"I reached a point where I realized that I love healthcare. I love taking care of people, which solidified that I wanted to be a nurse."
Inspired by healthcare workers caring for her grandmother and the desire to stay close to home made it easy for Anitza to choose St. Ambrose University's Nursing program.
Home Town
Silvis, Illinois
Home Is Where The Heart Is
When Anitza's college search began, she quickly realized that moving too far away from home would separate her from her extended family's steadfast support system. "I have a very close relationship with my parents. I still live at home, and my sister lives across the street from us." While her academic interests ranged from zoology to healthcare, her experiences with an ailing grandmother solidified her pathway into the St. Ambrose University Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program. "When I was younger, she had a few strokes, landing her in a nursing home. My mom and I always visited her. I remember being so inspired by the CNAs and nurses that took such great care of her." At Ambrose, simulation rooms (pictured) provide excellent, hands-on training for scores of healthcare students in the College of Health and Human Services.
Building Her Resume Early
Driven by that admiration for the nurses who helped her grandmother, Anitza completed the CNA program during her junior year of high school and swiftly began working in a nursing home dementia unit. "It was one of the most eye-opening experiences I had ever had. All of the residents were like my grandparents. I reached a point where I realized that I love healthcare. I love taking care of people, which solidified that I wanted to be a nurse."
Forging Ahead in a Pandemic
As Anitza readied to graduate from Black Hawk College and enter the nursing program at St. Ambrose University, she worked at Illini Restorative Care as a patient care technician on the medical telemetry floor. Then COVID-19 hit, and her floor turned into the medical COVID unit. "Seeing all my co-workers get beat down by this was hard. I had a moment of fear and began questioning whether I should still go to nursing school. But I realized that I still ultimately want to help people; this is just the ugly part of it. Nursing will not always be sunshine and happiness." Anitza and her fellow St. Ambrose classmates masked up and began the unprecedented challenge of learning in a pandemic. "Despite the social distancing, everyone was so welcoming. Being in the clinical setting and learning what I really wanted to learn was so much fun for me. Even though it was hard, I knew I was making the right decision, and all my instructors were so helpful."
Why Did You Choose SAU?
"Right before I applied, my Mom and I visited St. Ambrose, and it was solidified. I knew just from touring the Nursing building and speaking to the professors that I was making the right choice. I think my parents were equally excited with my decision because it meant I was staying home and not moving away."
