Giving the Gift of Education

By earning her Bachelor’s Degree in Healthcare Administration and Management, Gift of Education Scholarship winner Jami Nelson will be able to continue her career within the healthcare industry.

Education isn’t just about receiving a diploma; it is about achieving goals, overcoming obstacles, and bettering ourselves and those around us. At CSU Global, we work to provide degree programs to give our students the confidence, increased opportunity, and inspiration they need to make a positive impact in their lives.

To stand behind our commitment to students, we, for the second year in a row, awarded a full-tuition Gift of Education Scholarship to one student who has demonstrated how earning their degree will drastically affect their life for the better.

For Gift of Education Scholarship winner Jami Nelson, earning her degree means getting a second chance at her passion, working in the healthcare industry.

For the past 14 years, Jami has worked as a Registered Nurse doing direct patient care with those battling cancer. She has found her passion in the healthcare industry because she sees the positive impact she can have on people’s emotional and physical health.

“I have such a passion for caring for cancer patients, the intrinsic rewards have kept me going, even when the job is hard on my heart, and it often is. My knees however, do not like it.”

Ironically, the physical aspects of being a nurse are not ideal for Jami’s own physical health.  Jami has degenerative joint disease in both her knees and, over the past 14 years, the strength in her knees has steadily declined. She will be having surgeries this year to rebuild her knees.  After her year-long recovery, she will be able to walk again, but will still be limited in her mobility.

Since nurses need to be on their feet for 12+ hours per day, Jami will no longer be able to work in direct patient care. This is a tragedy in so many ways, but Jami is turning it into an opportunity.

She is using her recovery period as a time to go back to school; by earning her Bachelor’s Degree in Healthcare Administration and Management she will be able to transition into the administrative side of working in a hospital. Since she will be very limited with her mobility during her recovery, she needed a program that she could do from the comfort of her bed. CSU Global’s 100% online format is making it possible for her to make the most of this transitional time in her life.

“This degree will change my life, because it will allow me to continue working in the field that I love. I did not dedicate my life and career in taking care of people, only to let circumstances take that away from me.”

Although Jami will not be able to work in direct patient care, she will still be making an impact on hospital operations, ensuring those in need get the healthcare opportunities they deserve. In addition to the skills she will learn in her degree program, Jami’s direct care experience will give her a perspective that will help her even if she isn’t a nurse on the hospital floor.

Education is giving her an opportunity to continue to have fulfillment in her work and make a positive impact in her community.

Jami was not alone. The university received many applications for the Gift of Education Scholarship from deserving students who are also facing adversity head-on. Although they might be going through health, family, or career troubles, they are working to overcome their obstacles by going back to school and opening up new opportunities. For Jami, and many other CSU Global students, the gift of education is truly a gift that will keep on giving.