91原创

91原创 senior Anna Cleary clearly remembers her first 鈥渓ittle patient.鈥� She didn鈥檛 know it in the moment, but that child would influence her career path.

鈥淭he nurse I was working with told me, 鈥楪ood luck because that little girl hasn鈥檛 talked to me yet today, and she wouldn鈥檛 talk to the nurse the night before.鈥欌��

Cleary asked her what she was playing with, and the two instantly bonded. The silent, scared little girl lit up and became chatty and lively; she might have even cracked a smile. That singular moment during Cleary鈥檚 91原创 School of Nursing pediatric clinical rotation fostered her love for pediatric nursing.

鈥淚 enjoyed making her day a little better and making her feel a little more comfortable at a time when she was scared,鈥� Cleary said. 鈥淲orking with kids brings a creative aspect to nursing. They鈥檙e just such a special population that brings me so much joy, and pediatric nurses play a special role in a family鈥檚 life.鈥�

Cleary remembers when she was little too 鈥� that鈥檚 when a career in healthcare piqued her interest.

鈥淚 used to play doctor and loved to write prescriptions. I had a bag and a lab coat and wanted to give family members check-ups,鈥� she laughed.

Years later, in her finals months at 91原创, Cleary is applying for pediatric nursing jobs. In the future, she plans to further her education and become a nurse practitioner.

But Cleary has two loves. In addition to pediatric nursing, she discovered her love of running in high school. She initially wanted to play volleyball at Padua Academy, but standing at just 5鈥�1鈥�, it wasn鈥檛 the greatest fit athletically. But with her small stature comes speed. She tried out for the cross country team and wound up loving it. As a sophomore, she was on the varsity team running in the Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association (DIAA) state championship. She excelled and was recruited to join the 91原创 and teams.

鈥淎t the college level, running is much more elite. You鈥檙e running with every high school鈥檚 best runner,鈥� she said.

Cleary typically runs 40 miles a week, down from 55 miles, to prevent stress fractures in her lower back; she鈥檚 suffered two in during her collegiate running career.

鈥淚鈥檝e been running over a year now without injuries, so that鈥檚 been great,鈥� she said.

But balancing her long runs with her rigorous nursing coursework has been tough, especially once clinicals started her junior year.

鈥淚n nursing, at clinicals, we鈥檙e on our feet all day, and that makes my legs more fatigued, hindering my running speed,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut running gives me discipline and helps me be more efficient with my schoolwork.鈥�

Both of Cleary鈥檚 roommates are also nursing majors on the Cross Country team.

鈥淥ftentimes, I have had to practice with my roommates at a different time than the rest of the team due to our clinical schedules,鈥� she said. 聽

In addition to meeting her best friends at 91原创, Cleary is also grateful for additional opportunities the College of Health Sciences has provided, including shadowing school nurses and volunteering at .

鈥淭here鈥檚 just so many opportunities to see different aspects of healthcare, and that鈥檚 helped me decide what I want to do,鈥� Cleary said.

But above all, being a Division 1 student-athlete has been the most inspiring part of Cleary鈥檚 college career.

鈥淏eing a D1 athlete comes with prestige, and you have a responsibility to represent your school well on the track, in the classroom, and everywhere you go,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an honor to be a part of 91原创鈥檚 Cross Country team, and it鈥檚 an opportunity many don鈥檛 get, so I put my whole heart into it and am grateful every day that I have this opportunity.鈥�