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Nursing Students Mold their Futures

Last updated on Apr 3, 2019

By Samantha Cavanagh

Staff Writer

Three nursing majors, Jessica Alvarado, Melanie Lopez, and Arianna Cavallino were recently selected to be a part of the Nursing Students Association of New York State (NSANYS), which aids in the transition from undergraduate nursing students into the professional world. Its goal, according to the website, is “to help mold the future of nursing by developing accountable, responsible and motivated leaders.”

The three campaigned for their positions and gave speeches at the NSANYS convention. Alvarado, sophomore nursing major, was elected as NSANYS president. Lopez was elected as the regional director of Genesee Valley, and Cavallino was elected as the regional director of Long Island.

“Being the president of the NSANYS, I oversee a board of 16 students with the help of a presidential advisor and two faculty advisors,” Alvarado said. She also oversees committee projects and programs, plans the council
of school leadership summons, and helps with planning the annual convention.

Being a part of the NSANYS will help them learn many different skills and open up a lot of opportunities for each of them. “Being a regional director for the NSANYS will help me build my communication skills and help me make connections while leading other nursing students. It will also set me up for a very successful future as a nurse,” Cavallino said.

All three students have big plans for their futures. Alvarado intends to go to graduate school for nursing, and then hopes to work in critical care in a hospital specifically with clinically unstable patients. “Getting to see patients come in and be unstable or maybe even not able to breathe on their own, but having them leave in good health, and eventually maybe even come back to visit,” is what Alvarado looks forward to most in her future career as a nurse.

Lopez’s passion for nursing stems from her hands-on experience as an emergency medical technician (EMT) at Exchange Ambulance of the Islips, from which she is currently on school leave. She is eager to start working with patients as soon as possible. After hopefully attending graduate school for nursing, she is excited to “make a difference in patients’ lives, even if it is only for a day, because as nurses we are usually with the patients the most.”

Cavallino plans to further her education after she gets her bachelor’s degree. She wants to become a pediatric nurse and eventually work at Sloan Kettering in Manhattan.

Alvarado, Lopez, and Cavallino encourage other nursing students to join NSANYS, and get involved. More information on volunteering, running for state office, and more can be found online at nsanys.org.

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