Have No Expectations
“Have no expectations so you can’t get disappointed”, is something Keyana Hastings has tried to live by throughout her entire life. Growing up in a small town and embarking on her college journey in a bigger town, she probably didn’t know what to expect from college life.
Keyana Hastings grew up in a small town with nothing but a lake, a bowling alley, and a movie theatre with two brothers, an older sister, and three step-siblings. Like a lot of us at a young age, and not knowing what activity was her favorite, she did them all. Once she got to middle school she realized tumbling and volleyball were her favorite. But that all changed once she got to high school. She played tennis for the first time and it stole her heart.
Although a driving factor, Keyana’s love for tennis wasn’t the only thing that drew her to Midland. Her goal to someday be a pediatric, ER, or OB nurse and Midland’s Nursing program were what truly sealed the deal for her.
“I came to Midland because of the nursing and tennis programs and how well they were willing to work together.”
Although she’s only completed a semester as a Warrior so far, Keyana has big goals for her time on campus. She is eager to maintain A’s and B’s during her four years and prepare for her future in the nursing program while being able to get real-life experience in the simulation lab.
Despite being quarantined her second week of classes during the fall semester, Keyana was still able to make memories on campus. One of her favorite memories during her first semester was going to theatre plays that the performing arts department put on.
“My favorite one was “Spamalot”. The play was amazing and had such great actors. There was crowd interaction, music, and jokes. I definitely enjoyed it more than I thought I would.”
When she’s not in class or at practice, Keyana likes to hang out with her roommate, eat Taco Bell, and watch The Office on Netflix. Oh, and play with her two dogs, a morkie named Remy and a wiener dog named Penelopi.
One faculty member that was particularly influential in Keyana’s first semester at Midland was Sarah Baltzer.
“Mrs. Baltzer was always so nice and wanted all of her students to have fun. She cared about our well being and wanted her class to be a place where you could let go of any stress you might have had from other classes. I always felt better after a long day by attending her class.”
“Finishing my first semester at Midland was such a rewarding feeling. It was hard and stressful at times, but accomplishing good grades and getting through some tough courses gave me the motivation and will to keep going.”
Keyana Hastings is a freshman Nursing major from Ogallala, Nebraska. To share your story or nominate a friend, email social@midlandu.edu or post using #FacesofMidland.
