Hi! My name is Alexandria, though I go by Allie. I am from Newark, Delaware, which is about a mile from the University of Delaware campus, so I’m definitely used to being in a college town. Pitt and Oakland have quickly become my home away from home and I love every day that I get to be here! I am currently finishing up my first year at the School of Nursing and I am so excited to end my first year by studying abroad! In addition to getting my BSN, I will also be completing a Certificate in Global Health.

I love being involved and I was very active in my high school. I also volunteer with the Special Olympics of Delaware swimming and cycling each summer. It is so rewarding and I can’t wait to be at the practices every week! My involvement in extracurricular activities certainly has not changed since coming to college. This past year I was honored to participate in Holland Hall’s Hall Council as the service chair. We were able to have events that raised money and food benefiting different organizations in the community and even students right here in Oakland! I was also a member of Pittrest, a club that meets to make crafts biweekly. I participated in CHAARG, which stands for Changing Health, Attitudes, and Actions to Recreate Girls. Members participate in two workouts a week! This spring I joined Alpha Delta Pi and I will serve on the executive board as the Director of Standards and Ethics for the 2019-2020 school year! Additionally, I will be a Resident Assistant in Sutherland East this upcoming school year.

Once I graduate, I want to be either a pediatric oncology or NICU nurse. While I am extremely excited to begin clinical rotations next year, I am most excited for the care of Mothers, Newborns, and Families rotation and the care of Children and Families rotation. These will both give me more exposure to the vast opportunities I have access to after graduation and completion of the NCLEX.

Currently, I am an employee at UPMC Mercy as a nurse assistant. As a nurse assistant, my sole job is to help nurses with small tasks and provide the patients with basic needs to make their stay in the hospital as comfortable as possible. On a daily basis, I take patients’ vital signs, help with bathing and hygiene, and get the patients things they may want or need. Having this job has given me a first hand look into the American healthcare system, so I am very excited to see how it differs from the Argentinian hospitals we visit.

In going to Argentina I am most interested to gain a broader picture of healthcare. Nurses deal with patients from many backgrounds, so my goal is to understand each patient as best as possible. Going to Argentina will provide a new perspective to my understanding of patients and the healthcare system as a whole. I am hoping that I learn ways in which I can improve my care to my patients and ways to help change the American health care system to be more accessible and equitable to all. I can’t wait for the friendships I will make and for the once in a lifetime experience to learn in cultural hub of South America!

Next Stop: Buenos Aires!