Future Nurse Seeking Assistance

My friend Desiree is in her last semester of the accelerated nursing as a second degree program at Michigan State University (MSU). She is one of the hardest working, most passionate, and positive people that I know. She has overcome many obstacles in life that many of us are fortunate to have never experienced in our lifetime. She is currently facing a large obstacle that could potentially keep her from graduating in August and fulfilling a full-time registered nurse (RN) position that she has already accepted for the fall. Due to the fact that she is pursuing her second bachelor’s degree, she is ineligible for federal tuition assistance and isn’t able to pay her tuition $9,500. She has sought out alternative loans but she doesn’t have anyone that would be able to co-sign for her, leaving her ineligible for the loan. She has also met with the MSU financial aid office and with leaders of the college of nursing but her only options are finding a co-signer, paying tuition in full, or dropping classes which would postpone her employment into what is already an understaffed profession.

Despite overcoming many obstacles before starting her undergraduate education, I will start her story from her freshman year at Hope College. Desiree started her freshman year with hopes of being admitted to the nursing program at Hope College. She has known that she has wanted to be a nurse since she was twelve years old. Her older sister had many health issues and the kindness of the nurses that took care of her sister played a large role in sparking Desiree’s desire to become an RN. Desiree was on the right track to getting admitted into the program but during her sophomore year she struggled with her mental health that ultimately led to her not being admitted into the nursing program at Hope. During her junior and senior years Desiree not only focused on her academics, but most importantly she focused on her mental health and faith. As we all know, COVID-19 impacted many of us, however despite the challenges that the pandemic presented as well as continuing going to school full time, Desiree graduated in the spring of 2020 with a degree in Psychology.

Desiree began her education at MSU for the fall 2020 semester. She spent two years taking the prerequisites to apply to the accelerated nursing program. During this first year at MSU, Desiree joined a Christian sorority, which is how we became friends. The lifelong connections that Desiree made gave her a community to help find her place and to continue seeking guidance from the Lord while she worked hard to get the grades required for the nursing program.

Through her hard work, perseverance, and strong faith Desiree was accepted into the nursing school February 2022. Since then, Desiree has been excelling in her program and couldn't be more excited to enter the nursing profession. Desiree says that “Becoming a nurse means everything to me. My academic journey alone pushes me to finish what I started back in 2018 at Hope College. I want this more than anything in my life. I knew being in college for so long and coming to MSU would be costly after Hope College, but I had to follow my heart and where I felt the Lord was leading me.”

We would greatly appreciate it if anyone reading this would be willing and able to support Desiree either through a donation or through prayers.