Year-in-Review 2015-2016

This year has been a year of incredible growth for me. College naturally brings people
out of their shells, but I have gained more confidence in myself and my abilities than I thought
possible. When my second year of nursing began, I was honestly terrified to begin my clinical
rotation in the Progressive Care Unit at Mercy West Hospital and actually interact with people.
However, most people get anxious when experiencing something new. My clinical instructor was
the best leader I could have had in my life at that moment. She helped me learn everything I
needed to and gave me confidence when practicing new skills. Not only that, but she allowed me
to shadow her in the ED at University Hospital this summer to see other aspects of the hospital
(trauma) than we experienced at Mercy West. All of these experiences contribute to my
conclusion that, despite the increasing number of people asking me, I still do not know what I
want to specialize in. However, I cannot wait to get further into my degree and figure that out so
I can finally answer peoples questions.
This year, I wanted to focus on my education and student organizations, so I was not
incredibly focused on completing honors experiences. I discovered the tutoring program, Bearcat
Buddies, and was able to help two high school students understand material they had never quite
grasped. This was the type of service I loved. Being able to use the skills I have to somehow
reach out and touch the lives of others and connect with them is the best feeling in the world.
Thats the basis of why I am going into nursing, so Bearcat Buddies will absolutely be a program
I continue to serve during my time in college. ROAR was another organization I chose to devote
more time to. Originally, I was not going to apply to be a Veteran Guide (the leader of that tour
time, essentially), but when an opportunity presented itself to be, I decided to step up out of my
comfort zone and into that position. It was one of the best decisions I made all year. Not only did

it allow me to get to know more people within ROAR, I finally was able to believe in my
leadership skills. Flash forward to halfway through spring semester. ROAR elections were
approaching, but I knew I was not planning on running. I was a VG, and I would probably run
for a position my senior year, but not this year. Then, I talked to members of the executive board,
specifically the president of the organization at that time. He approached me directly and told me
that he wanted me to run for exec and thought that I would make great contributions to the
organization in a leadership position. So, I made a decision that might just have been the biggest
leap of faith to date. I let go of my personal insecurities that I could not be good enough in a
leadership position. I was determined to prove my insecurities wrong, and I ran for Vice
President of Operations.
I make lists in my spare time and love dealing with logistics, so scheduling,
accountability, and the behind-the-scenes work of ROAR seemed to be right up my alley. I put
together my platform and shook like an earthquake when I presented it to the entire general body
of ROAR at elections. Someone who talks to strangers on tours once a week was nervous out of
her mind in front of her peers. Well, something I said resonated with the majority of ROAR,
because I had been elected the new VP Ops. Excitement and terror filled my mind as my
insecurities reentered it, but throughout the following months, I have reaffirmed my abilities to
excel at this position. It is only the beginning, but somehow I know this is going to be good for
me and I am going to do great things for this organization. An originally unintentional yet
completely exciting 5th honors experience about this leadership position will be in the works
soon, and it will not be my last.
Finally, I decided that I wanted to gain as much clinical experience as humanly possible
before I dive into the world or nursing head-first. Early this summer, I applied for a PCA position

that I was offered shortly after my interview. This position is entirely patient-care based, and
even though PCAs do a decent amount of the dirty work, I could not be more excited to work
alongside nurses, physicians, and the rest of the inter-professional team to learn how to provide
the best care for patients. I begin mid-July and will continue this job throughout the academic
year. At the end of the year, I will have to decide whether to keep the job, apply for the co-op and
switch jobs, or apply for the co-op and take on both jobs during the summer.