Karen left a successful career in the IT industry to pursue her dream of becoming a nurse. Every day in clinical she would talk about how thankful she was for the opportunity to become a nurse. I watched her be a loving "mom" and support system to her fellow classmates anytime she knew there was a need. She did all this while slowly losing her mom to Alzheimer 's. With her excitement and enthusiasm, you would never know she had been up half the night - she just always says she is blessed. I watched her bloom in the classroom and clinical. She soaked up every bit of information she could. But above all, what impressed me the most is her vast capacity of compassion. You can see it in the gentle way she responds to patients and their families. You can see it when she picks up a newborn baby or holds a laboring mom's hand. I often hear her say how "blessed" she is to be able to be joining this profession. She envisions my belief that nursing is truly a calling, not just a profession.