Binghamton student shares his motivation for becoming a nurse and wins essay contest

Noah Fakir aims to contribute meaningfully to the profession

Nursing student Noah Fakir won the 2026 Sarah B. Pasternack Student Essay Contest for sharing why he chose nursing. He won in the undergraduate nursing category.

By Natalie Blando-George

April 15, 2026

Noah Fakir, a third-year nursing student at Binghamton University’s Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences, was named the undergraduate winner of the Sarah B. Pasternack Student Essay Contest in March.

Fakir, from Malone, New York, wrote about what inspired him to pursue a career in nursing and how that inspiration connects to a significant historical figure or event. His essay focused on Florence Nightingale, “widely regarded as the founder of modern nursing due to her profound influence on patient care, nursing education, and healthcare reform,” he noted in his entry.

“Her emphasis on patient advocacy, safety, and quality care continues to influence nursing education and professional standards today,” Fakir added. “The values Florence Nightingale supported strongly reflect both my motivation for pursuing nursing and the experiences that have confirmed my career choice.”

In a letter notifying Fakir of his win, Susan A. LaRocco, president of Nursing Archives Associates, which sponsors the contest, wrote, “The committee thought that your essay was a nice blend of the personal and historical.”

Fakir was “completely surprised but very happy” when he learned his essay won the top honor, which includes a $500 prize. His goal is to work in intensive care nursing, a desire that stems from his grandfather’s hospitalization during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nursing Archives Associates is part of the Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center at Boston University. The essay contest is named after Sarah Pasternack, who served as president of Nursing Archives Associates for more than 20 years. She was also an assistant professor at Boston University School of Nursing, a nursing patient services director, and an advanced practice nurse at Boston Children’s Hospital.

Noah Fakir's award-winning essay

Inspired to Become a Nurse

Since my freshman year of high school, I have wanted to become a nurse for several reasons, but one sticks out to me clearly. When my grandfather was in the hospital for COVID-19 in 2020, before he passed away, one of the things he mentioned was that the nurses were the sole reason he was having a dignified hospital experience. Before this experience, I had planned to pursue medicine, but his words led me to explore nursing as a career. When I learned that nursing is more focused on the patient and making sure the patient’s experience is what makes or breaks a hospital visit, I thought of my grandfather and what he said to me. My decision to pursue nursing was because of this, a motivation that closely aligns with the work and values of Florence Nightingale, whose contributions to nursing transformed patient care and continue to shape the profession today.

Throughout my high school and college career, I’ve always had a great interest in science, service, and compassion. This is why I have continued to believe that nursing is the right career path for me. Through my science courses I have taken at Binghamton University, I have strengthened my knowledge in foundational coursework in the biological and health sciences, preparing me for the demands of nursing practice. I have displayed a substantial amount of service through my time in high school as well as through my college experience. I demonstrated long-term service through earning the rank of Eagle Scout and continuing this commitment through my fraternity’s philanthropic efforts. All these lenses have shaped the person I have become and will continue to shape the nurse I will be in the future. Throughout my clinical practice, I experienced a feeling of fulfillment from caring for my resident. On the last day that I cared for him he expressed his appreciation of everything that my classmate and I did for him. This gave me a great sense of pride and happiness in the career that I have chosen for myself, and it has motivated me to continue doing the most I can for the residents I have.

Florence Nightingale is widely regarded as the founder of modern nursing due to her profound influence on patient care, nursing education, and healthcare reform. Her work during the Crimean War in the mid-nineteenth century marked a turning point in how patients were treated within hospital settings (Fee & Garofalo, 2010). When Nightingale arrived at the military hospital in Scutari, she encountered overcrowding, poor sanitation, and high mortality rates among soldiers. Recognizing that these conditions directly affected patient outcomes, she implemented basic yet transformative interventions such as improved hygiene, ventilation, and nutrition. As a result, mortality rates significantly decreased, demonstrating the critical role of nursing care in patient recovery (Fee & Garofalo, 2010). Nightingale also emphasized the importance of compassion, observation, and individualized care. She believed that nurses should focus not only on treating illness, but also on promoting comfort, dignity, and emotional well-being. Nightingale’s commitment to patient-centered care challenged the prevailing medical model of her time, which often overlooked the patient’s lived experience. Her famous work, Notes on Nursing, highlighted the idea that the nurse’s role is to place the patient in the best condition for nature to act, highlighting the nurse’s responsibility in shaping the healing environment (Nightingale, 1860/1969). Nightingale’s legacy extends far beyond her historical context, as her principles remain foundational to modern nursing practice. Her emphasis on patient advocacy, safety, and quality care continues to influence nursing education and professional standards today. By redefining nursing as both a science and a compassionate service, Florence Nightingale established values that continue to guide nurses in providing holistic, patient-focused care.

The values Florence Nightingale supported strongly reflect both my motivation for pursuing nursing and the experiences that have confirmed my career choice. When my grandfather was hospitalized, his experience was defined not by medical procedures, but by the nurses who cared for him. This emphasis on the patient’s experience mirrors Nightingale’s belief that healing is shaped by environment, compassion, and attentive care, a principle reflected in how nurses supported my grandfather during his hospitalization (American Nurses Association, 2015). While caring for a resident, I found fulfillment in providing consistent, compassionate care and ensuring his comfort and dignity were prioritized. On my final day working with him, his expression of gratitude affirmed the impact that attentive nursing care can have on a patient’s well-being. This moment echoed Nightingale’s emphasis on observation, presence, and advocacy as essential components of nursing practice. Like Nightingale, I have come to understand that small, thoughtful actions can significantly influence a patient’s experience and recovery. Nightingale’s legacy also aligns with my commitment to combining science with compassion. Her use of data and observation to improve patient outcomes reflects the importance of scientific knowledge, while her dedication to patient-centered care emphasizes the moral responsibility nurses carry. Together, these principles have shaped my understanding of what it means to be a nurse and why this profession best aligns with my values and aspirations.

My decision to pursue a career in nursing was shaped by both personal experience and historical influence. Witnessing the impact nurses had on my grandfather’s hospital experience during the COVID-19 pandemic revealed the profound role nurses play in patient care. Florence Nightingale’s contributions to nursing further clarified this inspiration by demonstrating how compassion, advocacy, and scientific understanding can transform healthcare. Her legacy continues to influence modern nursing practice and resonates deeply with my own experiences in clinical settings. As I continue my education and professional development, I aspire to uphold the values Nightingale established. Through this commitment, I hope to contribute meaningfully to the nursing profession and honor its enduring legacy.

Posted in: Campus News, Decker

Binghamton student shares his motivation for becoming a nurse and wins essay contest

Noah Fakir aims to contribute meaningfully to the profession

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