After two semesters at SCTCC, Pushpika Mahat just applied to the Practical Nursing program with hopes of starting this spring semester. She’s finishing up her prerequisites and is ready to start her LPN to RN to BSN journey and beyond.
“It feels good, to save people’s lives,” explained Mahat when asked why she wants to be a nurse. “To make hearts restart? It just feels good to do that.”
After deciding to come to St. Cloud as an international student from Nepal, her plans were first to attend St. Cloud State. When she arrived, however, she visited SCTCC because her friends were here, and she transferred as soon as she saw the campus. Mahat knows that most international students are looking at universities and four-year colleges in the US, but she was impressed with the instructors.
“Each and every professor I’ve met, they’re so good. They’re so engaging. When I was in the university, so many professors didn’t even know, and I didn’t know them. There should be some relationship between the professor and the students,” Mahat said.
After she finishes the Practical Nursing program here, she plans to go on to the Associate Degree in Nursing so she can become an RN. With those SCTCC degrees finished, Mahat will start looking for a university to get a bachelor’s degree in nursing. And while she doesn’t want to become a medical doctor, she wouldn’t mind getting a Ph.D. in nursing.
Education is just the start, though. She’s ready to help people in her career and will be watching for opportunities in the US; if anything else, she will go back to Nepal and pursue her career there.
While the future will be here soon enough, Mahat had one important thing to share:
“This Sept. 5, we’re going to have our first event from the Nepalese Student Association. So if you want to come, join us there!” Teej Gala will be held at 4 p.m. Sept. 5 in the SCTCC Commons. Everyone is welcome, and tickets are $10 at the door. And make sure to watch for Pushpika and say hello!