Onward: An interview with April Lawerence
MINOT, N.D. – April Lawerence returned to college at Minot State University to finish pursuing her dreams of helping people.
Growing up in Johnson City, New York, Lawerence got her Associate of Science degree from Rowan College in New Jersey and initially started her prerequisites at Rowan University. She came to Minot State after a short break from school because she was stationed here with her husband in the U.S. Air Force.
University Communications at MSU connected with Lawerence to ask her more about her unique experience in being a part of the MSU nursing program.
What are some of the reasons you chose to come to Minot State and start the nursing program?
AL: I did my research on programs and colleges in the area before we came here, and I chose Minot State because it had some of the best reviews around.
I specifically chose the nursing program here at Minot State versus some of the other local choices for a couple of reasons. First, at nearly the same price as an associate degree nursing program, Minot State offered a bachelor's degree in nursing, which is more and more sought after by employers because the NCLEX pass rate is 100%.
I think the thing that really set apart the Minot State nursing program from the rest was the interactions I had with the staff of the department before I got to Minot and once here, specifically with Dr. Amy Lee. She was so willing to sit down and make an appointment with me to help me figure out my transfer situation and talk about all the things the program has to offer.
I didn't know at the time, but she is the chair of the department! For the questions I needed answered, I cannot think of many colleges where the chair of the department would be so willing to take the meeting.
While it wasn't why I chose Minot State, during our white coat ceremony on the first day of school, which was about a year and a half later after our original meeting, Dr. Lee remembered me, and when she was presenting my white coat, she remembered our conversation from all that time ago, and she was so genuinely excited to see me there finally in the program.
Do you have any highlights from your time at Minot State or in the Magic City?
AL: I think the earliest highlight of Minot for me was the first week we were here. Temperatures had dipped into the -40s / -50s, and then we had a huge blizzard we had about two weeks after we moved here.
I had known that Minot was going to be cold and have lots of snow, but I was definitely not prepared for how cold and how much snow we could get here.
What opportunities has MSU offered you?
AL: I am part of the Nursing Student Association (NSA) at Minot State and one of my class representatives for the student-faculty committee within the nursing department. NSA has so far given me the opportunity to volunteer within the community, participate in the mall trunk or treat, and represent MSU nursing at the recent high school career fair at the state fairgrounds. With the student-faculty committee, I have been able to work with other students and faculty on things happening within the department, like scholarship day, as well as giving nursing department tours to high school students and picking out a charity for our department to sponsor for the holidays.
What does your future look like to you right now?
AL: My future is bright. I can see, in 2 years, graduating with my BSN from Minot State and being able to start working as a Nurse with Trinity. As for furthering my education and what I want to do with my degree, in the end, I would love to work in emergency medicine. I like the idea of every day being different and always being a new challenge. If I could get into trauma nursing, I would love that, too.
Tell us about yourself and how your experiences have shaped you and led you to the path that you are on.
AL: As an adult learner, I have a lot of life experiences that have led me on the path. As a graduating high school senior many years ago, I didn't really know what I wanted to do with life.
I always thought I'd get into something hands-on, but I wasn't sure what. When I initially started college out of high school, I went for mechanical engineering and quickly learned that it was not for me. Then, I switched to early childhood education, and again, I learned that it was not for me.
I did learn through my jobs early on in my late teens and early 20s that I really enjoyed jobs that related to helping others. I took several years off from school while I figured out what that meant to me. After a lot of thinking and consideration, I realized that nursing would be a great fit for what I wanted in life, especially as my husband joined the military. I knew this could be a great career path, where I could help people but could also easily transfer when my husband got military orders.
I started back to school at 28 years old on the pre-req path to nursing. I got through all the prereqs and actually got accepted into an associate degree nursing program in the fall of 2018. But, as life would have it, my husband got orders overseas to Japan, and we would leave at the beginning of 2019. I had to quit nursing school as, at the time, we had two kids, and I didn't want to separate our family. Nursing school would be here when we got back.
So, 4 years later, when we came back stateside, I made sure to figure out what I had to do to get back into a nursing program. And that's kind of where we are now.
What do you like to do outside of the classroom: family, hobbies, or other areas of interest?
AL: Outside of school, I like to hang out with my family, which includes my husband and our two boys (ages 14 and 7). I also like hanging out with my friends and going to Minotauros and Hot Tots games. I also enjoy working on my car that I brought back from our time in Japan. Her name is Peaches, and you might see me driving around campus in the car.
What else are we missing when telling your story?
AL: The only thing I would add is that I always want to remind people it is NEVER too late to go back to school.
About Minot State University
Minot State University is a public university dedicated to excellence in education, scholarship, and community engagement achieved through
rigorous academic experiences, active learning environments, commitment to public service, and a vibrant campus life.
Published: 11/22/24
