This year, Melanie Watabe has been awarded the Pintas & Mullins Future Nurses Scholarship worth $2,500. Her winning essay highlighted the importance of compassionate care among nurses, showcasing the vital role that nurses play in our healthcare system.
A current student at Brigham Young University, Watabe is on track to graduate with a BSN in April 2022. She plans to become a Registered Nurse and travel to provide care to international patients.
“It has been a dream of mine to help minority groups access better health care and meet daily needs,” she wrote in her essay. “Through my experience as a minority in my community, I felt that I could use what I learn as a nurse to help those in other parts of the world to receive the care that they need and to provide the resources that can make those changes.”
One of her goals includes “helping those people with language or cultural barriers” to access healthcare. By advocating for minority patients and learning the standards of care across multiple countries’ healthcare systems, Watabe is on track to become a force for innovation and compassion in nursing.
Meet Melanie Watabe
Watabe told Pintas & Mullins representatives that she felt drawn both to the nursing industry and the Future Nurses Scholarship after seeing the need for personalized care. “Compassionate care is very important to me and I believe healing begins with feeling safe and listened to,” she said.
At BYU, Watabe spends her time studying for her BSN, attending and helping organize activities for the Japan Club, and volunteering with a group that provides creative exercises for children with special needs and disabilities.
The Future Nurses Scholarship
Pintas & Mullins knows well the crucial need for compassionate, driven nurses. As a personal injury law firm, we have seen the incredible impact that nurses can have on the well-being and recovery trajectory for people who have been hurt. That’s why we started the Future Nurses Scholarship.
You can learn more about Melanie Watabe by reading her winning essay.
