Meet Will.

I understand you're a veteran. Can you tell us more about your service?

I joined the Marine Corps back in 2016 from LaVail. January is when I went to boot camp down in Parris Island. From there I went to North Carolina, then South Carolina, and after training was done, I went overseas to Japan for about two years. I spent a couple months in Mount Fuji, and then the rest of it was in Okinawa, which is like a Pacific island off to the south, and about a month in Thailand. After that, I came back for a year to Quantico and was stationed down there helping with their hazardous waste program for the base. Then I moved back up here to West Virginia.

Why did you want to become a nurse?

I grew up in a family of it. My mother was a nurse growing up, so it was kind of always there. After seeing the things that you do, at least that I did, it kind of just makes you want to do a little bit of good. Instead of just watching things kind of get torn down, it's nice to be the bright light in someone's life instead.

How do you think being a veteran will help you in your future career?

It makes things a little bit less stressful because you've definitely been through worse. But other than that, it makes you kind of grow up, because you're detached from family and friends, especially if you go overseas. You have to make do with what you've got and you've got to learn how to be your own person and carry that responsibility.

What do you hope to do after graduation?

I'd like to be an ED nurse as of now. That might change moving forward, but right now I like the constant movement of it. I don't like to sit still whenever I'm working. But aside from that, maybe go back for a master's. I have two small daughters right now — one's about to turn 3 and the other one is nine months old.

So, after this is done, I'll probably take a little bit of a break until they're a little bit older. Then, I'll probably go the nurse practitioner route and still stay active with patients.

What do you love about nursing?

I like staying active and I like being involved with people, and being there for them whenever they need help is nice. It's nice to see your effort put forth to show a result and their face light up, or seeing them get better or seeing how their family responds to their treatment. It's great seeing that you're making a difference every day.

Anything else you would like to add?

The great thing about the military and nursing is you are in professions where you rely more on the people around you. So, it kind of breaks down those barriers. You know, if you grew up around Western Maryland, West Virginia area, there's kind of a seclusion to it that everybody forms biases. So, that helps you break them down, and see people for people because that's all they are. I think that is a really nice thing about both professions.