Wake up. Eat. Go to class. Study. Attend club meetings. Work. Clinicals. Sleep. Repeat.
A day in the life of senior nursing major Ashley Koepping does not fall short of action. Between finishing her last year at Stevenson, fulfilling credits for graduation, completing her clinicals, working on an oncology research team and maintaining a work-life balance, Ashley understands the importance of hard work.
As a senior reminiscing about her years at Stevenson, Ashley can claim many accomplishments. A few of her proudest moments at Stevenson include being the only nominee for the 2016 Newman Civic Award as well as working with Lisa Lorden, an oncology nurse practitioner and professor at Stevenson to present their breast cancer research. Additionally, Ashley spoke publicly about her own experience with breast cancer at the 2016 Relay For Life event. She was the president of Student United Way in her junior year, and she continues in the nursing program with a 3.2 GPA.
Managing such a busy schedule takes determination and organization.
“I have a to-do list that I put on a sticky note and that tells me I have to do everything on the list before I can curl up and go to bed,” she explained. She also highlights the importance of planning ahead.
NURSING IN THE PHILIPPINES
In addition to her several achievements, Ashley went on a three-week trip in the summer of 2016 to the Philippines, working the 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. shift in the emergency department at the West Visayas State University Medical Center, a government hospital in Iloilo.
She said that the difference between medical resources in the United States and the Philippines is uncanny. Unlike nurses in the United States, nurses in the Philippines are mainly “med givers”; the patients’ family members are in charge of gathering materials needed for procedures and attending to the patients’ needs. The experience was eye-opening and one she will never forget.
Ashley offers some advice to other students: “You’re in college to grow, network and know yourself better. Get involved and find your passion.”