Angelica Smith
Angelica Smith is about to start her fourth year at Georgia State, but her path to a nursing career wasn’t always smooth sailing. A first-generation college student on the cusp of entering the workforce, we spoke with her about her journey thus far and asked what advice she has for the next group of Panthers.
Interview by Jordan Ferguson
What has your overall experience at Georgia State been like?
I’ve had an incredible experience at Georgia State, both professionally and personally. As a first-generation college student during the height of the pandemic, I did not know what to expect in college. During my first year, courses and involvement were completely online. However, I still felt connected to the university community and acquired helpful insight and guidance from my academic coach and advisers. I also became affiliated with the GSU First-Generation Coca-Cola Scholars program.
For two academic years, I served as a New Student Orientation leader, welcoming incoming students and families to the GSU community. This was a meaningful experience for me because I had the opportunity to engage with students who may be anxious about the college transition, the same way I felt. As a welcoming Panther, I wanted to radiate the appreciation I have for GSU so that all students can thrive throughout their college-to-career journey.
In addition, serving as an orientation leader developed my leadership and communication abilities further, which is transferable to any professional endeavor. To continue my involvement with the university, I became a member of the 1913 Society in a presidential ambassador position where we serve as hosts, embodying the mission of “service without self.” The Georgia State University experience has empowered me to discover my passion for helping others and allowed me to have a positive impact by providing service to surrounding communities and beyond.
How is Georgia State preparing you for your next steps in nursing?
I feel like the college-to-career approach has helped me a lot as a nursing major. Before I came into the program, I didn’t necessarily know what to expect because I hadn’t completed an externship. I had never stepped foot into a hospital as a shadowing nurse, so that brought a lot of nervousness upon me.
During my first semester in the program, we had our medical-surgical class with a skills lab. We would meet once a week and practice fundamental skills on mannequins in a hospital simulation setting. Having that skills lab before I was even sent into an actual clinical setting helped me a lot. It just ensured that I know what I’m doing as a nursing student, and just kind of alleviated that nervousness off me in preparing for my future career.
My second semester, I was enrolled in psychiatric nursing and we had a simulation lab where we watched a movie and we would diagnose each of the characters based on what we learned in class. I feel like that really helped a lot in understanding what we could potentially find in a psychiatric setting.
Georgia State really prepped me even before I set foot into a clinical setting.
Where do you see yourself going after graduation?
I am a part of the Grady Scholars Program and what’s really nice about the program is I’m a part of the inaugural class. This is a partnership between Georgia State and Grady Health System. I complete a majority of my clinicals at Grady Memorial Hospital, which is right in the heart of downtown. I am also set to work there for two years after my graduation.
I plan to work as a registered nurse and eventually work with renal or diabetic patients. That’s my ultimate goal. But I do want to continue my education as well. After my bachelor’s degree, I want to actually go into nursing informatics, which involves the use of data and technology to reduce medical errors and enhance patient outcomes. I hope to obtain my master’s degree in health informatics, preferably at Georgia State.
What advice would you give your first-year self?
Prioritize work-life balance. Before I went into the nursing program, I focused solely on my academics and I realized that I wasn’t really prioritizing my physical and mental well-being. Even though I was making pretty good grades, I wasn’t necessarily happy because I wasn’t really taking care of the other parts of my life.
