Beyond the Recognition: Walking With Purpose, Serving With Heart
There are moments that remind us why we started.
The recent Philippine Nurses Association of America – Emerald City (PNA–Emerald City) Convention and Gala was one of those moments for me. It was an evening of celebration, connection, leadership, and recognition—but behind the beautiful gowns, awards, and photographs was a much greater purpose: to raise funds in support of a medical mission in Bohol, Philippines.
As a Filipino nurse, this mission means so much to me.
Nursing has taught me that care should never stop at the walls of a hospital, clinic, or facility. Our responsibility to serve can reach our workplaces, our communities, and even people thousands of miles away who may not have the same access to healthcare and resources that we do.
That is what made this celebration especially meaningful.
Recognition That Comes With Responsibility
During the event, I was deeply grateful to be recognized as a finalist for the Nurse Practice Excellence Award and to receive the Presidential Award for Excellence in Engagement.
Receiving these recognitions was incredibly meaningful, but they also made me reflect on what recognition truly represents.
For me, an award is not simply something to display. It is a reminder to continue showing up.
To continue learning.
To continue serving.
To continue creating opportunities for others.
And most importantly, to remember that leadership is not about how many people recognize your name—it is about how many people feel supported, encouraged, and empowered because you chose to care.
My journey in nursing continues to teach me this every day. Leadership can happen during patient care, while supporting a colleague, through professional organizations, or by simply creating a space where another person feels that they belong.
Where Nursing and Stridely Meet
That same belief is at the heart of Stridely: Step Into Wellness.
When I started Stridely, I never wanted it to simply be a business that sells compression socks or wellness products.
I wanted it to stand for something bigger.
Stridely exists to remind hardworking people—especially women, healthcare professionals, leaders, entrepreneurs, caregivers, and those constantly pouring into others—that their wellness matters too.
Through our products, wellness walks, community events, and Women's Connection gatherings, my goal is to create opportunities for people to move, connect, recharge, and take care of themselves—one step at a time.
The mission of PNA–Emerald City's medical mission and the mission of Stridely may look different on the surface, but their foundation is very similar:
Service. Wellness. Community. Connection.
One serves communities through nursing and healthcare outreach. The other encourages people to make wellness part of everyday life.
Both begin with the belief that caring for people can create a ripple effect far beyond ourselves.
Success Means More When We Bring Others With Us
Entrepreneurship and nursing have taught me something important: success feels different when it is connected to purpose.
We can grow businesses.
We can earn degrees.
We can receive awards.
We can build careers and become leaders.
But I believe the bigger question is:
What are we doing with the opportunities we have been given?
Can we use our businesses to strengthen our communities?
Can we use our leadership positions to open doors for others?
Can we use our professional networks to support people who need healthcare and resources?
Can we create spaces where women feel comfortable connecting, learning, and dreaming bigger?
For me, the answer is yes—and that is the kind of growth I want Stridely to represent.
One Step Can Become Something Bigger
I am incredibly grateful to PNA–Emerald City, its leadership, volunteers, sponsors, members, and everyone who supported this event and its mission.
I am humbled by the recognition I received, but even more grateful to stand alongside nurses and leaders who continue to demonstrate what service looks like beyond the bedside.
The awards will always be special to me, but the mission behind the evening is what I hope to carry forward.
As a nurse, leader, entrepreneur, and founder of Stridely, I want my different worlds to continue meeting at the same place:
Helping people live healthier lives, creating meaningful connections, and using whatever platform I have to serve.
Because sometimes changing a community doesn't begin with one giant action.
Sometimes, it simply begins with one person deciding to take a step.
Then another person joins.
And another.
Until those individual steps become a movement.
That is the future I hope to build through Stridely.
One step. One connection. One community at a time.
— Kharen
Founder, Stridely | Step Into Wellness
