As a senior nursing student, it’s hard to believe that this milestone of my life is here and happening – graduation. Thinking back to my freshman move-in day on campus, where I was surrounded by boxes that filled up my car until we arrived to Finegan Hall and the entire football team grabbed my belongings and took them to my new room – it was then that I realized Gannon was going to be more than just a bedroom and a lot of classes.
I am the type of person who wants to get involved in everything. I kind of made it my personal mission to do just that, and the opportunities followed.
What I have valued most from being a part of Gannon’s family are the leadership opportunities and international experiences that I have gained. These leadership opportunities have transformed and molded my liberal outlook in all of my endeavors.
Perhaps the greatest leadership opportunities of mine were created across the globe – in Thailand and Jamaica. I was able to travel to Thailand in a G.I.F.T. (Gannon: Inspired Faculty-led Travel) program. While in Thailand I was able to explore my leadership style while educating Thai children on improving their English-language skills, simultaneously exploring the Thai culture. In Jamaica, I served at the Mustard Seed Community in a nursing-related mission to provide physical assessments to the residents of these mission centers. The individuals at these mission centers have various physical, psychological and developmental disabilities.
I valued serving others and sitting in solidarity with my new international friends so much that I knew that choosing nursing was one of my best decisions, because of the global impact that came with it.
It was in these moments that my passion for pediatric care grew stronger. As a nursing student, I intend to serve others for the entirety of my life. I have a strong passion for neonates and pediatric individuals. The career of nursing inspires me. I value the globally recognized career that nursing is, and I intend to reach global populations. I want to create an inclusive relationship with every one of my patients, and I enjoy the challenge of establishing trust with a neonate or child, advocating every step of the way.
Mother Teresa once said, “If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.”
There are times when I miss the international impact and service that I was able to provide to those in need, but I replay Mother Teresa’s quote which tells me even when I’m not serving others halfway across the globe, I have a Gannon family surrounding me that I can impact just the same.
I have valued the leadership opportunities, the hardships, and the Erie community that I fell in love with – all a tribute to Gannon. These are just a few of the experiences that Gannon has piloted – the rest are to be determined when I attend graduate school at Gannon to become a Family Nurse Practitioner.