Nursing student’s road to success

For USF Nursing student, Kyndal VanAernam, helping her peers succeed is a way of giving back. She wants to make an impact in people’s lives just as others impacted her life.

She began her education experience at USF as a Pre-Nursing Living Learning Community (LLC) student. Now she is about to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in nursing in May, 2016 with the highest honors. She dedicates her accomplishments to her pre-nursing LLC experience.

“Pre-nursing LLC set me up for success,” VanAernam said. “This community gave me the tools to get accepted into the nursing program at USF. Living in pre-nursing LLC was one of the best decisions I made when I started college.”

As a result, VanAernam is now at the top of her class. She also appreciates the learning process, so she transfers that passion as a tutor to the pre-nursing LLC group.

“My biggest passion is to help students achieve their academic goals,” VanAernam said. “It’s rewarding to teach others about nursing because it truly makes an impact in students’ learning process-just like it did for me.”

VanAernam is involved on campus with various organizations. She is a member of the Stampede into Bull Nursing, an organization for pre-nursing students. She is also a member of the Bulls Reaching Achievement in Nursing (BRAIN), an initiative that allows students to help other students have an easier college experience.

VanAernam said she is grateful to USF College of Nursing faculty, staff and students for challenging her to be the best nurse and the best person she can be. “Being a nursing student is challenging, but being challenged is truly the best way to grow,” she said. “USF Nursing has encouraged me to grow as an individual and as a future nurse.”

VanAernam currently works at Moffitt Cancer Center as a nursing assistant. Her long-term goal is to pursue her master’s and doctorate degrees (hopefully at USF Nursing) after gaining experience as a registered nurse.

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