If it’s worth anything, this nomination is coming from someone who is in the healthcare field. When I first arrived at Rogers, I was absolutely terrified. I was worried about my future and worried about what others would think of me. I was in a horrible mental state and completely withdrawn. I couldn’t stop crying and I could barely look at anyone. Until I met my nurse, Sommer. She immediately met me with kindness and warmth. I knew she could tell I was scared. We walked back to a private room, and she talked to me like a HUMAN being. She made me feel at ease and I was able to connect with her immediately. Her empathy allowed me to take my first deep breath in over a month. Sommer took things slow with me and made me feel as comfortable as possible on my first day at Rogers. But it didn’t stop there. She helped me with terrifying exposure therapies and checked in on me regularly. Near the end of my program, we would often joke and laugh together in the hallways which helped me feel normal again. Any nurse could have just written me off and rolled their eyes at my irrational fears. Sommer showed she cared and that she understood I was in terrible pain. I will never forget how she made me feel. I wish everyone had a Sommer as their nurse.