Dear first-semester BSN student,

I want to give you the warmest welcome into the College of Nursing! Congratulations on this massive
achievement from someone who knows exactly how much time, effort, and sacrifice it took to make it to
where you are right now. I hope you are soaking up every sweet emotion that this moment gives you
because you deserve it.

You are about to embark on a journey that is wild, character-building, meaningful, eye-opening, and
most of all, rewarding. Acknowledge everything I am sure you have heard about how “hard” and
“stressful” this program is, but do not let it stand in your way. Use that energy to fuel you into giving this
experience your all, because ultimately, it is everything that you put into it. Everyone has a unique
experience at the College of Nursing. The biggest piece of advice I can give you is to not compare your
journey to anyone else’s and own the path that you create for yourself. You are more than capable of
everything that is coming your way, so enjoy it! Trust me, you will blink find yourself wearing a cap and
gown (and giving away your scratchy, horrible, Cherokee scrubs).

I hope that through all of this you fall in love with nursing. You may or may not be sure of exactly what
this profession entails (I surely did not at first), but I can happily say that there is nothing I am more
passionate about now. Channel your wonderful, giving, and selfless soul into everything you are about
to do and let it excite you. Lean on the people in your cohort when you need extra support, and if you
ever feel the need to reach out for absolutely anything I can do for you, don’t hesitate.

Best regards,

Allie Paskitti
ampaskitti@gmail.com