“The only source of knowledge is experience.” A quote by Albert Einstein, that can be adapted to fit everyone's learning experience personally. Without learning  your life is simply an outline of all of the things that you could have done. No one will have the same exact experiences and no one will react the same way.  Experiences mold you, they shape who you are as a person. The influence that an experience can have on someone can be life changing. There are many examples of situations that have allowed me to learn and transformed me into the person I am today.

The clock was ticking down, the crowd was getting louder and everyone's adrenaline was pumping fiercely. You may be thinking that I’m a player but you would be wrong. I am a student athletic trainer of the football team. Simply in the background making sure everyone stays safe. The clock kept ticking and then it stopped. TIme was moving in slow motion. Chyla the head athletic trainer was yelling at me to follow her. What I had witnessed was the first injury that I had ever experienced as a student athletic trainer. As we had rushed over the player was in agony as he had explained what had happened to his leg. Later that night we had found out the player fractured his Tibia. From my experiences I have not only learned about myself but how I learn in the classroom.  In an environment with a lot of stress, I have learned how to survive under pressure. Whether it being related to my job as a CNA or the stress of having to complete a project on time or studying for an important exam, I am well prepared to cope with pressure. These experiences have affected my academic success by shaping me into an exceptional student. 

I knew what I was doing when I signed on the dotted line. I signed 900 hours of my life away to care for the elderly, to build on my education and knowledge, and to set up a possible future for myself as a nurse. Those 900 hours would be hours filled working in a nursing home for my health youth apprenticeship. From my experience as a CNA I have learned what it is like to be in someone else's shoes. I have learned to care for strangers, for people I don’t even know who are in need of someone to be there for them. I have seen what it is like for people to struggle with Alzheimer's or Dementia who don’t have anyone who visits them. I have become their family when no one is there to help care for them or give them company. Being only 16, I have experienced things that most people my age won’t get to in their lifetime. I have formed connections with the people who live where I work. I have learned many things about myself by working with the elderly. Things such as putting others before myself, advocating for myself, working under pressure. Working in the nursing home only confirms that I want to become a nurse. I want to care for strangers and be there for them when others are not. From my experience as a CNA, my knowledge and responsibility for my learning has drastically increased. 

From my experience as a CNA and student athletic trainer, I have gained information about myself as well as how I can take what I learned from my experiences and bring that to my education. I have learned responsibility and accountability through these jobs that have enhanced my time as a student. All of these moment have impacted me and my learning in and out of the classroom.