Cherish S.B.
Quick Facts
Age: 28
Major: Nursing, 2024
Transfer Institution: Front Range Community College (FRCC), Associate of Science
“Being an Alfie Scholar means embodying this shared value of civility with fellow Alfies and having the power and opportunity to spread civility in other aspects of our lives. ”
SERVICE & WORK:
Medical Assistant, Bellevue Dermatology Clinic, September 2021–July 2022
Veterinary Technician / Nurse, Boulder’s Natural Animal Hospital, September 2017–August 2020
Client Service Representative / Veterinary Assistant, Arapahoe Animal Hospital, September 2015–April 2017
Aviation Electrician’s Mate, United States Navy, September 2013–September 2021
Awards & Honors:
Alfie Scholars, Cohort 7, 2022–2024
Achievement Scholarship
FRCC Foundation Scholarship, 2020–2021
FRCC President’s List, 2021
Cherish’s Story
My father always told me that I was both a first generation American and a ninth generation American. I never really appreciated the significance of that until I got older. I was born and raised in Colorado. My mother, an immigrant from Nepal, and my father, a corn-fed Nebraskan, set the stage of my unique cultural backdrop of a childhood. My family celebrated Diwali, but also Christmas. My family watched Bollywood films, but also Nebraska football games. My family was different from others, but also very similar.
I grew up in a blended family, my mother bringing two children from a previous marriage and my father bringing six of his own. I was the only child from my parents’ marriage with several, older half-siblings that floated in and out of my life. Since most of my siblings were at least ten years my senior, they were moved out and on their own by the time I was seven. I spent most of my younger years learning advanced subjects from my father while my mom worked. My father, a veteran, had many degrees to his name – including a Doctor of Education. He was passionate about teaching and even more so about teaching me. I owe much of my academic perseverance and success to his influence throughout my childhood. By the time I was in middle school, my parents had divorced. My mom – now a single mother – became my primary caregiver after a tragic falling out with my father. She is a resilient and principled woman who worked endlessly to ensure that I had things she didn’t in Nepal. I owe much of my tenacity and emotional intelligence to her.
After graduating high school, I tried my hand at college but was ultimately unsuccessful and decided to join the United States Navy instead. My time in the Navy taught me invaluable lessons, skills, diligence, patience, and my first real exposure to the value of civility. I came back to Colorado as a Navy Reservist, enrolled in community college, and got a job working in veterinary medicine. My experience in the veterinary field is what truly ignited my passion. I not only enhanced my depth of love for animals, but also found that the practice of medicine was enamoring and fulfilling. I spent about six years working in the veterinary field, eventually realizing that there was little to no upward mobility as a Veterinary Nurse. I knew that making the change to “human medicine” was natural and interesting, but I also knew that there would be more hurdles to jump through to get there.
It wasn’t until New Year’s 2019 that a pivotal change occurred in my life – my father, whom I had only recently rekindled a relationship with, died suddenly from a stroke. My father, in the years since my parents’ divorce, had remarried and relocated to the Philippines to be with his new family. It was during this first week of January in 2019 that I found myself making the 38-hour travel time to come face to face with my deceased father after almost ten years of not seeing each other in person. Three fundamental truths occurred to me throughout this experience. One, my father deserved better – better treatment, better healthcare, and better from me. Two, I did not want to make the mistake of waiting any longer – waiting to change my career, waiting to mend relationships, and waiting to do what makes me happy. Three, I realized the value that medicine has and how blessed we are to have the quality of healthcare that we do in the United States.
After my father’s death, things changed rapidly in my life. I went back to school to complete my nursing prerequisites, I moved from Colorado to Washington with my partner – the love of my life, and I got a job as a Medical Assistant in “human medicine.” I applied to nursing school and was accepted into the College of Nursing at Seattle University. Additionally, I gained acceptance into Cohort 7 of the Alfie Scholars program. When you look at my resume, so little of my journey is reflected on those pages. What I want people to know, especially prospective students and Alfies, is that your journey is going to be unique. Life tends to uncover your passion in the most unconventional of circumstances.
Advice:
If there is one piece of advice that I could offer to someone it would be to stop waiting. Do things that make you happy, and your passion will reveal itself.
Goals:
Health is an intimate and universal facet of the human experience, and I seek to support those who need help in their health care. My personal goals are to work as a Registered Nurse (RN), preferably in a surgical field, upon graduating from Seattle University. After gaining experience in the field, I hope to further my educational and professional achievements by becoming a Physician Assistant/Associate (PA). This work will help me fulfill my mission of making civil human connections by giving me a platform to practice medicine. Each step, being an RN followed by a PA, will give me a safe space to reach a growing number of individuals. It is through these relationships that I will cultivate a community of trust and wellbeing. Ultimately, my mission is to make a difference in the lives of my patients and my community members. I seek to be a steadfast pillar in the lives of many individuals, to act with compassion and empathy, and to inspire others to do the same.
On Civility:
Civility is the notion of being an open, empathetic, and compassionate individual while exercising acts of integrity, an enhanced level of consciousness, and patient communication within a community. Being a part of the Alfie Scholars program not only embodies civility, but also teaches its Cohort members to further enhance their understanding by acting as Civility Leaders. A leader for civility is someone that makes a conscious effort to act in an empathetic yet assertive manner. It is someone that acts selflessly while still taking time to be mindful and nourish the self through outward acts of courage, generosity, and understanding.
