MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE
(AND LOVING EVERY SECOND OF IT!)
Hello! My name is Lauren Zulueta. I am a nursing student at Florida International University (FIU) Honors College. My primary interest in this field stemmed from a lot of experiences, but one particular instance that comes to mind is when I organized my first food drive at the local Sweetwater.
It was here that I got to truly experience firsthand what it was like to help people on a one-to-one basis: I gained an appreciation to understand the community's needs and put forward the effort to address them. From there, I established a nonprofit that would help individuals in Florida as well as in other developing countries including Peru and Tanzania. I have also expanded these boundaries to include the entity of Boston, but I aim to take them further throughout the duration of my career.
A lot of my experiences—both inside and outside FIU—have helped influence the speciality of nursing that I want to pursue. For instance, my time during FIU’s study abroad program allowed me to explore my interests within the arts, cultures, and language of Spain while also fulfilling my honors prerequisites.
At the time, I did not realize how much of an impact this trip would have on my career. But during even the simplest of interactions, I learned how to decipher facial expressions, body language, and gestures to successfully understand others and communicate. In addition, I was exposed to the joys of juggling multiple responsibilities: whether I was having class in a Moorish fortress, better known as La Alhambra, or eating paella at my favorite breakfast cafe, I often found myself in unforeseen and unfamiliar situations that would make me scrutinize the circumstances around me. “Am I making the right choice? How much time is this going to take?”
Having endured these experiences and studied abroad, I am more equipped than ever to handle high intensity, demanding job roles. In light of this, I feel that my talents and disposition would be best put to use in a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) where I can provide patients who have sudden health changes with the highest level of care.
That being said, my four years at FIU have been nothing but transformative. Reflecting back on my freshman year, I learned things about myself and the world because I dared to challenge myself: I participated in organizations, ran for leadership positions, presented in a MEDx event, introduced myself to the peer sitting next to me, and even took a semester of 19 credits while simultaneously working at my dream hospital. I realized that these were the moments I have been most happiest and proud of—those in which I left my comfort zone. And while my transition as a FIU student to a new grad is outside my comfort, I am learning to trust that the fear is temporary and that the change associated with it is closer to fulfilling my destiny.