Why I chose Nursing
Pursuing my initial Bachelor’s degree at UW-Madison, I knew I wanted to be involved in healthcare or physical science, but in what way, I did not know. I bounced from majoring in Biology to Chemistry to Biomedical Engineering to pre-medicine until I finally landed on Biology with a Conservation and Ecology emphasis. As a junior, I began to learn more about primary and preventative health and educating patients to avoid the hospital, rather than repairing something already broken. This concept was similar to conservation biology, but instead, I’d get to help my fellow humans.
Why I chose Marian
When I realized I wanted to be a nurse as a junior at UW-Madison, I thought it was best to complete my degree, but also look at Nursing programs for my second degree. Marian was among the handful I looked at, and I eventually chose it because of the incentives it offered second-degree students and its NCLEX-RN pass rate being among the best in Wisconsin. It was close to my hometown of Chilton and allowed me to become an assistant Cross Country and Track and Field coach at Kimberly High School, where I had graduated from.
Why I love the program and faculty
The program and faculty do a great job of preparing students to be advocates for themselves. I appreciate that students are allowed to have a voice at monthly faculty meetings; it gives us a chance to have our thoughts and concerns heard. They do an excellent job of showing us as many practical experiences and opportunities as possible and instill a sense of work ethic in us. They are great about doing a lot with the time and resources they have. Coming to Marian was a bit of a culture shock, especially in my first few semesters. I was used to UW-Madison’s large lecture sizes – my physiology lecture included 500 students – and having to work to have my thoughts heard. The fact that at Marian, you’re not talking over one another to be understood, is quite the change.
Why I’m ready for my career
Had I not gone to Marian, I’m not sure I would have discovered my desire to go into emergency medicine as I did by working in the St. Agnes Emergency Department. I also would not have chosen a job with such brutal shifts, which has now prepared me for the real world. In March, I accepted a position in a Nursing Residency at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Mich. I’ll be working on a 100-bed orthopedic floor, which ranks as one of the top 30 orthopedic programs in the nation. My girlfriend is running professionally for an Olympic development team, and their home base is 10 miles away – so it worked out perfectly. My long-term goal is to work in emergency medicine. Still, eventually, I’d like to further my career and education as a nurse practitioner or a nurse educator to “pay it forward” to future nursing students. But for now, I’m going to enjoy living in the same city as my girlfriend for the first time in nearly three years.
