A Calling to Care for Others: Julie’s Story

CSF Scholar Julie has always loved serving and teaching others. She also loved learning about the human body, and seeing her older sister go through nursing school both inspired her and piqued her curiosity.

Now a second-year nursing student at Seattle University, Julie aspires to be a labor and delivery nurse. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, she has persisted in college through remote learning.

“It is my calling to be in a career where my purpose is to care for others,” Julie says. “I have a passion to make people comfortable in the most vulnerable times of their lives. This year has been draining and I miss being in school, but I know we are doing what is best and I can only be thankful.”

Considering College

When considering college, Julie’s biggest hurdle was getting started. Growing up in a low-income household, she didn’t get a lot of academic support at home. Her parents had emigrated from Vietnam, and her mom worked long hours at a restaurant to support the family. Her dad, who had a lot of health issues, stayed home and took care of Julie and her siblings.

Julie was a junior at Foss High School in Tacoma and didn’t know where to begin when it came to the college application process. She knew she wanted to go college; she just didn’t know how. That’s when she heard about College Success Foundation and signed up for the Achievers program.

“A lot of upperclassmen who were a part of the Achievers program talked about the fun college visits CSF would take them on,” Julie says. “My older sister was also an Achiever, so I always knew that also I wanted to be a part of this program. So that’s what I did. 

“As an Achiever, I toured several college campuses and even visited my dream school, Seattle University. It was an amazing experience, and it felt great to be a part of a program that wanted us to be successful.”

Paying for College

During her senior year in high school, Julie wondered how she was going to pay for college when her mom began working less hours so she could take care of her dad.

Then she learned about the Leadership 1000 Scholarship through her CSF advisor, Marina. She decided to apply. A weight was lifted off of her shoulders when she learned she had received not only the Leadership 1000 Scholarship, but also the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship and three other scholarships.

With these scholarships, she was able to attend her first two years at Seattle University without any out-of-pocket costs.

“I was so glad that my family did not have to worry about paying for my college,” she says. “The College Success Foundation staff has been so supportive and provided me with so many resources and opportunities. I would have been really lost without their guidance.”

A Bright Future

After graduation, Julie is looking forward to starting her career. She eventually plans to earn a Doctor of Nursing Practice, become a nurse practitioner and practice in labor and delivery. “I’m inspired to come back and teach one day to help the next generation of nurses,” she says. 

“I believe that you should do what you love, because then it doesn’t feel like a job. Nursing is this career for me.”