Finding a Passion for Nursing

Cindy Lopez-Marquina always knew she wanted to pursue a career in healthcare.

Growing up, she admired the doctors she saw during preventative care appointments or when she was sick.

“I got so inspired every time I went to the doctor’s office. It was inspiring to see how they approached patients, talked to them and made them feel like everything is going to be okay,” she said. “I liked that feeling. I knew I wanted to provide people with that same feeling.”

Finding a passion for nursing through loss

Lopez-Marquina initially wanted to become a doctor. But as a high school student, her best friend was diagnosed with stage four brain cancer. 

“I saw her life slowly drift away. It was heartbreaking. Despite all of it, she had so much strength and that was so inspiring,” Lopez-Marquina said. “I wanted to show her that she had a friend who would show her love.”

When her friend eventually lost the ability to speak, Lopez-Marquina stayed by her side helping her with daily routines.

Caring for her friend, she realized that she wanted a career that enabled her to spend more time with patients.

“I want to make an impact on patients just like I did with my best friend,” she said.

Choosing nursing at Nebraska Methodist College

Lopez-Marquina’s experience caring for her friend inspired her to pursue a nursing education. 

When searching for colleges, she was looking for a smaller school that would allow her to build relationships with her professors. NMC’s small faculty-to-student ratio appealed to her.

Lopez-Marquina is now in her second year in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program at NMC. 

NMC’s nursing programs focus on population-health with training that exposes students to various healthcare environments, including hospitals, clinics, community outreach, hospice and pediatric wings.

Students have opportunities to complete clinical experiences in local clinics and hospitals, including Methodist Health System (MHS) hospitals. NMC is an affiliate of MHS.

Lopez-Marquina hopes to work for an MHS hospital after she graduates, and knew NMC’s connection to MHS would help expose her to the different departments within the hospitals.

Support from the Scott Scholars Program

After her acceptance to NMC, Lopez-Marquina applied to the Scott Scholars program.

“I applied and wasn’t expecting to receive it. There are only a couple of people who get it, and I didn’t think I would get it. Two months after my interview, I got a notification that said ‘Congratulations.’ I felt so special,” she said.

“There are people who invested in me and believe in me. That gave me a sense of empowerment and reinforced the support I had.”

The Scott Scholars Program provides renewable scholarships that cover tuition and fees for incoming students seeking a BSN through NMC’s traditional nursing program. Scholarship recipients have to demonstrate merit, financial need, leadership potential, a commitment to a career in nursing, and qualities of caring and service to others.

“Cindy is one of the most dedicated students I have had the privilege to work with. She always has a smile on her face and is a great support to her peers and other Scott Scholars.  She is never afraid to ask questions and continuously grows both personally and professionally,” said Karissa Madrigal, academic advisor. “After working with Cindy both as my advisee and one of the scholars in the program, I can say that her dedication and positivity will make her a fantastic nurse in the future.”

Receiving the Scott Scholars scholarship was a relief for Lopez-Marquina and her family.

“My family comes from poverty. NMC was my top pick for college, but also not realistic financially for my family,” she said. “I didn’t want to put that stress on them. They’ve done enough for me. It’s been a blessing for me and my family.”

Preparing for a future in nursing

While the rigor of nursing school can be challenging, Lopez-Marquina said she loves her classes and the hands-on learning in labs.

“Everyone talks about the worst things about nursing school. But it’s really great. When you struggle, you don’t struggle alone, you struggle together,” she said.

Lopez-Marquina currently works at Nebraska Medicine as a patient attendant, monitoring at-risk patients.

“It gives me insight as to what it’s like being a nurse. I get to see what the nurse does when they come into the room or how they handle difficult situations. It’s really interesting to see a different perspective.”

Lopez-Marquina is interested in exploring oncology, trauma and wound care, and hopes to explore these areas more during her clinical experiences.