Having a Positive Impact
As Emma Christianson reflects on her journey to Midland University, she considers the community she has been surrounded by. Whether it is family, friends, or peers, Emma believes being surrounded by a positive community is not only important for your present, but your future as well.
“Surround yourself with people who push you to be the best you can be. Because if you don’t, you’re going to be stuck in this negative space, and it will just lead to more bad things. Surrounding yourself with good people is really important to have a good and fulfilling life.”
A junior at Midland, Emma has come a long way in her involvement on campus since freshman year. Not only does she compete on the track and cross country teams, but she is also a member of the Phi Omega sorority and works as a RA for Student Life. Emma describes these communities as integral to her growth as a person.
“I think all this involvement kind of helped me become more outgoing, and helped me find my voice at Midland, very quickly. It was great because I got friends that you click together with because we’re all doing the same thing. It’s really nice to be involved.”
Having these communities behind her has helped Emma keep a positive outlook on life as she pursues a degree in nursing. With a desire to go into pediatrics, Emma acknowledges that the major is a challenge. That said, she maintains that being able to find that right headspace is crucial to being a nurse.
“Nursing is a very tough major, there’s a lot that goes into it. I think a lot of the time, people will get in their head about stuff because there’s tests all the time and you’re always studying and you just feel like you’re always in school. So it can be really easy to get down to a dark headspace. I always try to think about the positive things, like I did well on a test, so it means I studied well. Or, I have to wake up at 4 a.m. for clinical, but I get to work with people or I get to see cute babies. It’s all about having a good outlook that can completely flip your experience in nursing school because it’s already super hard and anxiety ridden. You need to have that headspace to make it a better experience than it would be.”
In much the same way that her communities have left a positive impact on her, Emma hopes to be that positive impact for patients as a nurse. What excites her most about the profession is the opportunity to help people through hard times. She is on the frontlines in their health journey, and it is her job to make sure they see that light at the end of the tunnel.
“Nursing draws me in and excites me, because you’re kind of that one person that works with that patient a lot, and you can make or break their experience in a hospital or in any health setting. Nursing is a really good area to work in for somebody who likes to work with people. I always want to make people feel better, so I feel like having this job means you’re literally making them feel better by helping them get better, getting the meds they need, or simply just helping care for them.”
Emma Christianson is a junior nursing major from Council Bluffs, IA. To share your story or nominate a friend, email social@midlandu.edu or post using #FacesofMidland.
