Jones attended boot camp in Great Lakes, Illinois. He then transferred to the Naval Nuclear Power Training Command in Goose Creek, South Carolina, where he completed his A-School and Power School, and earned his rating as a nuclear electronics technician, along with his certification to operate nuclear reactors from the Department of Energy.

After completing his training, he was assigned to the USS Louisiana Gold Crew, joining the ship in Hawaii. The USS Louisiana is the 18th and last ship of the U.S. Navy’s Ohio class of nuclear-powered fleet ballistic missile submarines.

Jones said his favorite Navy memories are “relaxing with his crewmates while in port.” He said when in port they would “party and try to destress from their time at sea.”

As a Louisville native, Jones said he chose UofL because it was close to home and would allow him to spend more time with his 9-year-old son.Ěý

“I am glad I chose UofL. It has made me feel welcome and valued,” he said.Ěý

As an older student, he was not sure how going back to school would work. He said it has been great and that he has made lots of friends. Jacob said spending times with his classmates gives given him “high hopes,” for the future as this generation of students moves into the workforce.

He plans plan to complete his B.S. in Electrical Engineering and thenĚý obtain a master’s degree to pursue a career as a machine learning engineer. He intends to use the machine learning skills he is gaining at UofL to help other disabled individuals lead more relaxed and full lives.

Jones called out two professors, Raymond Chastain, an associate professor in the Information Systems, Analytics and Operations Department of the College of Business, and Shamus McNamara, an associate professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department. He said they were both extremely helpful during his first semester as he “adjusted to the environment and the workload” of the program.

UofL celebrates Jones’ service in the U.S. Navy and is proud to recognize the 247th birthday of the U.S. Navy on October 13.

In 1994, Melissa Johnson enrolled at UofL as a first-time, full-time undergraduate student. After realizing she was not ready for college and “needing to make something of herself,” she enlisted in the Air Force in 1995.

Johnson has since had a diverse career. She served her first four years in the Air Force as a surgical technician, then retrained as an orthopedic technician and served in that capacity for 13 years, before serving as a first sergeant for over three years.

As a first sergeant, she served with the Civil Engineering Squadron, the Force Support Squadron, and the Communications Squadrons at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, as well as with an Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan. She currently serves as the Senior Enlisted Leader for the Medical Group at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, with Memphis, her 5-year old “fur baby.”

Hailing from Shepherdsville, Kentucky, Johnson’s 27-year career has included assignments at bases in Ohio, New Mexico, Florida, Texas, Nebraska, California and Utah. She has also served in Turkey and the United Kingdom and supported two humanitarian missions in Honduras. In 2020, she was promoted to Chief Master Sergeant, which by law is a rank limited to the approximately top 1% of the Air Force’s enlisted force.

Johnson’s deployments include Operations Uphold Democracy, Southern Watch, Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, Inherent Resolve, and Freedoms Sentinel. She’s also earned many awards and recognitions in her Air Force career, including Squadron Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year, squadron Senior Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year of the Year, twice a Group First Sergeant of the Year, and a Wing Nursing Service Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year.

Johnson holds an associate’s degree in Applied Science in Surgical Service Technology from the Community College of the Air Force, a bachelor of science in Finance and Management from Park University, and a master of Art in Procurement and Acquisitions from Webster University.Ěý

When she retires,Ěýshe wants to work with veterans, ideally with the Department of Veterans Affairs. This goal led her to begin exploring online graduate Health Administration programs.

“I was aware UofL is a Military Friendly Gold Designated school, which is important to me,” she said.Ěý

Although having just begun the M.S. HA program in fall 2022, Johnson said the program was the right fit for her, adding that she “felt welcomed” here.Ěý

September 18 marks the 75^th birthday of the U.S. Air Force.

The two have been playing softball for as long as they can remember. They were teammates in various youth leagues and even through high school. After landing at different colleges, though, they never imagined that they’d find themselves on the same team again.Ěý

Cassady began her college softball career as a Cardinal in 2019, playing 34 games with four starts as a freshman. Carmyn, who is almost two years older, transferred to UofL from Auburn before the 2020 season.Ěý

This past 2022 season – their last together– Carmyn came through holding the school-record .408 career batting average and an All-ACC First Team selection. She was also selected for NFCA All-America and NFCA All-Southeast Region teams.ĚýCassady was named to the ACC Academic Honor Roll

The sisters’ skill and grit filled the stat sheets while they both earned their degrees. Carmyn earned her marketing degree in 2021 and pursued an MBA. Cassady majored in psychology with a minor in Spanish.

Their impact, however, extended well beyond the classroom and the field. While active on the Cardinals’ roster, the sisters collaborated to sell branded gear for a purpose, donating their Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) earnings to the national nonprofit called.

Blessings in a Backpack collects food for school children who are fed during the week through federally-funded Free and Reduced Meal Program and who are at risk of going hungry on the weekends. The sisters, who volunteered at the organization’s Louisville office, created a logo and brand for Team Greenwood to generate proceeds for this cause.Ěý

The Greenwood sisters have moved on to the next chapters in their journey.ĚýCarmyn is working at a Bush Keller Sporting Goods store in Indiana, and has also had the chance to play professionally with Florida Vibe in Bradenton, Florida. Cassady is now attending the University of Alabama at Birmingham to pursue a masters degree. Her softball career continues.

Even though their time as Cardinals has come to an end, both maintain a deep fondness for UofL.Ěý

“I would like to thank Louisville for supporting me and cheering us on no matter what the outcome ended up being. I’m glad I am going to be able to be a Card forever,” Carmyn said.Ěý

“The love we felt from the fans made representing Louisville easy,” Cassady added. “I also want to thank the support staff in the athletic department because there is not a program in the country that dedicates as much time as they do to the overall wellness of their athletes.”

In 2019, the electrical engineering student was invited to ride the StartupBus from Akron to New Orleans, but last month, she served as lead conductor of the competition’s bus. From July 27-31,Ěýshe coached and led 30 aspiring Black entrepreneurs as they traveled from her Cincinnati hometown to Austin, Texas.

Turner graduated high school in 2015, not completely clear about her educational path, but initially pursued international business and finance, following her mother’s path to corporate America. “But that just wasn’t me,” said Turner.

It took dropping out of school and spending time in her hometown with her grandfather to steer her in another direction.

“I hadn’t really spent much time with him and he was the only engineer that I knew of in my family,” said Turner. “Once I started talking about things that got me excited,Ěý engineering came into the conversation and I thought of electrical, because I always enjoyed knowing the electrical parts of how something is built, like toys. It was always gadgets or anything that you can kind of physically interact with and involves an electrical component, and so that’s what I wanted to spend time studying.”

In the next year and a half, Turner was anything but idle. She started by picking up prerequisites she would need to study engineering at a satellite location of University of Cincinnati. Outside of school, Turner’s independent study and proactive networking included a total immersion in the tech community.

“I had freedom and time and I joined many tech-related groups and listened to podcasts,” said Turner. “I learned about the StartupBus from a Facebook group I joined called Hackathon Hackers, who are interested in hackathons and coding and creating projects.”

Turner said the entrepreneurial aspect was appealing as well as the engineering. “I like freedom and doing my own thing,” she said. “I think engineering is a way to be able to build the technical skill set, which is important, but I’ve always been interested in the entrepreneurial side.”

For more preparation for engineering school, Turner sought out travel scholarships for tech conferences, including one to San Diego that introduced her to the world of big tech companies and to computer science students.

“It was there when I first felt that maybe I could do this. I could get into engineering,” she said.

The student experienced another major milestone in her quest when she connected online with a Google employee, Don Gerstle, an electrical engineering alum of Speed School, who offered to mentor her.

Turner’s insatiable curiosity and initiative was noticed, and she was invited to the StartupBus in 2019.Ěý

“I was on the Ohio bus, but the Advancing Black Entrepreneurs bus in that year, they left from Harlem, New York, and there was just something to say about the startup ideas generated on that bus,” said Turner. “They were more about building their communities, like financial literacy for minorities, for example, things that can really influence their communities. When those different, marginalized groups, have access to technology and education, a lot of the times that’s going into positively impacting their communities. That’s what I like about technology specifically for Black and brown communities is that it’s a tool to build those communities.”

From mixing and mingling with others from the Florida bus and the DC bus, Turner said she ended up spending time in the last stop city of New Orleans, where she met directors of StartupBus Europe and StartupBus Africa. It was that networking that led to her to ask about the ABE bus.

“The other conductors on the bus and me want to make this an amazing experience for riders. I am still actively recruiting to get University of Louisville students involved as well,” she said.

Going into her junior year, she said she is getting more comfortable at Speed School, where she applied in part to be close to her mother, who lives in Louisville and works at Humana.

“I was really nervous when I started here,” she said. “I started taking the bus in the mornings and getting to campus really early and just hanging out on the engineering floor. I thought if I stay in this place long enough, it’ll feel like home.”

Turner , and was a student worker for FirstBuild, the GE Appliances start-up. She said the best part of her Speed School experience so far has been getting involved in .

“Representation is important,” said Turner. “Before I went to Speed School, I developed a great network of Black and brown computer science students at these tech conferences. Being able to find that where I’m going to be spending most of my time at school is important to me, too and NSBE is a great avenue for that. It helped me find other students that look like me and made me feel comfortable.”

UofL News: Talk about your home country and how you came to the United States.

Jake Do: I was born and raised in Saigon, Vietnam. Vietnam contains 63 different cities/provinces, each with its own unique cuisine. The food is always fresh, fruits always sweet and coffee always strong. When I was midway through high school, my family’s application got accepted, and we officially became permanent U.S. residents. We knew we would miss Vietnam’s beautiful beaches and people, but we decided to move to America mostly because of the better education and career opportunities.

UofL News: Eventually you ended up here in Louisville and became a patient of the School of Dentistry. Tell us about that experience.Ěý

Jake Do: My relatives are all in Louisville, so when my family first moved to America, Louisville was naturally our new home. My uncle was already here and helped my family with our green card applications and with our adjustment to a new country.

I joined a program called AHEC, as recommended by my aunt. Through the program, I took some science classes and went to different universities in Louisville, so it was the perfect opportunity to get used to the language and the city. It was then that I was introduced to the School of Dentistry and was able to shadow Sherry Babbage because I mentioned an interest in dentistry. It was such an amazing experience that I also signed up to be her patient.

UofL News: Describe Sherry Babbage’s influence on you and your family.ĚýĚý

Jake Do: During our first year in America, my father had a serious cavity, but going to a dental office was never high on his priority list, considering he had not been able to find a job or a place to stay. (We were still living with my uncle’s family at the time.) When I finally convinced him to visit Dr. Babbage, the cavity was so big that she had to pull the tooth.

At the time, I knew nothing about health insurance. My uncle managed to get my family covered, but he did not fully explain the system, especially the part that unlike Vietnam, dental is separate from health insurance. So, my father was responsible for the full charge. After learning about our situation Dr. Babbage said, “No charge,” and refused to take the money. I remembered having tears in my eyes at that time, not just because my father had an extraction for free, but also because I thought, “This, this is the kind of dentist I want to become.” It was Dr. Babbage who turned my mild interest in dentistry into determination.

UofL News: Ultimately, you decided to pursue dental education and applied to the UofL School of Dentistry. What was that experience like for you?

Jake Do: The first step I took to pursue a dental education was applying for ULEAD, a guaranteed entrance program to the School of Dentistry. I was so excited when I got invited to an interview, then I was devastated when I did not get accepted. Dr. Babbage was a faculty member of the program and explained to me what I still needed to work on and convinced me not to give up.

After a year of shadowing Dr. Babbage, she commented that I was becoming more outgoing and asked if I felt more confident in myself. It sounds like a joke now, but at the time, I kept thinking how could I become a dentist if I was more afraid of the patients than they were of me. Mostly, I was afraid of not understanding the patients and of them laughing at my accent.

Dr. Babbage kept my hopes up by acknowledging my struggle and progress in tackling my weakness. When I applied for dental school again in my junior year, I was more mature and prepared, so the interview, albeit virtual, went much more smoothly. For my second attempt, instead of a rejection letter, I received a call to let me know I had been accepted. I stayed up all night from the excitement.

UofL News: You’re now going into your second year as a dental student. Describe the challenges you’ve faced this year and how you’ve overcome them.

Jake Do: As a D2, I am starting to assist D3s and D4s in the dental clinic, directly interacting with patients. There are still lots of awkward silences and miscommunications, but I am glad to have three more years to improve my communication skills in a learning environment. I am learning how faculty members and students in upper classes interact with patients in the clinic, such as asking them how they would like to be addressed, how the drive to the school was or if they have any family in the city.

UofL News: What is your career goal?

Jake Do: Dr. Babbage inspired me to be a dentist like her, to work not for money but for the community, not to open a dental office, but to open a dental home, specifically for those who do not normally expect to get dental care. It is going to have income-based rates, translation services, as well as acceptance of all insurance plans, including Medicaid and Medicare.

I also hope to help my Vietnamese community in Louisville as one of the few dentists in the city who speaks Vietnamese. In Vietnam, the general mentality is that you only go to the dental office when you are in pain, and there is no such thing as 6-month dental check-ups. My parents’ current diagnosis of periodontitis are indications that mindsets need to be changed.

UofL News: Anything else you’d like to share?

Jake Do: I could not stress enough the importance of finding a mentor in the field that you want to pursue. Summer health programs are great ways to connect aspiring students with doctors and graduate students. I was able to become a qualified and competent candidate for the dental school thanks to Dr. Babbage and the newly graduated dentists I met through the programs who were always willing to answer my questions and provide details about the necessary preparations for dental schools.

Glasgow, Kentucky, native Christian Loos graduated from the University of Louisville in May 2022 as a Distinguished Military Graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership and Learning degree. He was commissioned into the Adjutant General Corps and is preparing to head to the Adjutant General Basic Officer Leadership Course at Fort Jackson, South Carolina.

During his time at UofL, Loos was a member of the Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society and was a routine volunteer in the UofL and Fort Knox communities. He was recognized along with a fellow U.S. Army Reserve Officer Training Corps cadet after they provided first response and aid to victims in a multiple vehicle collision during their morning commute to campus. Another special memory from his time at UofL was being chosen as one of three individuals to represent the U.S. Army Reserve Officer Training Corps during a special campus-wide commemoration of the 20^th anniversary of 9/11. Christian said his favorite UofL moment was being recognized as Salute to Service honoree on-field at a football game with his wife and children.

Prior to commissioning, Loos was an active-duty Sergeant First Class. He earned his degree and commission via U.S. Army Cadet Command’s Green-to-Gold program, in which eligible active-duty enlisted soldiers earn a baccalaureate degree or a two-year graduate degree and earn a commission as an Army officer.

Loos served as a Cavalry Scout at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, Camp Casey, Republic of Korea, and Fort Lewis, Washington. He also temporarily served as an Army Recruiter at the U.S. Army’s only Special Categories Recruiting Station. While stationed in the Republic of Korea, Christian served on a forward station in close vicinity to the Demilitarized Zone and assisted in the demobilization of the 7th Cavalry regiment.

Christian served in multiple positions of leadership, including Platoon Sergeant, and was a distinguished Honor Graduate from multiple levels of Army Non-Commissioned Officer professional development. His favorite Army experiences were “training and mentoring soldiers” when operating as the Senior Scout and Vehicle Commander within a Stryker Platoon out of Fort Lewis, Washington.

Among the many awards Loos earned during his enlisted career were the prestigious title of Excellence in Armor. He also earned multiple Army Commendation Medals, Army Achievement Medals, and Army Good Conduct Medals, as well as the Korean Defense Service Medal; the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal; the Recruiter Gold Badge and the Drivers Badge.

Loos said he chose to pursue his degree at UofL to enable his family to be close to extended family for a while. He intends to use the skills and experience he gained in his degree program to help build effective teams during his Army career. He has plans to pursue a master’s degree.

ĚýChristian lauded the support provided to military-connected students at UofL, especially the support provided from Kristen Roy and Carissa Gentry in the Office of Military and Veteran Student Services, as well as his “outstanding academic adviser” from the College of łÉČËÖ±˛Ą and Human Development, Chelsea Wicks. He also cited two dedicated faculty from the Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership and Learning program, Roger Buskill, and Kristie Ennis, and the outstanding cadre of the U.S. Army Reserve Officer Training Corps unit, particularly Captain Dakota Walker.

Ěý

Simmons-Chukalas was soon promoted from a car rental associate position to lead agent, eventually working in the corporate office. Her various roles led her across the country, where she directed training departments and airport operations in San Francisco, Atlanta and New Jersey. She stayed with the car rental company for nearly 29 years and made a name for herself in the industry.

Eventually,ĚýSimmons-Chukalas left the car rental company for a role as vice president of learning and development at a company in Colorado.Ěý

Though her professional career had taken off, not finishing her college degree remained a regret. When the Covid-19 pandemic hit in 2020, however, her position was eliminated andĚýSimmons-Chukalas had the chance to rethink her course.Ěý

“I think it was the perfect storm for me and I knew that the writing was on the wall … that it was time for me to go back to school. So I made the commitment that I was going to go back and finish. I just jumped into, once again, the deep end. I like to do that,” she said.

She searched for the best program to fit her needs and landed at UofL. Intentional and ambitious as ever, she had to get the Dean’s approval to take on the heavy course load needed to finish her B.S. in Organizational Leadership and Learning (OLL) in 1.5 years, which she did completely online. She’s graduating May 14 with a 4.0 GPA.Ěý

“I wanted a program that was catered to adult learners. I knew that I wanted to get credit also for my life experience. So, I actually interviewed schools, just like I would if I was going to find a vendor to partner with in a corporate role,” said Simmons-Chukalas, “I spoke toĚý(a faculty member)Ěýabout UofL and he did a great job promoting the program and talking about the benefits of it. I really valued and appreciated that UofL is different in the sense that you can earn credits for work-life experience through your PLA (Prior Learning Assessment) and, at the same time, you don’t have to pay for those credits that you’re earning.”

The OLL department at UofL offers innovative programs at the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels. These programs educate professionals who focus on leadership, organization development, human resources, and workforce development in order to benefit individuals, organizations and society.Ěý

Simmons-Chukalas expressed that her courses were extremely validating and affirmed the work that she’s been doing for so long. Obtaining a degree from UofL will provide the credibility and additional industry recognition needed as she continues to move forward in her career. It’s also setting a great example for her two kidsĚý– her biggest motivation.

With her degree finally in hand, Simmons-Chukalas recently started her own consulting business and is working for a company where she builds programs to help underrepresented individuals grow professionally through mentorship and career development. Her long-term goal is to become a Chief Learning and Talent Officer.

“I love doing executive development programs, but I’m also very passionate about helping people who are underrepresented. So whether that’s people of color or women or the LGBTQ community … whomever that might be,” she said. “Those are big passions for me. I’m someone who came from very humble beginnings. I want to always be able to lift up and give a hand back to someone else going through that same experience because being successful in your career gives you the means to be able to provide for your family, and that’s probably the most rewarding thing that I’ve been able to do.”

Inspired by those who cared for her grandmother with dementia and a cousin with cystic fibrosis, the Owensboro native became a nurse, graduating in December from the .

At the senior awards ceremony prior to graduation, Wilhoite was surprised to find out she won the , which specifically honors program students for having “the courage to be a servant-leader.” Winners receive $5,000 and commit to working for one year at .

In keeping with the award, Wilhoite recently asked if she could return a portion of it for the benefit of other students.

“I want this award to reflect all of us, not just me,” she said.

Amy Higdon, assistant dean of Owensboro BSN Programs and assistant professor in the School of Nursing, said the award is named after Vicki M. Stogsdill, the retired chief nursing officer of Owensboro Health.

“She always practiced servant-style leadership,” Higdon said. “The Owensboro faculty has the privilege of selecting the recipient of this award each semester and when considering which applicants embodied servant-style leadership, Maggie was a frontrunner.”

Important components of the program are service learning projects throughout the Owensboro community and a senior project completed during the Global Public Health course. Wilhoite asked the $2,000 she returned be used to help with these projects.

“Students can allocate the funds as they see fit, whether it be to enhance their project or donate to the community organization they collaborate with,” said Wilhoite, who grew up on an Owensboro farm.

Wilhoite said she applied for the award “on a whim,” and was shocked when she won.Ěý

“There are 14 members of my graduating cohort. Each of us brings something special to the table,” she said. “We survived nursing school during a historically adverse time in health care. We are entering the nursing profession during uncertain times. We have all exhibited resilience and compassion, which are necessary traits for nurses. Any one of us would be more than deserving of this award.”

Because she graduated debt-free, she said, “I would not feel right accepting a servant-leadership award and keeping it all for myself if I am not struggling financially.”

Wilhoite said she told her mother she wanted to become a nurse in the third grade and she hopes to someday be able to use her skills on a medical mission trip. She credits her supportive family with helping her earn her degree.

“I want to be a part of something bigger than myself,” she said.Ěý

Gamez moved to Louisville five years ago from her hometown of Holguin, Cuba. She is a Finance major who serves as a counselor in the Office of Admissions for Hispanic/Latinx students. She is also involved in the Hispanic and Latin@ Faculty and Staff Association and the Louisville Welcome Academy.Ěý

She chose to attend UofL because it was “full of academic opportunities, research, a beautiful campus, but a place I knew I was going to be welcomed.”Ěý

Cooper, a Social Change and Political Science major from Owensboro, chose to attend UofL because “it was in a community I could connect with and get engaged with. It was also home to a lot of diverse opinions and diverse people.”Ěý

Cooper is part of the James Graham Brown Fellows Program and is the services VP for the Student Government Association, as well as a U.S. Department of State intern.Ěý

“I’m not only part of the Louisville community, but I’m also part of the UofL community and I’m using my passion to make both of these things better,” Cooper said. “My experience at UofL is going to help me move beyond and be even more impactful in the type of work I want to do.”Ěý

Check out more from Gamez and Cooper below.

Her desire to work in health care stems from the empathy and compassion nurses showed her during one of the most difficult times in her life. Abdulnur shares with UofL News more about her story and future career goals.

UofL News:ĚýDescribe how nurses influenced your decision to pursue the profession.

Abdulnur:ĚýDuring my hospitalization for a [SLE] flare-up, I lost a lot of hope that I could pursue nursing due to my new diagnosis. However, I had a specific nurse, her name was Taylor – I could never forget – who encouraged me to keep going. Her words really inspired me and was most of the reason I decided to pursue nursing.

Nurses are so empathetic and compassionate, and seeing a first-hand example of this really widened my perspective and increased my respect towards the profession. I also observed the same when my grandmother was hospitalized for a severe stroke, and the nurses comforted us during an emotional time.

I was already considering a nursing major during that time due to my family history – my mom was a nurse in England, her mother in Jamaica, and there is just a long line of nurses in my family. I also have a passion for giving others hope and bringing them to their best selves.Ěý

ĚýUofL News:ĚýWhat has surprised you about nursing school?

Abdulnur: I knew that nursing school would be hard, but no one really talks about how hard it can be mentally. There are so many things in our personal lives that can occur alongside school, and it almost feels like you are trying to juggle everything and stay afloat. Sometimes I find myself trying to take it day by day, or week by week because everything is so overwhelming. Things can be completely calm one week, and then the next it’s like you have three exams, eight assignments and a paper due within days. It really keeps you on your toes, especially when you are trying to balance school with aspects of your personal life.

UofL News:ĚýWhy did you choose UofL?

Abdulnur:ĚýI chose UofL for two reasons: the proximity and scholarships. I am from Louisville, and I felt too connected with my family to be hours away from home. It’s nice to be able to separate my personal life from my school life and still be able to drive 15 or 20 minutes to see my family. It was also extremely helpful that UofL offers the Porter Scholarship for African-American and Hispanic students.

UofL News:ĚýWhat is it like to be in nursing school during a pandemic?

Abdulnur:ĚýIt is extremely challenging. A major roadblock I hit was at the beginning of the pandemic when all classes were online. I do not learn well from recorded lectures; I have to physically be there in class. Because of this major change, my grades plummeted. I still passed, but it was a major setback. I had to completely modify how I learned and how I studied just to fit around the changes being made due to Covid. All of my classes are in person this semester, but even clinicals are altered, as we cannot shadow critical care units, the specialty I was most looking forward to, since I want to be an ER nurse.

UofL News:ĚýWhat advice would you give someone considering nursing school?

Abdulnur:ĚýI would tell them it is definitely worth it. Sometimes nursing can be challenging, but no good thing ever comes easy. There are so many rewarding moments, even as a student in clinicals where you realize that you love what you do. If you have a passion for nursing, all the studying and exams and stress will be worth it in the end – it already is worth it for me!

Adrianne Kelly contributed to this story.