attended Church of the Highlands. Once I moved back to Orlando, I wanted to find a similar church. In October 2017, I found Celebration Church Orlando through my best friend. From the first time I attended there, I knew I had found a new church home. I started attending a community group once a week, where I met many life-giving friends. Now, I volunteer on the Welcome Team each Sunday morning, and I have made great Christian friends through that as well. Celebration Church Orlando has truly changed my life for the better since moving back to Orlando and starting to live in the “real world.” It is so important for me to be involved in church, in part because of the heavy emotional load that comes with my job. My church friends always lift me up and encourage me each week. The pastors there are also the best role models for my life. I always come to them for advice and I know they will lead me to the right path.

I now realize the great impact that TFA had on my life and how it prepared me for college and my life beyond. TFA showed me the importance of academics, as well as taking spiritual life seriously. I know TFA helped shape me into the woman I am today, and I will always be grateful for the opportunity I had to attend such a wonderful school for 13 years.