After graduating from West Coast University-Los Angeles with her nursing degree, Nune Stepanyan searched far and wide for the best place to become a family nurse practitioner.
“I don’t know why didn’t look at West Coast first,” Stepanyan said. “It ended up being the best thing I could have done.”
Stepanyan said she liked that she could start the MSN-Family Nurse Practitioner program immediately after completing her exit exam. She also liked that she was familiar with the online environment, since it was the same system she used at WCU. Her favorite part, Stepanyan said, was that the online program doesn’t make her feel distant or remote at all and includes hands-on experiences like six onsite intensives.
“They have advisors who call you or text you to see how you’re doing,” Stepanyan said. “There’s a student success advisor who also contacts you.”
“I’m very happy with the decision that I made,” she said, “and I will be done in 2018.”
Why did you choose nursing?
I chose nursing because my mom is a nurse with over 25 years experience. She has done nothing but show me how to be an exemplary nurse and I knew that West Coast was the place for me to do this because it is an accelerated program. It’s tough but it’s worth it.
What would you tell someone about WCU?
They help prepare you. They have workshops, they have PALs, where you can tutor with Peer Assisted Learning. When you reach the end (at WCU-Los Angeles) you have Dr. Khadeer Khan, who is kind of like the light at the end of the tunnel. When he speaks, you guys will be calm and just listen and everything will flow in.
Who inspires you?
My mom is the most inspirational person to me, because she is the epitome of the American dream. They came here with maybe 28 dollars in their pockets and used family help and support to make something of themselves. With three kids, my mom was able to support her license from Armenia and get tested for the NCLEX, the RN board, and now she’s been a nurse for over 25 years, so she’s my biggest role model. I can’t believe that she was able to succeed that way, with so much pressure. And I don’t have kids and she had three, so I don’t even know how she did it, but I commend her. I love her and without her, I wouldn’t be here.
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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