Becoming a Professor
I wanted to teach at Mont Union because of the welcoming environment the moment I stepped on campus. The students, the faculty, and administration were all excited to tell me about Mount Union. The fact that the history here at Mount Union is so deep was so appealing as well. I love that I continue to learn something new about campus even after 5 years of being here.I chose to leave practicing as a full-time Nurse Practitioner and switch to academia due to a calling. There is a dire need for Nursing Faculty in Higher Education. Currently we are facing a shortage that is only projected to worse by 2025. I encourage all of our students to eventually go back for higher education post their bachelors, but I would like to inspire some to become educators to help with the shortage.
A Fulfilling Career
My favorite part of being a professor within the nursing department is watching the nursing students grow into nurses. Watching the students grow within the program is rewarding, but our students build lasting bonds that allow us to continue to watch their growth out in the workforce. This is even more rewarding as they often return to share their stories with current students. This ability to see the continued growth of a student who entered as a Freshman who may now be applying for Graduate Studies is that moment as an educator you know the students lightbulb is "on fire".
A Personable Program
Mount Union has a unique way of taking curricular studies and making program learning very personable for our students here on campus. Often when conversing with students their responses are that they do not feel like a number to the staff and faculty here. We strive to keep ratio sizes smaller and personable. This allows for enhanced learning, critical thinking, and new flipped classroom learning models. The faculty (full-time and adjunct) that I am blessed to work with is a group of well rounded, diverse, extremely educated, and above all passionate individuals. This makes working as a group exciting and intriguing. I also feel these components enhance our ability to provide the best education to our students, while preparing them to be the best nurses possible when they enter the workforce.