Sarah Schiltz

“I hope to work as a labor and delivery nurse after Carthage and eventually become a nurse practitioner, nursing professor, or clinical instructor.”

“I have had so many incredible professors at Carthage. I have been especially blessed with Professor Cheryl Petersen as both my advisor and professor. Prof. Petersen has impacted my life by encouraging me to grow my passion for nursing and helping me to find opportunities to learn beyond the classroom. She has not only inspired me to continue my education after Carthage, but has also taught me the importance of having family, faith, and positivity throughout life.”

“My favorite class so far has been Improving Children’s Health Outcomes. I love learning how to care for the pediatric population and the clinical experience of the course. We were able to go to several schools in the area and shadow school nurses, special needs nurses, and public health nurses. We also rotated through several sites in the hospital, including the Pediatrics Clinic, Ambulatory Care, the Emergency Department, and the Medical Office Building. These experiences all provided great exposure to the many possibilities in nursing.”

“I belong to Carthage Nursing Student Council, Carthage Association of Nursing Students (CANS), and Love Your Melon (LYM). Nursing Student Council has been a great opportunity to represent my cohort as the Nursing Department continues to grow. CANS is a group of nursing students who plan events and activities that provide nursing students with more opportunities to become involved in the college and community. Love Your Melon is an organization that raises awareness for childhood cancer and participates in events, such as Relay for Life at Carthage.”

“My toughest class has been Improving Adult Health Outcomes or “Medical Surgical Nursing”, which covers common health disparities in adults. This course is notorious for being one of the hardest in nursing programs, but it was an incredible learning experience, and Professor Frank Hicks, the director of the Carthage Nursing Program, helped us all to think more critically as future nurses.”

“I have not had any internships thus far; however, I hope to begin this Student Nurse Intern program through one of the Froedtert hospitals next semester. I have heard from my peers how it is such an impactful experience, and I think it is awesome that quite a few Carthage nursing students have taken advantage of this incredible opportunity.”

“Over J-Term the past two years, I have had the opportunity to work directly with nursing students in tutoring as a Writing Fellow for the Contemporary Professional Nursing course, which was writing intensive. It was great to help many new nursing students as they took their first nursing course. It was an awesome experience presenting about writing techniques and guiding students to define their nursing philosophy.”

“I received the highest honors Merit Scholarship. This scholarship allowed me to attend Carthage and is the reason that I have received the many opportunities that Carthage provides.”

“My favorite Carthage memories are of meeting friends. Freshman year, I never would have thought that I would make so many lasting friendships — from my roommates and those I met in my dorm to peers in my nursing cohort. I will always remember these many times with friends, whether it be movie nights, studying, or attending baseball games. It has also been fun exploring the Kenosha area, as well as Chicago and Milwaukee, with friends I met through Carthage.”

“My favorite spot on campus is the David A. Straz, Jr. Center for the Natural and Social Sciences because it has the best study spots and the most amazing view of Lake Michigan!”

“The biggest surprise so far is just how rewarding my experience has been in the Nursing Program. Although classes have not been easy, the nursing professors have been so motivating, and they exemplify the importance of being constant learners. Also, I have had so many incredible opportunities in the clinical setting as a student nurse to incorporate what I have learned in class. I never thought that I could be so excited or passionate about being a future nurse.”

“I believe my 8-year-old self would be excited that I chose the career path I did. Knowing that I would be going into the health and medical field would inspire me to do my best in school.”

“I would advise students considering a major in nursing to go for it if caring for others and learning about health, medicine, and how to best help others is your passion. The nursing major is known as one of the most difficult at Carthage, but it is also very interesting and rewarding! This program is incredible, and I am so happy with my decision of choosing nursing and Carthage!”

“I chose Carthage because its professors are so dedicated to their students’ learning and getting to truly know you. There are so many opportunities beyond the classroom to learn, such as internships, clinicals, the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE), and tutoring and lab assistant positions. These experiences truly help you to find what you’re passionate about and what you might see yourself doing after Carthage. I also chose Carthage because the Nursing Program was direct admit, so you follow the nursing curriculum from the start. I can’t say enough about how glad I am that I knew I had a secured spot in the program and was exposed to these courses as early as freshman year. They really helped us begin to think like nurses and determine early on whether it was something we really wanted to pursue.”