Firefighters, police, nurses and doctors, they are professions every child dreams of growing up. A desire for a career spent serving others doesn’t always make it from childhood dream to reality, but College Station High School senior Stephanie Drumgoole is making her aspirations of becoming a nurse take shape in the real world.
“I have always loved the medical field,” Drumgoole said. “I love biology, learning how the body works, what effects it, and how you can help it has always been interesting to me.”
Drumgoole’s interests in the healthcare field were always present, but she was able to fully cultivate those interests with help from Avant Garde - College Prep Services (AGP). In addition to assistance for SAT test prep and other aspects of the college application and essay writing process, Drumgoole believes she most benefited from the opportunities AGP connected her with and allowed her to affirm her interest in the medical field.
“I’ve gotten to learn a lot from these experiences,” Drumgoole said. “I had a basic understanding of what nursing was when I first went to see Robb, but through these opportunities I’ve been able to understand what colleges offer what programs and get an understanding of the field and how to get where I want to go.”
Drumgoole has volunteered at the Scott & White Hospital in College Station, in addition to attending the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor nursing camp where she was able to get a taste of the nursing school environment. Drumgoole is also a member of the Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) where she has served in blood drives and other health occupational events. Of these, the most memorable experience has been her time at Scott & White Hospital.
“She’s the kind of worker where you don’t have to ask her to do it, she just does,” said Judi Kirby, her supervising nurse at the Baylor Scott & White Hospital. “She’s great support for us as nurses in this fast-paced environment. Stephanie and our other volunteers get to develop their interests in the medical field and also invaluable patient experience, so everyone benefits.”
In all her experiences, Drumgoole has found she learned one big lesson: that it’s okay to get out of your comfort zone. “I was initially nervous about doing some of these camps and activities, but I’ve loved everything and it’s shown me that it’s okay to push yourself to find new experiences.”
As a high school senior now finishing her applications, it has been a long road for Drumgoole. She and her family came to the U.S. from Mexico only six years ago where she had to quickly learn English and adapt to a culture very different than her own. Now as she looks at moving into the next step of her life, she is both excited and anxious about going away from her family.
“I am excited but nervous because we are looking at colleges out of state which is far away from my family,” Drumgoole said. “ I know I can do it though. Just like in coming here it was hard at first and learning how to compete academically was difficult, but Robb helped me a lot in getting to this point.”