B.S., Nursing

Clinical Nurse, NICU, Duke University Hospital

"You should consider NCCU because no matter what field or major you’re interested in, you’ll have an armful of people willing to help you with your success. If you voice where you want to go, the professors, alumni, and other students will be there to share information and support you. The sky is truly the limit because you have the support there."

"I grew up in North Philly in a not-so-great neighborhood, and it put me in a position to repeat the cycle of the people around me, but I used it as a motivation to stay away from the bad choices, so that’s the core of what pushes me to excel. I saw a lot of the friends I grew up with get into drugs, go to prison, and even lose their lives. It hit me because we weren’t just rebellious kids having fun. If you stay in that rut, you will be on a dark path. The kids I grew up with on the same street are no longer here, and I knew I had to do something better. Coupled with that motivation, NCCU has given me the support I needed to succeed in my career."

"During my time in nursing school, I noticed how helpful everyone was in pushing me forward and helping me to envision where I could plant my feet after graduation. NCCU really pushed professionalism and how you carry yourself. That carried me through all of my clinicals, so when I interacted with nurses and patients, I was able to represent the university in a positive way. We usually wore burgundy scrubs, and it would differentiate me as an NCCU student. I would walk through hospitals during clinicals and hear nurses say, “Look at those NCCU nurses! Eagle Pride!” Growing up, all odds were stacked against me, and you can take the easy way or the hard route and stay focused – and I’m proud of where I am today because of that."

"The first day I got to do a clinical rotation in pediatrics, it all felt right – and I knew I had found my specialty when I got to shadow in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU). I had an opportunity to meet the nurse manager who happened to be in her office, and I was nervous and speechless, but I didn’t want to miss out on this opportunity. In that moment, I remembered one of my instructors had encouraged me to network with the nurses. I could hear her voice in my head saying, “You’re already there and that’s how you are going to get a job, so open your mouth and say something.” So, I introduced myself and explained I was passionate about this population and that I wanted to work in this area in the future."

"During senior year, NCCU nursing school requires a class to prepare you for the National Board NCLEX exam, and a lot of other schools don’t have that – you graduate and figure it out on your own. I had the support of a coach to help me along the journey, so I studied every day and passed my state board before graduation, which had never been done before by an NCCU graduate. In my final semester, I got an email from the nurse manager that I had met in my peds clinicals six months prior – she remembered me and informed me about a position opening in the unit, and I knew that would be my job. I applied and already had my career lined up to start in May upon graduation."

"Now, I’m working in the NICU and I always get comments about how I’m so professional, and NCCU played a big role in that. When I see NCCU students come into the unit, I can be a source of motivation for them because I was once there. They can see themselves in me and know they can get to the other side. I wouldn’t hesitate to talk to students now about what to expect once they graduate and to stay the course, because they’ll be prepared for their future too."