Helping those in desperate need
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(Photo by Will Kirk)

I grew up in a single-parent family with eight siblings, and my family often had to rely on community support to put food on our table and clothes on our back. While we were often recipients of the generous graces of our community, my mother always taught me that we had much to offer for others as well. I credit her for instilling in me a sense of empathy, compassion, and the need to serve the less fortunate.

Because I desired to help and serve others, I completed my bachelor's degree in psychology. After graduation, I worked in a psychiatric hospital, offering emotional and psychological support for the patients. I only wished that I could do more for their physical health as well. I was very interested in-and jealous of-the work that the nurses were able to do.

Once I decided to become a psychiatric nurse, I applied for the accelerated program at the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing. The program is perfect for me because I am ready to put all of my energy and effort into pursuing this career that I have contemplated for so long. "With the help of the Schweizer Scholarship, I hope
to bring patients and their families a sense of worth and a sense of hope wherever I may practice. At Hopkins, I have started by volunteering at a medical clinic for the uninsured in Baltimore city. This direct interaction with patients fulfills my natural inclination to help others, and I feel satisfied knowing that I now have the skills to help those in desperate need.

-Margaret Malleis, Accelerated Class of 2006