"I look forward to being able to care for those in need.”
Myra Saturen,
At all times, but especially now, during the coronavirus pandemic, we are grateful for our dedicated and courageous healthcare professionals and paraprofessionals, who risk their own safety to save our lives. Northampton Community College pre-nursing student Michelle Stiansen looks forward to becoming one of these people, specifically as a nurse.
In applying to NCC’s Registered Nursing program, she is pursuing a long-postponed dream.
“I have wanted to be a nurse for twenty years, but it wasn’t my time,” Michelle says.
For the last two decades, she has been at home raising her nine children, the oldest of whom is sixteen and the youngest three. Her last child, a son with special needs, was born prematurely and needed a five-month hospital stay after birth. This personal experience further strengthened Stiansen’s determination. “I have seen how a nurse who has outstanding clinical skills combined with a compassionate personality can make a significant difference in the care of their patients.” A hard-working student, Michelle has earned a 4.0 GPA in her nursing prerequisite classes.
In addition to her studies and raising a large family, Michelle has participated in many community service projects over the years. She coordinated a large event for a non-profit organization that gave away over 3,500 backpacks filled with school supplies to children in need. The organization also hosted big fundraising parties to provide children with free haircuts, vaccines, uniforms, and food to prepare for the school year. She volunteered as a youth basketball coach in her community, ran a running club for middle schoolers, and had been the guest speaker at women and mother’s groups in Souderton, Perkasie, and Kintnersville, Pennsylvania. She sits on a committee with the leadership from her children’s school district and serves on the fundraising banquet committee for Haycock Camping Ministries, and as a parent liaison for Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
Helping people runs in Stiansen’s family. Born in West Virginia, Michelle has two siblings out of three who are nurses. Her mother was a math professor, and her father the owner of a landscape/trucking service.
After high school, Michelle enrolled at West Virginia University, then transferred to Taylor University in Indiana, receiving a physical and health education degree. She enjoys basketball and running and has completed five marathons.
After working for a few years as a nurse, Michelle plans to earn a bachelor’s degree in nursing, with specialties in labor and delivery, postpartum care or neonatal intensive care.
The coronavirus pandemic has firmed her decision to “stay the course” to become a nurse. “I wish that I could finish my education so I could help those affected in the hospital. It’s exactly what nurses are trained for. I look forward to being able to care for those in need.”
