Patricia Marie Bryan

I lived in South Florida. FIU was convenient, and I needed to complete my bachelor's degree as a commuter student because I had a family. When I came to FIU, I was already a nurse. I came to the US from Jamaica. There were several people I knew who went to the University of the West Indies who were nurses and whom I admired. I don't know if I went into nursing with a passion, but I developed one as I was there. I was drawn to it because I cared about people. We had good professors who made the application of what we were learning meaningful. The interaction with students from different backgrounds who came to nursing because of different influences was meaningful to me. Being around people from different backgrounds is always a positive. When we attend college, leadership isn't supervision; it is direction by example. We show the way by walking the path. I am most grateful for the opportunity to learn how to think things through and look at potential outcomes based on choices. That's a life philosophy of mine that got amplified during my time in college. I learned that I could make a difference. It created the opportunity to expand my income and take care of my family. It also helped me to appreciate that self-actualization was more important than anything else. I wanted to feel like I was the best I could be.