PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (December 8, 2021) – While working through the rigors of a college degree, majors often shift, and students’ career goals can change as often as the name of their favorite artist. But not Jaelyn Lee, a Sigma Theta Tau Honor Society member at Prairie View A&M University. She knew from the start of her college career she wanted to become a nurse. Now, she’s on her way to doing just that as a step-down intensive care nurse.

Jaelyn Lee

“Being able to advocate for children and provide compassion during patient interactions is what draws me into pediatric nursing,” said Lee, who has served as Prairie View Student Nurses Association vice president since 2020. “Prairie View has helped me gain many opportunities to experience nursing in the real world and build the skills I need to become a great nurse.”

Described as representing the “best and the brightest” in the College of Nursing at PVAMU, Lee consistently has shown throughout her college career, internships, and clinicals a “spirit of service” and “clinical compassion” that positions the young medical professional for a bright future, according to her professor, Antonea’ Jackson, Ph.D. ’04, ’09.

Service and Sacrifice

To say Lee stayed busy during her time at PVAMU would be an understatement. Her tireless effort and dedication to improving the lives of those around her are evident in the work she put in beyond the classroom. Lee hoofed it up and down streets, spending hours delivering meals to those who found themselves in hard times: 108 hours, to be exact.

When she wasn’t delivering meals, studying, learning in the classroom, or working at the hospital, she was busy serving as PVSNA event coordinator (2019-2020), working as a student board member with the Fort Bend County Black Nurses Association, and serving in the national leadership development program offered by Delta Sigma Theta sorority, where she recently completed the Leadership DELTA program for the 2020-2021 cohort.

And that’s not even an exhaustive list!

Lee said her greatest achievement while at PVAMU was winning ‘Nursing Student of the Year’ in the 2020-2021 PV Choice Awards. The award was particularly rewarding because it came after her toughest year in nursing school, said Lee.

“Being involved in these organizations definitely helped build my leadership skills and my confidence in leadership positions,” said Lee. “These organizations have, most of all, allowed me to network throughout my whole college journey and gain opportunities that I would have never thought were possible for me.

“The friendships, sisterhood, leadership skills, and connections that I’ve gained through these organizations are like no other and have made my experience at Prairie View extremely rewarding and fulfilling.”

A Passion for Patients

Lee will use her Bachelor of Science in nursing, with a minor in health, from PVAMU to carry her deep into a medical career. Once she graduates, she has a position lined up as a step-down ICU nurse at Houston Methodist Hospital, where she gained clinical experience.

“I actually had my very first and last nursing school clinical experiences at Houston Methodist, and ever since my first semester, I knew this hospital would be a perfect fit for me,” said Lee. “After speaking with people who told me how much they enjoyed working there, I did not hesitate to submit my application for the nurse residency program on the first day it opened.”

Lee’s internship experience began at The Center for Health Care Services in San Antonio (2018), where she gained experience from nurses, nurse practitioners, and doctors in mental health and primary care, also helping to revise organizational policies dealing with medication administration, medical procedures, and nursing standards.

From San Antonio, where Lee was born, her internship work brought her closer to PVAMU at MD Anderson Cancer Center, where she serves as a professional student nurse extern in the pediatric unit.

“My internships helped me to really understand how rewarding the nursing profession is,” said Lee. “While also allowing me to practice nursing skills, these internships provided the opportunity to work heavily with the pediatric population and strongly reinforced my desire to work with children.”

Just this semester, Lee helped to organize a COVID-19 testing initiative to give people a better chance at not only recognizing their own contagion levels but helping to stop the spread of the disease. She now has her eyes set on her new role at Houston Methodist.

“What I’m looking forward to the most about starting this new position is all the new learning opportunities I’ll be exposed to,” said Lee. “I’m excited to get out into the field and practice what I’ve learned throughout these five semesters of nursing school.”

On life’s horizon, Lee sees the possibility of returning to school for her master’s and the opportunity to become a nurse practitioner. Nurse practitioners have many of the same responsibilities as doctors and can even run their own practice to serve the communities in which they operate.

Panther Pride

For Lee, the idea of attending an HBCU had a monumental impact on her decision-making process when it came to choosing a university. She said she first heard about HBCUs as a member of the Eastside Boys & Girls Club in San Antonio.

“I remember being so amazed about the idea of HBCUs and knew from then on that I had to attend one,” said Lee. “On our college tour field trip, I visited PVAMU for the first time and instantly fell in love with the campus. Out of all the schools we visited, Prairie View was the only one that I felt a connection to that felt like home.”

Lee said the “strong, family-like” culture at PVAMU is what drew her to the program. Its positive atmosphere and ample opportunities for student growth were second only to the PV network that extends beyond the campus.

“The school spirit reaches beyond the Prairie View campus,” said Lee. “Going places outside of PV and being able to bond with fellow PV students or graduates is a heart-warming experience and shows that PV really is a big family.”

With all that Lee has accomplished during her undergrad career, one might wonder when she had time to enjoy college life. Her advice to students is simple: Take care of business first.

“Enjoy your time in college, but make sure you take care of your schoolwork first,” said Lee. “Take advantage of as many opportunities as possible even if you think you’re not qualified. Make friends within your major and build relationships with your professors. And finally, make as many fun memories as you can while you’re here!”

Visit www.pvamu.edu/academicaffairs/commencement/graduates to view this semester’s notable graduates and read their stories.

Visit www.pvamu.edu/commencement to learn more information about PVAMU’s upcoming fall graduation.

By Kerry Laird

 

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