At West Coast University’s January 2025 nursing pinning, student speaker Valerie A. took the stage with a message that resonated deeply with her fellow graduates: Remember your why.Â
Reflecting on the challenges they faced — rigorous exams, sleepless nights, and the weight of clinical responsibilities — Valerie acknowledged the perseverance that brought each student to this moment. But beyond academic struggles, she urged her peers to look inward and recall the deeper reason they chose this path in the first place.
For Valerie, that moment of clarity came in January 2019 when she stepped into an overcrowded emergency room for the first time.
What she saw — the patients sitting on floors with oxygen tanks, isolation tents overflowing, and nurses crying in supply rooms on their nonexistent breaks — left an indelible mark. Then came the COVID-19 pandemic, where she performed CPR on 839 patients. These experiences, she said, put life’s everyday anxieties into perspective and ignited a calling that would change the trajectory of her life.
“I walked into that ER as a blank slate, unsure of how this experience was going to change me, but within a few months, I found myself applying to West Coast University on a path that would change the trajectory of my life forever,” she said.
Now, as she and her classmates step into the next phase of their careers, Valerie acknowledged that new challenges await. Nursing is more than a job — it is a profound responsibility. They will witness both the fragility of life and the joy of bringing new life into the world.
“We’re going to experience a new form of anxiety that will challenge our innermost tenacity. You may have the unimaginable duty to hold somebody’s hand in their final moments. You may also witness the joy of bringing a new life into the world, but ultimately, you will share in the raw vulnerability that patients experience when they walk into those acute care settings,” Valerie said. “I want you all to remember we’ve been chosen for this honor, and I want you all to remember your ‘why.’ We’re about to have a profound impact on the people around us, and it is our insatiable appetite to help others that have shaped us into the nurses who sit here today.”
Valerie closed her address with gratitude — thanking her family, professors, and fellow students for their support throughout the journey. And as she looked ahead to the future, she left her peers with a powerful reminder:
“We all had a dream stepping through the doors of West Coast University. Now, we’ve achieved the ultimate accomplishment. Congratulations, January 2025 cohort — I can’t wait to see you all in the clinical setting.”
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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