When Brianna Noseworthy submitted a general scholarship application after receiving her offer to Dal, she hoped she’d be lucky enough to receive an entrance scholarship. Now, the recipient of one of the university’s most prestigious awards, the Forsyth Family Nova Scotia Undergraduate Scholarship, Brianna knows luck had nothing to do with it.
“For me to actually be able to receive the scholarship that I have gotten, I am just beyond blessed,” says the first-year Nursing student.
The Forsyth scholarship is awarded to an indigenous black resident of Nova Scotia, and considers financial need, participation in extracurricular activities and demonstration of leadership and social conscience within the recipient’s community. It’s worth up to $20,000, and is renewable contingent on maintaining a 3.0 SGPA.
Compassion for others
Brianna remembers the moment she decided to study Nursing. During her Grade 12 year at Sackville High School in Sackville, N.S., she had the opportunity to do a co-op at the Queen Elizabeth II hospital, shadowing doctors, nurses and lab techs. While Brianna had always enjoyed being involved with her community and helping others, it was in the hospital that she realized how she could turn that enjoyment into a career.
Part of what attracted her to Nursing is the unique relationship nurses share with their patients. While other health care practitioners spend limited time with several patients, Brianna explains that nurses are with the patients from when they are admitted to the hospital to when they leave.
“We have more of an impression on the patients than anybody,” she says. “Even if I can’t fix the problem, I can at least help them through the process so they can make more progress than what they already are going through.”
Only fresh out of high school, it’s clear Brianna is wise beyond her years. She speaks of her experiences at the QEII with fondness, compassion, and with a driven to strive for excellence no matter the task at hand. In her future plans in Nursing, this determined yet empathetic drive rings true.
“It’s not just about the money and I think that’s the problem with people now: they’re going in it because of the money and because there’s jobs there,” she says. “But when a nurse can remember the patient and are actually happy for them that they’re making progress, that’s what a nurse to me is. Making a difference.”
A journey of discovery
Since arriving on campus last week and participating in orientation activities with her peers, Brianna is confident that Dal is the right place for her to pursue her passion. She’s eager to immerse herself in the extracurricular activities that Dal has to offer and find individuals who share her interests, but mostly is focused on putting her best foot forward, both in academics and in life.
“I’m hoping that I can find out who I really am through ±«Óătv and through everybody [here],” she says. “Even though I just got here, I already feel like I’m at home.”