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As 2021 nears its end and we prepare for pinning and graduation ceremonies, our Nurse of the Week is a classic American story about starting from nothing, working hard (and smart), and refusing to give up the pursuit of your dream.

The student marshal who leads her fellow grads in the procession to commencement represents the best of the student body. Selected on the basis of outstanding academic achievement and contributions to student life, the student marshal is often someone who excels even as they overcome obstacles that can bring many to a crashing halt. At Penn State’s Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing , the fall 2021 graduation ceremony is being led by Aleksandra Williams, who will soon have the letters “BSN” after her name.

Not long ago, the Schuylkill campus student was a near-penniless, non-English-speaking immigrant from Ukraine. Williams came to the United States by herself when she was only 19 years old with one suitcase and $500. She began working as a housekeeper, building her new life, and learning an entirely foreign language. As she progressed through her life in America, Williams knew she wanted to pursue a new and more meaningful career path.

“My mother is a nurse and used to work long shifts at the children’s hospital in Ukraine. She had been raising me by herself and used to take me to work with her because there was nobody to watch after me,” said Williams. “I saw how my mother took care of the children and I thought of her as my hero.”

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After meeting her husband in the U.S. and having a healthy baby boy together, Williams and her husband welcomed their second child. Unfortunately, their second child fell ill, and after many visits with nurses and doctors, recently died.

Her dream of becoming a nurse lived on, though, and she simply could not stop excelling. In 2017, Wiliams received the SEDCO Scholarship for Workplace and Adult Education. A year later—as the Schuylkill Campus student with the highest GPA—she earned the 2018 President’s Freshman Award. Apparently, in 2019 the school temporarily ran out of awards. After they replenished their supply, Williams bounced back in 2020 when she won the Lehigh Valley Hospital-Schuylkill Medical Staff Award to the Class of 2020 Valedictorian.  Now, Penn has tapped the young mom to be Student Marshal for their 2021 BSN class.

Williams is already an active member of multiple nursing organizations as well. She served as treasurer and secretary for the Student Association of the Joseph F. McCloskey School of Nursing at Lehigh Valley, was a member of the Student Nurses Association of Pennsylvania (which thus has the awesome acronym SNAP), and attended the SNAP state convention as a voting delegate. She is also a current member of Sigma Theta Tau International Organization.

“Aleksandra is such a bright and caring student; she sets high standards for herself and her peers. She has successfully balanced academic, personal, and professional life while completing her BSN and we are so thrilled that she is exploring graduate program options. I sincerely look forward to watching Aleksandra grow as a nurse and her contributions to our profession.” said Marianne Adam, Penn State Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing program coordinator and professor at the Penn State Schuylkill and academic advisor to Williams.

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Williams will accept her diploma on behalf of the college during the University-wide commencement on Dec. 18, in the Bryce Jordan Center. After the daughter of Ukrainian nurse Tatiana Zhukova receives her BSN, she plans to work toward an MSN and DNP at the Penn State Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing.

Despite the collection of previous awards and honors, Williams has not become jaded. She was surprised and delighted to be chosen as the college’s 2021 marshal: “I could not believe what I was reading,” the future MSN and DNP claimed. “I had to re-read the email several times. For me to be selected as a student marshal is very important and I am beyond honored.” Congratulations, Aleksandra! It takes a massive amount of work, determination, and discipline to become a model of nursing excellence before you even receive your BSN. No pressure :)!

 

Daily Nurse Staff
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