For Kyesha, the path to nursing was rooted in a lifelong love of working with children. Growing up in a large family where she often cared for her younger cousins, Kyesha always knew she wanted to work with children. Her natural ability to connect with and care for them made it clear that this was the impact she wanted to make.

While Kyesha dreamed of nursing, her grandmother had a different idea and suggested a degree in elementary education. “I thought about it for a while, but I didn’t want to become a teacher. So, I looked for another way to work with kids, and nursing was the next best thing.”

That decision sparked a passion that Kyesha quickly fell in love with. However, Kyesha’s road to becoming a nurse was far from smooth. After starting nursing school in 2011, just three weeks before graduation, she was unable to complete her degree due to the school losing its accreditation. Determined to finish what she started, she moved to Indiana and enrolled in a new nursing program. What was meant to be a four-year nursing degree turned into seven.

But Kyesha never lost sight of her goal — and her grandmother’s encouragement was always a guiding force. 

“My grandmother was my biggest supporter. When I finally graduated, she passed away. It’s almost like she waited for me to reach that goal before she left. I like to think that she knew I’d made it.”

Kyesha’s advice for first-generation and BIPOC nursing students who may be facing their own challenges:

 “Do it scared. Do it terrified. Take the leap, even when you don’t know what you’re doing. Trust that you’ll figure it out along the way. The hardest part is starting — but once you do, you’ll grow and learn every step of the way.”

After graduation, Kyesha hopes to open her own pediatric clinic in the Chicagoland area, where she can provide children with comprehensive care and support.

Reference OpenAI. (2024). ChatGPT (November 24 version) [Large language model, Grammar and Syntax check]. https://chat.openai.com