Where I’m Supposed to Be
Introduced to Midland University by a powerlifting coach, Zoey Carrico realized that the university provided more than just an athletic opportunity – it offered a chance to be supported through meaningful relationships.
Zoey is a senior nursing major from Papillion, Nebraska. When looking for colleges, Zoey was looking for a smaller, close-knit environment and a place with a good nursing program. She also wanted to be able to powerlift and be close to home.
“I wanted to be close to home but far enough away that I didn’t feel like I had to go back. Midland checked all of those boxes for me.”
Powerlifting was the initial thing that led Zoey to Midland, and after talking with the coach, she decided to go on a visit. “I didn’t even know Midland existed until a coach contacted me, and I visited campus.”
After her visit, she couldn’t shake the feeling that Midland was where she was supposed to be. She felt it was an excellent scholarship and an opportunity she couldn’t pass up.
Initially, Zoey was choosing between being an education or nursing major. “I knew I wanted to do something with kids, and I didn’t know if that was going to be teaching kids or something like pediatric nursing.”
After doing some research, she came to the conclusion that she liked the science factor between the two and enjoyed learning about disease processing and anatomy and physiology. “Nursing is so much more than the science part. The more that I learned about what it actually means to be a nurse, the more it confirmed that healthcare was where I’m supposed to be.”
While at Midland, Zoey has been a part of the powerlifting team (currently a team captain), Phi Omega Sorority, SNA (Student Nurses Association), and is a learning lab consultant in the Academic Resource Center.
Zoey believes one of the main reasons Midland has helped her thrive during her college experience is that she has never felt alone. “Everybody here cares about you, whether it is peers or faculty; I’ve never truly had to do something alone because there are so many people who care.”
When it comes to her professors, Zoey said that they have all been supportive throughout her journey.
“I’ve sat down at one point with all the professors and cried to them or asked for help. They’re just so willing to be a resource and be an ear to listen or help you through something.”
She said they all have a great understanding of the nursing field and are all very knowledgeable about what they teach. “I think one thing that really stands out to me is all of the professors are super, super passionate about what they do, and they care so much for the students. They don’t care just about our academics, they care about us as people and aren’t just trying to get us to pass the class.”
Zoey is currently working at Children’s Nebraska in Omaha in the pediatric ICU. She will work there for the next two years and then eventually further her education with a masters or nurse practitioner program.
Zoey Carrico is a senior nursing major from Papillion, Nebraska.
