Bellin College student aspires to be a labor nurse after graduation

Hello! My name is Andrea O’Bright and I am a senior in the traditional nursing program at Bellin College. I graduate this coming May and I am so excited to begin my career as a Registered Nurse. I currently work as a Nurse Extern at Aurora BayCare Medical Center in Green Bay on the labor and delivery floor and I absolutely love everything about it! I have learned so much in just a few months and am confident that I want to be a labor nurse after graduating from Bellin College.

“I would recommend Bellin College over any other nursing school based on the experiences and opportunities I have had.”

I graduated with high honors from Kaukauna High School in 2013 and began at Bellin College the following fall semester. I grew up in Sherwood, Wisconsin with my parents, younger sister, and a bunny. I knew at a young age that I wanted to do something in the medical field when I grew up. My mom would catch me watching birthing shows on the Discovery Health Network and probably wondered what was wrong with me. My younger sister and I would pretend to be newborn nurses and take care of our dolls, always making sure they were perfectly healthy. I could also tell you what the drug Pitocin was at about 10 years old. It was clear that I loved caring for people especially new moms and their babies.

I was lucky enough to attend a Health Careers Summer Camp through Wisconsin Area Health Education Centers before my senior year of high school. It was made clear to me that summer that I wanted to become a nurse. I toured Bellin College that fall and canceled all my other college tours that day, because it was clear that no other nursing college could offer me what Bellin could. I was accepted into the nursing program shortly after, as well as the University of Wisconsin- Green Bay (UWGB) where I would take some of my general education courses. I lived on UWGB’s campus for two years before moving back home with my family to save money. That was one of my best decisions yet, despite the 40-minute commute to Green Bay for classes. My younger sister, Alesha O’Bright, also chose to attend Bellin College after seeing how much I loved the school, and she is one year behind me in the nursing program. We are both so thankful for such supportive parents who encourage us to pursue our dreams every single day, and allow us to continue living at home while attending school.

Since beginning at Bellin College, I knew I wanted to get involved in activities around the school. I joined Bellin Student Nurses’ Association (Vice President), Institute for Healthcare Improvement, Student Senate (President), and I am an Ambassador for the school. Additionally, I accepted a position down in our Health Science Resource Center (HSRC) as a Student Assistant in 2014. With this position, I am able to help other nursing students work on their clinical skills. I also help out with Hands on Healthcare events which brings in high school students to learn about careers in healthcare as well as what the college has to offer.

This past winter, I had the opportunity to attend my first medical mission trip where I traveled to Guatemala with 12 of my classmates. It was truly the most life-changing experience and I get emotional even just thinking about it. Each villager we met was so appreciative of absolutely anything we could do for them. Whether it was picking lice out of a little girl’s hair or giving an elderly man a month’s worth of Tylenol they were so thankful. My life is forever impacted because of this trip. I hope to attend trips like this in my future nursing career.

It has been an honor to attend Bellin College for the past four years, and I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to attend such an innovative school. The faculty and staff have all been exceptional when it comes to setting up meetings, or responding to emails. They have taken the time to truly get to know me and take interest in my life outside of school as well. They make it a personal mission to ensure the success of myself and my classmates.

I would recommend Bellin College over any other nursing school based on the experiences and opportunities I have had. The school offers many scholarships to offset the price of tuition and I have been honored to receive several of them over the years. If you’re even kind of considering a career in health, I would highly encourage you to attend an information session and tour. I hope you’re blown away just as much as I was. Thank you Bellin College!