I am a second-degree/pre-licensure Master of Nursing student at Emory University (Fall 2024 cohort). I have a 4-year-old son and 1-year-old daughter, plus 3 stepdaughters. I hope to ultimately become a NICU or Pediatric CICU nurse but am also interested in labor & delivery. I am a placenta accreta and 2x childhood open heart surgery survivor, and my son had 3 open heart surgeries during his first week of life. I previously went to Mercer University to earn my Master of Marriage & Family Therapy and focused on medical family therapy (my internship was at a pediatric medical clinic/hospital). I had completed my nursing prerequisites prior to my former graduate program and my son and my medical battles compelled me to pursue nursing again.