Class of 2019
I have wanted to be a nurse for as long as I can remember. I love that it’s a field where you get to interact with and serve people. Hospitals are where key parts of a person’s life take place. Whether it’s helping someone gain strength again, recover from an important surgery, deliver a baby or pass on to the next life, it is amazing to be there for those moments and have an impact on someone’s life in a positive way.
The nursing program at Walsh University has been a really great experience. We begin clinical experiences sophomore year, working with patients right away. Being in the hospital at least two days a week has helped me to become comfortable in the hospital setting and almost ready to be a nurse on my own.
Even amidst challenging classes, I have felt supported by our caring faculty. The professors highly encourage interactions outside of class. They promote their office hours and are willing to bend over backwards to be in their office when it works for you. The clinical instructors work to give you the best opportunities they can. They walk you through the skills that you learned in the classrooms and in the labs and help you to feel comfortable doing them in the clinical setting. Also, the Academic Support Center has peer tutoring where you can get support and guidance from students who have been in those classes before and know exactly what you are going through.
I have grown so much in the past three years. Academically it has been challenging. The nursing program is difficult and requires a lot of studying. But it’s what I am passionate about, it has been worth it, and I have learned so much about how to be a good nurse. I can attest that the Byers School of Nursing lives up to its excellent reputation. You get a lot of solid experience that will help you in your future career. Attending Walsh has boosted my confidence and has prepared me to serve others in my nursing career.
I believe service is a big part of our purpose here on Earth, and we are called to serve the people around us. Thanks to Walsh, I have been able to be a part of different clubs and organizations dedicated to service. Campus Kitchen is an organization that cooks and serves meals for the people at Alliance Catholic Worker. Since we serve there regularly, we have really developed relationships with the people that come and eat our meal. It has been a great experience to serve them and get to know them. It has widened my horizons and offered me a different view on the world. It is a ministry that I want to continue after I leave college.
Besides Campus Kitchen I am also involved in Campus Ministry, Fiat (which is a women’s ministry group), intramural sports, Liturgical Ministries in the Chapel, Agape Retreat Leadership Team, and the Honors Program. I also had the opportunity to travel abroad with the President and First Lady of Walsh University on a pilgrimage. During the two-week trip, we visited Paris and Lourdes, France and Rome, Italy. We visited several holy sites, particularly sites of Marian Apparitions, where Mary the Mother of God had appeared to people and given messages. We were able to visit the Shrine of the Miraculous Medal and Lourdes, which have both been attributed to many miraculous healings. Walking in the footsteps of the saints opened my eyes to the universal Catholic Church that we are a part of. It was a phenomenal experience that deepened my faith and gave me a stronger foundation in my beliefs, which I don’t think I would have had at another university.
I have been blessed at Walsh. The people here at Walsh are what make it so great. It is one of the friendliest college campuses you will ever come to. Everyone is always saying hi, holding the door, and willing to help you with whatever you need. People care about how you are doing and want to help in any way that they can. I am thankful that I chose Walsh, because not only has it formed me to be a future nurse, but also to live out my Catholic faith.