Nursing School is two of the most complicated years of a student’s life that can either make or break them.

Ataarionneah Shavers is a 2016 graduate of Cleveland High (now known as Cleveland Central High) located here in Cleveland, Mississippi. When asked why she chose to apply for Delta State’s nursing program, she quickly responded by saying, “It was closer to home. Their nursing program is highly looked upon by employers and I wanted to prove to myself and others that I could successfully complete nursing school.”

Delta State currently is ranked number one for the best online RN to BSN program, number two in the most affordable master’s degree in nursing and the third best ranked nursing program in the state of Mississippi.

Choosing to be a nurse can be a long and hard journey for most students; even the process of getting accepted can cause a mental drain on applicants. After getting accepted into nursing school, Shavers then realized that her life would change for the better.

Shavers shared that her first semester of nursing school was most definitely hard. There were times that she felt that she couldn’t do it or her anxiety got the best of her, but she continued to push herself through it.

Knowing the stress of nursing school, Shavers explained how she kept herself on track with her studies and personal needs. She said she “took breaks while studying, took days off, shopping and strategically planning her days.”

While nursing school is known to take full control over one’s life, Shavers made sure that she did not box herself in with school. It was very important that she spent time taking care of her personal needs as well. If she completed all her planned tasks for the day, she treated herself out for simple things like dinner. Whenever she did exceptionally well in class, she would buy herself something nice.

Two years of nursing school. Two years of strenuous check offs, clinicals, exams and late nights. Shavers explained that it is imperative for her to keep a level mind while in school. She stated that she didn’t think that she would make it as far as she did. She continuously pushes herself to overachieve because she doesn’t want to fail not only herself but her family as well.

She stresses the importance of thinking about the end results of nursing school. Enduring the hard times, late nights and confusing exams only to be rewarded with the career that she always wanted. She knows that she would like to take care of herself and provide for her family in the future. She has a list of goals that she wants to achieve one being that she wants to get the car of her dreams.

Shavers’ hustler mentality is what pushes her through nursing school. She is also one of few people who are currently in nursing school while pursuing another degree. She obtained her pharmacy technician license while completing her first semester of nursing school.

Shavers is a great example for students who would like to pursue a degree in the medical field. As stated before, it can be difficult, but planning time away from studying will allow one to keep a leveled head.