Marisa's Story

So today, I would like to share a story of someone who changed the course of my life. And that person is my mom. In November of 2018, when my mother, a very caring person, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, the diagnosis devastate our family. And she was an active occupational therapist who loved and cared for anyone and everyone. So this impacted us a lot. She lit up every single room she walked in. She spread kindness and cared for all the kids that she worked with. And it was really hard for us to understand why such a good woman who had served many with love had to be afflicted with such a monster.

My father encouraged my sister and I to stay strong and be with my mom. At that moment, I had a strong urge to do something more for my family. I helped out as much as I could, so she could save her strength through things which mattered most to her. However, the emotional toll this brought me with significant feeling overwhelmed with sadness and fear. Pancreatic cancer is notoriously difficult to detect, leading to lower survival rates, so the resilient stories of others diagnoses and disease inspired my family and I to join the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. Um, me and my family, we went on to raise money for research to spare other families from going through what we were. And I organized awareness campaigns, such as distributing “PanCan” bracelets to my high school soccer team, and we wore purple ribbons in our hair during our games. Thanks to community support of our effort, we attained Top 10 status in New England for fundraising.

And, um, I was able to attend some of my mom's chemotherapy sessions, which was my exposure to the kind of care that the nurses showed, and their commitment inspired me to move beyond fundraising. I wanted to be on the front lines helping people, just like her, navigate their health battles. Unfortunately, despite the ongoing treatment and great support, she passed away in February 2022. Her strength became yet another source of inspiration. My commitment to nursing became even more transparent, and I knew that I had to fulfill my dream for her and make her proud.

In fall 2020, I started my nursing education at Merrimack College, full of eagerness. It wasn't too long before I realized that the setting wasn't quite right for me, which led me to the difficult decision of transferring to UMass Amherst for my sophomore year. When applying to UMass, I discovered that I was unable to directly transfer into the nursing program, something that was very disappointing at the time because I had planned on fulfilling my passion for nursing. That and there, I accepted that challenge by embracing this as an opportunity to explore related fields, such as kinesiology and public health, that could better prepare me for a future nursing path. These studies have been foundational in building my perspectives of health and wellness while affording me the opportunity to develop important skills that will be valuable in my commitment, my nursing career. My commitment to nursing has only been instead intensified.

As I approach the end of my studies in public health at UMass this fall, I will begin a new chapter as an accelerated nursing student here at UMass, taking the next step toward my goal of becoming a compassionate, skilled nurse. I am entering this field, not just as profession, but as a calling. One where I will treat patients with empathy, dignity, and respect, honoring my mother's memory and the lessons of strength that will be forever be within me. I know I will make her proud, and I carry her spirit with me as I fulfill the dream we both believed in.