Welishia Brown’s Story with American National University
For Welishia Brown, the path to nursing has been shaped by perseverance, life changes and a determination to keep moving forward. After earning an associate degree in Medical Assisting, Welishia gained experience working in medical offices before eventually discovering a renewed desire to become a nurse. Her work in radiation and oncology helped reaffirm that goal and inspired her to return to school. When she learned about American National University’s online Bachelor of Science in Nursing program, she knew it was time to take another step toward the career she had envisioned for years. Balancing school with her career and raising her young son, Welishia is embracing this opportunity with the belief that now is the right time to pursue her nursing goals. And her hard work and dedication earned her the title of Term Trailblazer for Term 260!
“This is just the time now, it’s here, why not? It’s the best decision I’ve made so far.”
Welishia has always had a desire to help others when they are in need of an advocate. “We’re here to serve one purpose: patient care. They have everything else in their lives going on and now they’re sick, or [their] family is not around, or visiting, or [they] don’t have family. We’re here on the front line every day taking care of these patients that are ill… I just really like helping people, whether it’s a kid of adult – I just like helping people,” she explained. With her experience in medical assisting, she knew she wanted to be in a role that allows her to help patients at any and every point of care to get them back to health. And she strives to do that with American National University’s program. “My algorithm on Facebook and Instagram is nothing but nursing… It’s like, ‘okay, that’s gonna be me in two years!’ I’m going to go to sleep as an MA and wake up a nurse!”
With her son being her biggest priority, Welishia knew that she needed an education that could accommodate her busy lifestyle. While initially enrolled in another program at another school trying to reach her dreams, she came across and advertisement for American National University that changed everything. She took the time to transfer every credit possible, switch her loans, and get into the Bachelor’s of Nursing program as soon as she could. And “I’m really doing it, I’m sticking with it. I’m glad I did make the decision to switch, because it literally just fell in my lap, and I’m like, ‘it’s meant to be!’”
While in the beginning of her program, Welishia has had to make some adjustments. “So far, I love it, it’s definitely different because it’s online,” she explained. “It’s accelerated, it’s sped up.” In one of her Anatomy and Physiology classes, she described how her and her fellow classmates created a group chat to get through the material together. “That’s a good feeling that we could just decide to come together and have this group chat going on, and helping each other out,” she said. Despite still being at the beginning of her program, she looks forward to what is ahead of her. “I’m ready to be in the fun stuff!” She said with a laugh. “I know that’s going to be the hard, hard, hard stuff, but all of this stuff has to start making sense. I’m scared, but I’m ready!”
Her future goals are wide open to her that she didn’t know existed before. With the different avenues of nursing that she could go down, Welishia is considering each one with a critical eye more than ever before. “I have no clue, there’s just so much!” She said with a smile.
Would she recommend American National University to others? “Oh yeah! Absolutely! I would definitely recommend people – because it’s that flexible convenience of being virtual… [American National University] lays everything out for you, they have all the materials you may need, all the help you may need, everyone has that open door policy.” She has had friends and coworkers enquire about her education and she has mentioned the university to them as well.
“I would definitely recommend [American National University]. It’s very cost effective!”
Her advice to new students included “go in with an open mind. Ask questions, ask questions, ask questions. Utilize your resources. Utilize your classmates… just all the stuff they’re offering us in that tuition – use it!”
