Bea M. always felt in her heart that her life purpose was to help people. However, initially, she stayed away from nursing, wanting to forge her own path. As a child, she observed her mother and aunts working as nurses after arriving in the U.S. from the Philippines. Bea went on to try acting, dancing, music, sports, and social work before realizing nursing was her true calling. In March 2024, she graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from West Coast University’s Los Angeles campus.
Growing up in the suburbs of the Bay Area, Bea recalled the pressure to succeed. “As children of immigrants, there was a lot of competition with one another,” she said. “I was bullied a lot as a kid. I didn’t pick up things as fast as the others. I thought maybe I wasn’t smart enough to be a nurse.”
After working in social work, Bea determined it was not the career for her. She decided to study abroad in Seoul, South Korea. “I did some searching within myself,” she said. “With these new experiences and meeting people from all over the world, I gained a new perspective that I should give nursing a try.”
After returning, she began a vocational nursing program just as the world entered the pandemic. Afterward, Bea recognized that nursing had been her path all along. “That was the first time in my entire life that I finished something with academic honors, and I realized that maybe I was actually good at this,” she said. “I made it this far — I might as well continue.”
While working at an acute psych clinic, Bea applied to the LVN to BSN program at WCU. “I moved out here with just luggage and couch surfed until I finally got an apartment and job that I could balance with my schoolwork.”
Throughout the program, Bea said she faced imposter syndrome. “Because of my past being bullied, I struggled a lot with my mental health,” she shared. “But as soon as I started nursing, I felt like this was the way I could make a difference.”
Bea quickly bonded with her fellow classmates and faculty. She particularly appreciated her time with Professor Jennifer Uebe. “We still keep in touch to this day. She inspired me to be more confident in my clinical decision-making and to stand up for myself,” Bea said. “She always treated her classes as a team sport. I was used to doing things on my own, but knowing there is a team behind you helps so much.”
Today, Bea works as a critical care nurse in the intensive care unit at a Southern California hospital. She described being proud she has made it this far, noting that her mother worked in the same unit and specialty. During harder moments, Bea has been able to lean on her mom through their shared experience. “The first time I ever lost a patient, I remember going to my car and crying, and my first thought was to call my mom,” Bea said. “My mom told me, ‘Did you do everything you could? Did you give it your all?’ I said yes, and she said, ‘Then that is enough.’ It gave me a sense of peace. Especially in this career and unit, that is it. We do our best. We give it our all. At the end of the day, that is all we can do.”
Bea is proud of her status as a WCU alumni. “I’ve met a lot of coworkers and whatnot who were also WCU nurses or alumni, and they’ve always been the best people to work with in my experience,” Bea said. “To be one of them and to hopefully carry on that same care is to embody the pride and reputation I’ve been given.”
WCU provides career guidance and assistance but cannot guarantee employment. The views and opinions expressed are those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs or position of the school or of any instructor or student.
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