All It Takes Is To Believe
Social professional events are opportunities to advance your career, acquire collaborators, or get a job. Three students from Columbia Nursing attended the New York Black Nurses Association (NYBNA) Annual Dinner Dance and Scholarship Gala and found it invaluable to both their academic and professional development. Columbia Nursing believes that attending professional events are critical to a student’s holistic development. In this post, the three students write about how the gala helped them to build networks, connect with nurse leaders, and feel fully inspired.
Networking
This year’s NYBNA Gala provided me with a unique opportunity to network with others whose goals align with my own. Not only was I able to meet faculty and students from other programs within Columbia Nursing, but I also met prominent members of NYBNA.
I was immediately impressed by the hospitality of the hosts towards Columbia Nursing students. During the reception, I had the opportunity to mingle with nursing professionals from other institutions. During the opening address, Susan Thompson, the former president of NYBNA, recognized each group of attendees and each chapter of the National Black Nurses Association. As she introduced each group, she named the liaison representing the group, which enabled me to note the names of association members for a possible networking opportunity. For example, when she acknowledged the NYBNA liaison from Mount Sinai Hospital, I noted her name, and later introduced myself and spoke with her about her work at the hospital. I completed my fundamentals rotation at Mount Sinai Hospital last summer and could definitely see myself working there as a certified nurse midwife one day.
As a nursing student, I believe it’s crucial to attend professional organization events with the intention of becoming involved and engaging with the professionals that are present. I vividly remember Deidra Walton, NYBNA president saying, “My tenure in this organization began while I was a nursing student.” This statement summed up the importance of networking at professional organization events, even as a student just entering the field.
-Malaika Miller, ETP student
Leadership
The NBNA event was exceptional for its exposure to influential nurse leaders. This event was my very first opportunity to experience leaders of color within my chosen field of nursing. In my community, nurse practitioners of color are rare, which was my fundamental reason to pursue an advanced practice nursing career at Columbia Nursing. However, it was inspiring to glance around at the different tables of elegantly dressed black nurse leaders, and listen to President Walton remark that her student membership in the NBNA initiated her current leadership role. Donna Cill, assistant dean of Student Affairs, nudged me and whispered that this was a big deal even if I didn’t know it now. Attending this gala not only solidified my belief that I chose the best career possible for me, but it also helped spark my leadership potential
-Nneka McPherson, ETP Student
Inspiration
Attending the NYBNA Gala was inspiring. For me, inspiration is a person or event that makes someone want to do something or believe that one can do something. In some cases, it takes seeing people like you doing things you aspire to do to make you truly believe that you can also achieve great things. As an African-American woman, I am considered a minority not only in the United States, but in the field of nursing. My race makes up only five percent of registered nurses and 13 percent of PhDs. Hence, there are limited opportunities for me to engage with African-Americans in my field and far fewer in higher ranked positions. Questions that come to my mind include, “where are all the African-Americans, how far do we make it in the field of nursing, and how much harder is it for us to get to where we want to be, being the minority?” Attending the NYBNA Gala was a special occasion in which I was able to engage with a room full of African-American nurses doing very powerful things. These nurses came from all around the world and were presidents, leaders, activists, managers, and directors. Hearing their stories of how they got to where they were and seeing all they accomplish in their positions inspired me to push harder and be more confident. I realized that it takes a lot to get to where you want to be, but being a minority does not predict one’s potential for success. All it takes is to believe.
-Jasmine Travers, PhD student