"As a young mom of three who has faced many challenges throughout life, I decided it was never too late for me to peruse my dream of becoming a registered nurse. When I first decided to go back to school as an adult in her early thirties, a lot of people around me thought I was crazy. “You have three young kids” “how are you going to juggle school and be able to be a good mom” “that’s too much on your plate” as all of those things may be true, here I am.
One of the biggest challenges I have faced has been whether or not I am being the best mom I can be while trying to peruse a dream of mine that not only will add to the financial success of my family, it will also add to their future success. I am doing this not only for me but for them as well. They are my push and motivation. A major sacrifice I have had to make is time with my kids. With the amount of studying I have to do to be successful in the nursing program it has taken up a lot of time I could spend with my kids. But I make it up to them in other ways by spending what time I do have with them! Another sacrifice I have had to make is taking a step back from working. I have had to cut my hours at the hospital where I work from full time to PRN which is once a month. So the financial toll that has taken on my family is a big one but we have learned to manage. We are positive that this will all be worth it in the long run!
Balancing life is a challenge in itself - but adding nursing school into the mix with three young kids has been extra challenging. One thing I do is I make sure to dedicate at least two days of the week to my family. In those two days I do my best not to focus so much on school. I make sure to add some self care in the mix as well. It is super important to make sure you take care of YOU! Some advice I would love to give to those who aren’t sure about whether they want to take on school while also being a parent is make sure you have some type of support system and just go for it! For those who are already juggling all of this, make sure to take care of you and focus on your health and wellness. It will help you not only focus but also succeed.
Going back to school has been the best decision I have ever made. It is setting an example for my children and teaching them that they can become anything they want to as long as they put the work in. I am so glad I chose UMSL. UMSL has been nothing but supportive in my journey as a young mom trying to reach a dream I never thought I would ever reach! I’m halfway there. I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for my family and the support UMSL helps give to those like me- a parent."
