Molecular Biology major Ellie Visser ’25 wasn’t always sure what she wanted to do after graduating. What she did know, however, was that she was passionate about helping others, particularly vulnerable populations, and she enjoyed science. Then, after working a ten-week internship at Lown Cardiovascular Group last summer, Visser realized her true calling: nursing.
“The two most important things I learned from my summer internship were my love of cardiology and the heart and its obvious connectedness with the body as well as getting to learn about each individual’s role within the clinic,” Visser says.
The internship at Lown is what inspired Visser to pursue a specialization in cardiology with plans to work in a cardiac ICU. She was given the opportunity to shadow each member of the clinic and learn about what they did, allowing her to narrow down potential career paths and finally land on her ultimate career goal of becoming a nurse practitioner.
“It was through speaking with one particular nurse practitioner and hearing about his compassion for his patients, including driving to a patient’s house and treating them in their home because the patient was in too much pain to transport themselves to the office, that inspired me to want to pursue this career.”
Visser spent her internship running exercise stress tests, watching echocardiograms, and writing reports summarizing the results of those tests on patients, most of whom were around 80 years old. This internship is what initially helped Visser get more comfortable working with the elderly population, which she says can be intimidating. She enjoyed working with them so much that, after completing the internship, she earned her nursing assistant certification and has worked as a Certified Nursing Assistant at Columbine Health Systems since December, where she takes vitals and helps patients get ready for the day.
“I repeat the word ‘helping’ so much because an important part of this specific job is helping residents be as independent as possible while also recognizing they still may need some assistance in daily living,” Visser says. “Growing up, I was intimidated by the elderly population because they are often portrayed as frail or hard to connect with due to the age gap… When people ask me what field of nursing I’m interested in specializing in, I am now excited to include geriatrics on my list.”
After completing her internship, Visser returned to campus inspired to pursue her path towards becoming a nurse. However, CC doesn’t have a nursing program and Visser did not want to transfer, especially as a rising senior. She met with her advisor and was able to leverage her course background and interests to meet the nursing school requirements.
“The Molecular Biology major helped me check off the prerequisites needed for nursing school and the rigor of the courses required for completion of this major prepared me for the rigor of nursing school,” Visser says.
Visser says that her Human Biology and Kinesiology (HBK) classes, such as Anatomy and Physiology, not only completed prerequisite requirements for admittance into nursing school, but also aided in her success in her part-time position as an intern Sports Medicine Aid in CC’s athletic training room.
“The Human Biology and Kinesiology professors at CC are one of if not my favorite part of CC,” Visser says, noting how much she appreciated the impact of Senior Lecturer Dan Miska and Assistant Professor Dr. Eryn Murphy on her studies and her future career. “Both professors genuinely cared about my performance as a student and my well-being as a human being. The structure of their courses and the relationships I formed with these professors is precisely what I envisioned for myself when enrolling at CC.”
It is clear that Visser also had an impact on her professors.
“I think most students assume that exceptional academic performance is what makes them stand out to professors,” Murphy says. “For me, students that show determination and compassion stand out even more. It just so happens that Ellie demonstrates all the above. I am certain that Ellie will be a remarkable nurse.”
“Ellie really stands out as a kind, dedicated future nurse,” Miska says. “She’s always eager to learn and grow, and she genuinely cares about the people around her. She’s tough and hardworking, never shying away from challenges and always looking to build her skills. With her down-to-earth and caring personality, she’s got everything it takes to become an amazing healthcare provider.”
Visser will attend the John Hopkins School of Nursing, one of the top nursing schools in the country, as the program really appealed to her. She believes the two-and-a-half-year entry-level Master’s in Nursing program is perfect for students like her who decided non-traditionally that they wanted to pursue a career in nursing. “I think nursing is a unique career path because in nursing you often form long-term relationships with your patients and are encouraged to connect on a personal level with each patient,” says Visser, who was accepted at other programs but decided on John Hopkins because of its focus on serving underrepresented populations. “Through this program, I hope to gain the skills and knowledge necessary to work with underrepresented populations, advocate for those who have been abused or neglected by the healthcare system, and help break down barriers to care in order to make healthcare more accessible for all.”