Nu Ro

I forgot to represent properly in my “Trash to Treasure” post. I did not mention my college, The College of New Rochelle.
Nu Ro!!!
These are some of my friends: Lula, Roxy, & Maggie during our building wars.
I also didn’t talk about Youth Ministries, which I loved so much. This is the club that arranged all our “outings.”
New Rochelle boasts some alpha alumna, including the founder of UNIFEM. Most importantly, they boast strong powerful female graduates, and the campus is loaded with what I call “Alpha Nurses.”
Sometimes I hear that I’m “One of those” nurses.
I think I am, but I’m not completely sure who “those nurses” are.
I’m guessing “those nurses” are the over achievers, the type A personalities, the one that graduated with all the “Latin” awards, the one that could go to school and get those MD initials, but would rather be an RN with a PhD.
During college, I switched majors from Communication Arts to nursing. Before, I wanted to be a powerful Editor and was Editor of, Tatler, the College Paper, for a while. My mom replays the day I told her, “I could still be a journalist with a nursing degree, but I can’t be a nurse with a journalism degree.”
When I called one of my lifelong friends from college to tell him I was going to be a nurse, I heard a big groan on the other end and then I heard, “but you have such great grades Hill. I can’t believe you’re going to be a nurse (think of what your response would be if nurse was traded with “stripper, pimp, drug dealer). “
Then silence, and another sigh, “We can fix this..we can get you into . .. . insert my back up medical school here. . .for next semester.
“Fix what?” I want to be a nurse. End of Discussion. I know my grades. I believed in my potential.
I really like the way nurses maneuver. I like the way they practice. They’re pay is good, and they have less call responsibility. Call was the deal breaker.
I also like looking at a whole person. As a patient, I want to be seen as an entire entity. That’s why I’m okay with showing everyone more than most.
The College of New Rochelle, and its staff, helped make me. They gave me opportunity after opportunity.
Youth Ministries organized “midnight runs,” where missionary groups rotate bringing food and clothes to the homeless in Manhattan. The group gets the van and several cars, and they go to specific drop off points.
Battery Park is a different world at 12am than when it is 12pm. Mole people do exist, and so do card board neighborhoods.
Nobody ever gets that America, or that NYC, in the brochure.
Don’t get it twisted. I love NY. I love the spas and the culture and the food. I love the music and the nightlife options, but everything has a flaw.
I love talking to the homeless. They see EVERYTHING. They have a unique perspective.
My community nursing class worked with writing transitional programs for young homeless women at Hale House. I still write programs suggesting how we could restructure our public services to improve long term outcomes for these women. I’m saying I want life change, not now change.
“Feed a man, he’s full for the night. Teach a man to Fish and he can feed himself forever.” Remember this.
The best gifts I’ve gotten through life have been the knowledge that was shared with me. I think the best gifts in life are free.
I’m a blue angel. I’m a CNR girl. They get the credit (or blame?) for helping create me.