At the heart of Frontier Nursing University is a talented and diverse community of students, alumni, faculty, staff, couriers and preceptors. Spotlight blogs feature members of our FNU community who are focused on the mission of educating nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners to deliver quality healthcare to underserved and rural populations.
For Frontier Nursing University student MaKayla Howard, the decision to enroll at FNU was highly influenced by the compassionate and personable nature of the university’s staff. According to Howard, who is from Ohio, the university’s Culture of Caring was made apparent to her early in the process of enrollment, exemplified by a personal card from an enrollment coordinator that she now has on display in her home.
“It really made me feel that this university was completely different from others in the past that I have applied to or attended,” she said. “That meant a lot to me from the start, and I’ve felt that the entire way from my professors and from all the faculty that I’ve met.”
“MaKayla was such a joy to work with, and I enjoyed getting to know her during the admissions process. I am always delighted to meet and speak with students on campus,” said FNU Enrollment Coordinator Susan Williams. “I am very passionate about Frontier’s mission. I work hard to help our students to achieve not only their dreams, but also Frontier’s mission of providing care to a diverse population in rural and underserved areas. I feel such a sense of pride knowing I had just a little to do with making our students’ dreams a reality. I tell my students that ‘their success is our success,’ and I truly believe that.”
With such a strong appreciation for FNU’s culture, Howard created a “day in the life” video for nurse.org of her experience as a student beginning her journey. In the video, Howard provides a tour of FNU’s campus in Versailles, Ky., highlighting amenities available to students and delving into the university’s Campus Immersion Experiences, known as Frontier Bound and Clinical Bound. She also conducted interviews with FNU President Dr. Susan Stone and midwifery faculty members for the video, discussing the history and mission of the university, the Culture of Caring, the university’s focus on graduate nursing and more.
Currently studying nurse-midwifery at FNU, Howard’s interest in childbirth-centered careers began during high school. Discovering nurse-midwifery, she said she was captivated by its compassionate healthcare approach. Intrigued by the historical significance of nurse-midwives in serving women and families, she said she feels proud to continue this tradition.
Howard said FNU’s Campus Immersion Experiences have further solidified her appreciation for the university. The three-day Frontier Bound event provides a supportive environment for students to meet peers and faculty, fostering a sense of community and preparedness. Meanwhile, the five-day Clinical Bound offers hands-on learning opportunities and facilitates face-to-face interactions with faculty, enhancing skill acquisition and communication.
“I’m so passionate about FNU because this is so unique for a distance-based program to have a three-day, in-person event for other students to come together and meet each other,” Howard said. “It fosters a sense of community and it really just prepares you to know what to expect as you go through your master’s program.”
Howard said meeting faculty members in-person also makes a major difference.
“You see how passionate they are for the university as well and how caring and committed they are to your success,” she said. “I personally have never felt that before in my college experience.”
As MaKayla continues her educational journey, FNU eagerly anticipates her future accomplishments and appreciates her enthusiasm for showcasing the attributes that make the university special! Watch MaKayla’s video here:
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