What is your major?
I am a
nursing major! It has been a longtime coming and I can’t wait to get out into the field and start helping kids.
What is something you wish everyone knew about your major?
I wish people knew the commitment that it takes to become a nurse. While we are all different and all may never see each other again, every person in my cohort has loosely the same goal to deliver quality care to humans as a career. You don’t have to be a specific person to be a good nurse, you just have to love what you do!
What was your most impactful class?
My most impactful class was either Behavioral Neuroscience or Microbiology. A weird combo, but both of these classes really showed me why I loved to learn about the body and how it is impacted by various illnesses. Behavioral Neuroscience allowed me to explore an avenue of interest and challenge myself in something I knew nothing about. Microbiology challenged me as well, although it was a mandatory prerequisite for Nursing. Dr. Bishop and Dr. Wood both taught me things that have been integral to my learning — and they also showed me that healthcare and science impact every area of the world as we know it. In this class I was able to learn how to time manage and study before I tackled nursing school.
What are some of your career goals?
As a previous patient at Mary Bridge Children’s, it has always been a goal of mine to rejoin the team as an RN. As a disabled woman and formally disabled child, I am passionate about pediatrics and disability. I love teaching parents how to care for their kiddos with new or intimidating diagnoses, as well as playing with children every shift and seeing their growth as they begin to feel better. I’m currently a nurse tech at Mary Bridge and it’s a position I would highly recommend to any nursing student — I have learned more as a tech than a good chunk of nursing school. I hope I can be for my patients who my care team were for me.
What advice do you have for incoming students?
Use this time to explore yourself and the world around you! This is a great time to figure out who you are and where you want to be in the future/where God wants you to be. Get out of your comfort zone and do things/meet new people/challenge yourself! The first few quarters may be difficult (they were for me), but I met my best friend during my first quarter and have made many other great ones just by challenging myself. Secondly, and my most important thing to impart, school does not have to be your life. School, especially nursing school, is physically and mentally taxing, but you don’t have to let it suck you dry. Having hobbies, friends, a church family, etc. can really help you get through school as much as it can feel like it hinders your academic prowess. Your success in your major is not determined by how many hours a day you study or how good your grades are. Your success is determined by your growth as a person first, a student second. I am praying for you and cheering you on!