Strength Discovered Through Service by Nehemie

Strength Discovered Through Service by Nehemie - January 2026 Scholarship Essay

I discovered a new strength in myself the first time I became a caregiver, long before I ever stepped into a classroom in the United States. I was still a teenager in Haiti when my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. At an age when most young people are focused on school and friendships, I was learning how to bathe her, feed her, and calm her during moments of fear and confusion. At first, I believed I was too young and too unprepared for such responsibility. Yet day after day, I showed up for her. In doing so, I discovered a strength I did not know I possessed: the ability to remain compassionate, steady, and resilient even when life felt overwhelming.

Caring for my mother was emotionally exhausting. Watching someone you love slowly lose pieces of themselves is a quiet kind of heartbreak. There were moments when I felt alone, afraid, and unsure of how to continue. But I learned that strength is not the absence of fear. It is choosing love and responsibility despite it. Through caregiving, I developed patience, empathy, and emotional endurance. I learned how to put someone else’s needs before my own, and I learned that service can exist even in hardship.

That strength became my anchor when my life changed again. As violence and instability escalated in Haiti, schools closed repeatedly, and my education was disrupted for months. Eventually, my father made the painful decision to send me alone to the United States so I could be safe and continue my education. When I arrived at seventeen in 2024, I spoke little English and had no financial security. Every school-related expense became my responsibility, and as an immigrant without permanent status, I do not qualify for most forms of financial aid. Starting over was frightening, but the strength I discovered while caring for my mother guided me forward.

Instead of retreating, I leaned into perseverance. I studied English daily, asked for help, and committed myself fully to my education. In less than one year, I earned a 4.0 GPA in college-level coursework through Florida’s dual enrollment program, was named to the President’s List, and was accepted into the Honors College at Palm Beach State College. Each achievement reinforced what I had learned earlier: I am capable of enduring pressure, adapting to change, and growing through adversity.

This inner strength has also shaped my commitment to service. I joined organizations such as the French Honor Society, HOSA Future Health Professionals, the Black Student Union, and First Gen Success, and I completed over 150 hours of community service. Whether assisting teachers, supporting children, or volunteering with Locks of Love, I found purpose in helping others, just as caregiving once taught me to do.

The strength I discovered through caregiving ultimately inspired my career goal. I want to become a nurse, beginning in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, where compassion and resilience are essential. Nursing represents everything I learned through my experiences: patience, empathy, and the courage to care for others in their most vulnerable moments.

Discovering my strength did not happen in a single instant. It emerged through responsibility, sacrifice, and perseverance. It continues to influence how I approach challenges, education, and service. My journey has not been easy, but it has shaped me into someone who does not give up. I now understand that strength is not just surviving hardship. It is transforming adversity into purpose and using it to serve others with compassion and hope.