Pathway to Pediatrics
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(Photo by Chris Hartlove)

As a second generation Korean American born and raised in Southern California, it was not a mistake that I was one of millions of uninsured Americans for most of my life; that I had immigrant parents who did not realize the importance of regular checkups and preventative health care; that a number of my family members passed away from cancer caught too late; that my fear of doctors added to my avoidance of getting proper health care even as an adult with insurance; or, that I took a class in college that ignited a passion in me to improve patient-provider communication and ultimately led me to the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing.

None of these things were a mistake, because all of these experiences have molded who I am today and driven me to pursue nursing. I know firsthand the importance of basic and preventative health care and have a vested interest in bringing that message to everyone, from the uninsured to the fearful, infants to the elderly.

This spring, I began a pediatrics rotation on the oncology unit at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center and unexpectedly fell in love with the field and its young patient population. The seven weeks I spent on that unit essentially changed the course of my nursing career-this summer, I accepted a position in pediatric oncology at Children's Hospital Los Angeles, near my home and family.

I am honored and thankful to have been chosen to receive the Drs. I. Ridgeway and Frances Trimble Scholarship. It is a gift of education that will undoubtedly go on to touch many people in need of care.

-Una Lee, Accelerated-13 2009