Shayna Guevara
Quick Facts
Age: 23
Pronouns: she/her
Major: Nursing, 2025
Languages: Tagalog
Transfer Institution: Bellevue College, Seattle Central College
“Showing respect for others is important for civility because it is a catalyst to build trust between people to form a bond. This respect curates space for deeper connection to flourish and space for a positive environment.”
Service & Work:
Dental Assistant, Advanced Endodontics, June 2021–July 2023
Dental Assistant, Go Family Dentistry, August 2020–May 2021
Awards & Honors:
Alfie Scholars, Cohort 8, 2023–2025
Achievement Scholarship
Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship
Dean’s List, 2018, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Millenium Scholarship
Shayna’s Story
I was born in a small province in the Philippines called Zamboanga City. Around the age of 5, my family decided to move to the United States for a better life with more opportunities, like many immigrant families that migrate to America. Around 2 years after moving to the states, my mom passed away from stage 4 lung cancer at the age of 38 – I was only 7 years old. She was a nurse, a non-smoker and a perfectly healthy individual in my eyes. It was difficult for me to grasp the idea that someone so healthy, to my knowledge, could be gone so quickly and so young – young enough to not see me graduate high school, young enough to not see me finish college, young enough to not attend my wedding, and so on. Entering into my teenage years, I would then understand the impact that not having a mother figure would do to me.
My aunt became my legal guardian and raised my 2 brothers and me, along with 3 of her own children. The household I grew up in became very busy and truthfully, a lot for one aunt and one uncle to raise 4 teenagers and 2 pre-teens. As the older siblings and cousins began moving out to begin college or join the military, a lot of the pressure turned to me, the youngest child. My aunt’s way of teaching and raising kids seemed normal at that time, but now that I’m older with a zoomed-out lens of my life’s circumstances in that time period, nothing about it was normal. I was forced to grow up at the age of 13, and this is the time where I learned the concept of optimism and survival.
Through all the obstacles I faced during high school in my academics and home life, I managed to excel enough to be my high school’s class of 2018 valedictorian. College was right around the corner, and I knew that all my hard work in high school would ensure success once I was ready to apply to dental school. During my spring semester of my first year in college, I got pregnant at 18 years old. Life turned upside down for me again, and consequently I dropped out of school for almost 2 years. It was a roller coaster having to maneuver through taking care of my child while still learning how to take care of myself as an adult. At the end of the day, I still somehow survived and made it through.
My partner and I decided to move to Seattle when my daughter was 6 months old, which meant leaving all my family behind in Las Vegas. Although risky, I was ready for this change and felt prepared to take the world on my own. I completed my remaining pre-requisites and took courses at Bellevue College and Seattle Central before applying to Seattle University’s nursing program. Throughout my 2 years of attending community college, I was able to finish all of my remaining prerequisites fully online. Thanks to this, I was free to add therapy into my schedule where I would heal deep traumas that I thought I wouldn’t need to talk about again. It was the most liberating experience of my life.
Now, as I’m embarking on this journey of nursing school and still balancing mom life, taking care of myself, and working, I feel more equipped than ever to handle life’s circumstances. My daughter, who is now almost 4 years old, has been my biggest blessing and largest motivator to keep going and nurture the safe childhood I never got to have. By taking care of her and showering her with love, it is healing my inner child and serves as a full circle moment. All I know now from the experiences and challenges I’ve had as a young girl, is that I’m more than capable to handle and take on any challenge life can throw as long as I have the strong support of my chosen family and loved ones.
Goals:
I find it ironic sometimes that I am pursuing a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing degree. When I was younger, I did my very best to not be in nursing since so many of my family members were already in the field. Although I knew that my heart was meant for healthcare, I wanted something different for myself. With all the life experiences I have gone through and knowledge I have gained, I realized that my desire to be compassionate and serve others makes complete sense why I have gravitated towards nursing. I believe that this is supposed to be part of my life path because no matter how hard I tried to steer off, I was being led back. I believe my calling is to help and connect with others in a space that makes them comfortable. I would like to work in a surgery department or the ER for the first couple of years after graduation. Later on, I would like to work with a cosmetic surgeon and get into aesthetic nursing. This appeals to me because I want to apply my creativity skills with my professional career. At the end of the day, I know that I will truly fulfill my service to others by becoming part of someone’s journey in their decisions about healthcare and helping them love themselves.
On Civility:
Civility means having respect for others and creating meaningful connections that lead towards positive relationships and environments. Showing respect for others is important for civility because it is a catalyst to build trust between people to form a bond. This respect curates space for deeper connection to flourish and space for a positive environment. If everyone were to embrace civility and practice it, true peace could be among everyone coexisting. That development is the true beauty of civility.
