鈥淚 worked on some assignments during a trip to Disney, I worked on some stuff at the beach... I just loved that I could still have an active life even though I was in school. I think that was the best part.鈥
鈥淎 nursing instructor told this to me... 'Never forget to pay yourself once you鈥檙e done.' And remember that nothing worth having comes easy. Don鈥檛 give up on yourself because you never know what鈥檚 going to find you.鈥
鈥淭here鈥檚 always going to be ups and downs, and you鈥檙e going to have those days where you just feel like this isn鈥檛 worth it or you don鈥檛 want to do it anymore. Stick with it. It will be worth it in the end, and you will be proud that you did it.鈥
鈥淭his is the best decision I've made, and the only time I ever get angry with myself is that I didn't do it sooner. It goes fast. I was in it for almost three years, and it feels like I just started. Just be patient with yourself, give yourself grace, stick with it, and don't be afraid to ask for help.鈥
鈥淚t was easy to navigate, and the instructors answered questions promptly. University staff would actually reach out throughout the semesters to see if I had questions and see how I was doing. It was nice to have the constant support.鈥
鈥淒on鈥檛 give up. It can get overwhelming, but it鈥檚 not hard. Remain focused because at the end when you finish, you鈥檙e going to realize how much it was worth it.鈥
鈥淚t鈥檚 important that we have this Doctor of Nursing Practice program and continue to support nurses completing this program. This program is building a stronger nursing profession and a stronger healthcare industry across the country.鈥
鈥淚 know that furthering my education is going to come in handy no matter what. I just want to be an inspiration to single mothers to just keep moving forward and show them they can reach their goals.鈥
鈥淥ne of the things that surprised me was the level of support that we got from the program from Dr. Jennifer Lemoine and Dr. Christy Lenahan. We could go to them whenever we had questions or concerns or needs, and they really supported us. They wanted us to be successful.鈥