Meet Mary.

What made you consider nursing as a program of study?

I grew up listening to my grandfather's surgery stories. Even when the whole table made jokes about how gross it was, I secretly loved them. When I had my daughter and decided to finally grow up, I knew I wanted to try medicine. I started with Medical Assisting school. I practiced for about two years when I got a job in a private surgical dermatology practice. My boss was a great mentor and trained me to do amazing things in surgery and clinic care. I realized I wanted to know more and do more. As much as I possibly could. I had hit the "glass ceiling" in terms of my MA scope of practice and pay scale. So in 2020, I applied to the School of Nursing.

Why did you choose WVU School of Nursing? 

I never considered any other college in terms of four-year programs. As an MA there is no bridge option. I looked into doing LPN then bridging to RN at different schools but the time frame was essentially the same as the standard BSN. My family went to WVU either for undergrad or graduate school. I think my grandpa graduated from the School of Medicine in 1967. I have lived in Morgantown my whole life. I know the education provided here is quality.

Could you share a positive experience from your time at the SON?

One of the most positive experiences for me was my first semester in the nursing program. I delivered my son on the day before classes started. Every single professor was way more supportive than I would have ever anticipated. I was so grateful that I was able to do classes online those first few days. In this last semester, I struggled the most with my didactic material. Professor Maramba didn’t just watch me fail. She got to know me, learned about my life. She met with me regularly and helped drag me to the finish line. I will always be thankful for the professors in this program.

What’s one piece of advice you would give your freshman self?

Give yourself grace, stay OVER organized, and take care of yourself mentally, and emotionally.

What are your plans after graduation?

I just want to work for a while. I want to be great at my job. Then I want to further my education, either CRNA or DNP. I'm sure I'll have a better idea with more experience.

How do you feel WVU prepared you for your next chapter?

Now that I am at the end, I feel like I am as prepared as I can be. It isn’t until you get to this point that you can understand how every single class and assignment built onto the next one, and how they really did have a reason for making you do those preplans.

Anything else you’d like to add?

I feel extremely proud to say I am graduating from this program. Its rigorous course expectations and invaluable resources like the sim lab (WV STEPS Center) make it, in my opinion, one of the most distinguished nursing programs.