Konner Trueblood
Mr. Fipps
English IV Honors
Finding My Bliss
My name is Konner Trueblood and I am afraid of failing. This being the case I work hard
with each and everything I do. I do not mind staying up late studying if my end result will be
worth it all. I have learned so much over these past four years of high school. On my first day of
high school, I stepped in with shaking feet, worrying what the upperclassmen would think of me.
I began to fall into popularity with hanging out with seniors and in that time that made me feel
good. I even dated a senior my freshman year. I learned so many different things, more than just
with relationships.
As time grew and grew that popularity feeling failed, me and this guy had broken up. I
felt worthless, I felt alone. More alone that I have ever felt in my life. All my friends were gone.
I gave all my time to this guy and I pushed away my friends that I cared about the most. The
advice I would give to an upcoming freshman is do not worry about boys or girls, to focus on
their education. Ever since freshman year, I have been trying to fix my grades and even to this
I have learned that life is what you make it. I know this is a cliche, but in all honesty, it is
true and a saying we all should live by. As I grew older and began my junior year I looked at
everything differently. I began to study and strive harder in all my classes. I made
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all A's. Now I am taking college classes and next semester I will be starting my Nursing class.
People may say that I talk a lot and I am outgoing. Honestly, I am just a shy girl trying to
step out of my comfort zone. I love to step out of what feels comfortable. It gives me an energy
rush every time I go up and talk to people I do not know. Being shy and putting on the face of
confidence, is not the easiest I must say. In class, I try to open up and include people who
exclude themselves. I love to make people feel loved, even if that means I need to put on the face
of confidence. In this world, we cannot be shy or so-called an introvert type of person. We have
to step up for what we want in this world, this is another thing that I have learned throughout my
If I was, to be honest, I am ready to graduate high school. I am not sure if I am ready for
college or the stress that may carry on, but I know this is what I want. My mom did not go to
college and my dad did for an associates degree. The job he has right now does not require an
associate's degree. I may not be a first college student in my family, but I kind of am. My
grandparents did not go to college and most of my family thought school was a waste of money
and time. They thought that it was more logical to get a job. I have tried my hardest to encourage
my brother to go to college. He has a job that pays well now, but education is the key that no one
can take away. I just know that he should go, but he refuses. I hope that I will find a way so my
family can be proud of me. I'm not just scared of failure, I'm scared of disappointing my family.
The very first day of summer, I was playing around with one of my friends on a chicken
coop. My friend had dared me to jump off the chicken coop and I did. I fell and
broke my arm. As I saw my arm with the bone penetrating into my skin. My instinct was to take
and fix it. I had popped the bone back in. My mom drove me to the Hospital, as we walked in
nurses looked at me and took me to the room. The nurses all encouraged me and comforted me.
They made me feel like I was okay. When the doctor had finally come in and spoke with kind
words and treated me like I was someone special. I will never forget how the hospital employees
had made me felt. They made the situation better in every aspect.
After I had surgery, I will never forget what the anesthesiologist had done. She gave me a
bear with a small pink heart. I want to make many people feel like how they made me feel. I
want to help people and impact people's lives for the better. Nursing is the best way to influence
people's lives and encourage people in their time of need. I Konner Trueblood, want to be a
registered nurse. Being a nurse will allow me to go home with a heart warming sensation. I
would be honored to have a job like this every day. This is my bliss, I have found my passion
and reason.
I have looked at so many colleges and my eye is at East Carolina University. I will start
at COA and get my Associates Degree in Nursing. Hopefully, after I get my RN Degree I can
work on the floor while completing classes with East Carolina University online to get my
Bachelors of Science in Nursing. I do not want to ever stop my education as I grow older. I want
to always further it in any way possible. One of the women I look up to is Ms. Lisa Joyner. She
has three children and she is also a registered nurse with a Bachelor's Degree. Her
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husband had left her and her kids because he did not want to be a husband and a father anymore.
This lady does not allow that to stop her. She keeps pursuing and furthering her
education, even to this day. She is doing online classes to get her Masters of Science in Nursing.
College will be tough, but what is life without obstacles and trial? How can you even find
your bliss without obstacles in the way? Every interviewee will say that nursing is hard. It is not
easy, you have to have patience and the willpower. I hope that I have the strength to get through
this and pursue my bliss. East Carolina has the best nursing program in North Carolina. I am
debating if I really want to do online, other than go to the class. Being in class will probably be
less headache, but getting the experience in real life will be better. I am not sure which I will do
at this moment.
With so many colleges, Barton is another one of my choices I am looking at. They are
another great college with a nursing program. Barton is not the most affordable school in the
world. One of my biggest questions is why does college have to be so expensive? If teachers
keep telling us it is a need in this day and time. Why can they not make some schools free?
People say it would put the bigger colleges and universities out of business. I also would be so
happy if COA would include a bachelor's program in nursing. That would allow me to stay close
to home and save a lot of money. I know that will never happen, but it would be very nice if they
did.
everything to me in this world. Being able to get a degree in Biblical Studies and Nursing
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would be a bonus. I know to some they may think this is pointless, but I would like to be able to
understand Gods word better. Some of the things in the Bible I cannot understand as well as
Nursing may not pay as good as some jobs, but this is one of the bonuses with being a
nurse is pay. Nurses average salary is $68,450 annually. In this world the more education you
get, the more money you get. That is another great reason to keep furthering my education. There
are several different setups of nursing schedules. Some can do 12-hour shifts which means only
working three days a week, but keep in mind 12 hours is half of a day. Some can do 6-hour shifts
which allow nurses to work all week and not having to stay for a long 12-hour shift. Me,
personally I love night shifts, but then again I only volunteered for four nights. Not sure how I
Some may think night shifts means you can do what you want during the day. This is not
true at all. It is hard to stay up for a total of 24 hours even with a small nap. This will allow the
nurse to be sleep deprived. I have heard so many terrible stories about nurses who were sleep
deprived. It messes up nurses working abilities and it can also be very dangerous. Many patients
have died because of a sleep-deprived nurse. Nurses can either read the wrong medication and
give to a patient who may have a possible allergy to it or even accidentally looking at the dosage
and give too much to a patient. This is dangerous and can potentially kill the patient. Nurses have
to understand that with one small mistake, everything could go wrong. This puts stress on many
There are 2,955,200 Registered Nursing jobs (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). Meaning,
this is a high demand job in the United States. Many people think that nurses are all just girls.
This is not true, in the United States the ratio of female to male is 9.5 to 1 (Rappleye). There may
not be many male nurses, but there are some. Actually, one of the nurses who had helped me
amusing stories from a male nurse. He was explaining how when he had once walked in the
patient's room, the patient had automatically made the assumption that he was the doctor. Then,
the doctor comes in, being a female. I really find this to be comical.
Many people don't know exactly what nurses do. Nurses can work in hospitals, clinics,
and even private practices. Nurses communicate with doctors and patients throughout a day.
They care for patients and administer medications that need to be administered. Registered
Nurses can supervise Nurse Aides. No matter what type of nurse I choose I will have to take a
nurse aide class. Even doctors have to take this class before they can be a doctor. This class may
not be the most fun to some because you may have to clean an elder patent after an accident or
Some may think that this is nasty. I personally do not have a problem with it. I would
want someone helping me when I get older. I love working with older people and with young
children. I am really thinking about specializing in pediatrics. I love kids and I feel like kids suit
me better. There are so many outlets nurses can do. Nurses can work with kids, elders, middle
The most amazing thing about this career is that it doesn't have to feel like a job. Every
day nurses go home feeling like they have helped someone for the better. Nursing allows all
employees to feel better about themselves. Nurses are giving back to their community and
making people feel better in their time of need. Like I had said earlier God is my bliss. I feel like
my calling is to help people. I feel like this is the way God wants me to reach out to people and
impact their lives. I may not be able to discuss about God with
patients That doesn't matter, them feeling his presence when Im around is what matters the
most. Through God, I will influence people's lives for the better by being a nurse.
As I went around interviewing people with my group for Road Trip Nation, I have
learned that everyone has a story. Everyone in this world has a deep emotional past. Some have
went through personal things that no one could ever imagine. Some I can discuss in this essay
and some I will not because it is very personal. Many, say that what they thought they would be
at my age is the opposite of what they are to this day. One wanted to be P.E. teacher one in the
F.B.I and one even wanted to work with meteorology. Through time we may change our mind
One of the interviewees I had interviewed got pregnant right before she was going to go
off to college. She had a full ride to a college of her choice. This had pushed her back, yes she
loves her child, but this pushed back her dreams and being at the age of 18 pregnant was not the
easiest life. Another person who I had interviewed dropped out of college because she was not
ready. This did not set her back from finding her bliss. Now she is the Dean of Healthcare and
Wellness and even a Nursing Professor at our local community college called
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College of The Albemarle. Listening to these stories has made me understand that mistakes
Everything you do today may affect tomorrow, but it is okay. Life is not meant to be
some perfect, easy ride. There is meant to be ups and downs. Listening to their stories has given
me a better understanding of the meaning of life and how one should look at it. I may not be
perfect, but that is okay God did not make me to be. Making mistakes allows us to
grow and makes us a stronger person. I know in the process of fulfilling my bliss there will be
mistakes. There will be so many mistakes, more than I may imagine at the age I am. Interviewing
the people who I have, has also taught me to not regret my mistakes, to look at it as a learning
experience. What is life without stress and anxiety? Peacefulness, so why allow life to be
stressful?
I have always had anxiety issues. I'm a neat freak, I have to do everything perfectly. I was
so obsessed with making the perfect grades. What is that without a bliss? Are we happy with
what we do? If not, then what are we doing? It is time that I release my stress and relax. Allow
life drive me where I need to be. Honestly, I may have been pushing this project to the side and
procrastinating, but I want to make a personal thank you to Mr. Fipps, my English IV Honors
teacher. I have learned more than I ever imagined in this project. I have changed with whom I am
I believe that my bliss is to help people through being a nurse. I don't mind breaking my
back for a stranger. I love to make people feel special and make them feel like they are loved.
This world does not show this enough. Helping people is my passion and what I love to do. I
love seeing a smile on someone else's face. I am not perfect and I will embrace every curvy part
of my road to my bliss. When I am 50 I may still be searching for it, but it is okay because I will
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find it one day. In this project and with reading my essay I hope that I have made someone think
about their bliss. Do you love what you do? If not, it's time to find your bliss. I have found mine.
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Works Cited
Rappleye, Emily. "Gender Ratio of Nurses across 50 States." Becker's Hospital Review. N.p.,
https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/human-capital-and-risk/gender-ratio-of-nurses-
across-50-states.html
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Summary." U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. U.S. Bureau of
https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/registered-nurses.htm