I believe mentorship changes lives because it changed mine. 

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During nurse anesthesia school, I was fortunate to have mentors who challenged me, encouraged me, and reminded me that I belonged. As a Black SRNA, seeing Black CRNAs who had walked that path before me mattered deeply. One mentor often reminded me, “You don’t have a choice.” It was her way of saying that giving up was never an option. Her words have stayed with me as well as the example she set.

 

When I became a CRNA, I wanted SRNAs to experience the kind of mentorship and support that had meant so much to me. I never set out to create an organization. I was simply trying to give away what had been given to me. It was an SRNA who encouraged me to formalize the work that I had already begun.

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My hope is that the SRNAs we support today will one day invest in someone else. And perhaps our greatest legacy will be a nurse anesthesia profession that is as diverse as the communities we serve.