Bellin College class of 2016 alum and RN at Mayo Clinic shares her journey to become a nurse

By: Cassandra Goldschmidt
BSN Class of 2016

After graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with degrees in Psychology and French, I still struggled to find my career. I often came back to nursing; and after I struggled with my own health diagnosis, I knew being a nurse was exactly what I had to do. Helping patients like my nurses had helped me really felt like a way to repay the amazing, life-changing care I had received. I grew up in Green Bay, and I really appreciated the reputation Bellin College had for developing exceptional nurses. I also was attracted to the small class sizes and the development of the simulation center. I knew in the future that I would want to continue my education with a masters or DNP, and therefore, obtaining a BSN was necessary.

I was faced with many opportunities and challenges during my time at Bellin College. As an adult student, I was required to work full-time during the semester. However, the personal attention that was given to me by faculty and staff definitely lightened the burden. Also, I had student loans from my previous degrees and was concerned about adding to my student debt. I was lucky enough to be offered several scholarships, including the Bellin College Presidential scholarship. I also participated in several student organizations. I was president of the Bellin College Student Nurses Association (BSNA) which led me to participate as Executive Vice President of the Wisconsin Student Nurses Association (WSNA). Participating on a state board opened up a lot of opportunities in not only nursing but also leadership. I also participated in Student Senate and IHI.

Since graduation, I have been employed at Mayo Clinic as a Registered Nurse on a Cardiac Surgery/Transplant Progressive Care Unit. I believe my education at Bellin College and the opportunities that were presented to me prepared me for my current role. The confidence I gained in my cardiac and acute care clinical experiences have been invaluable to me during my first year as a nurse. I also believe the values of excellence, integrity, community and caring that I built upon at Bellin College have shaped me into the nurse I am today.

In the future, I hope to become a Nurse Practitioner. I especially enjoy working with heart and lung transplant patients and hope to continue down that path.