Inspiration comes in many different forms, and for Alyza Sunny, hers came in the relatively unsubtle form of her mother grabbing her by the figurative 鈥渟cruff of her neck鈥� and taking her to the 国产主播 Texas campus.

She may not have known it at the time, but that day proved to be the spark that would launch a very productive and mutually beneficial relationship with 国产主播 鈥� a relationships that resulted in Sunny graduating magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) in 2017 and returning to become a faculty member in 2021.

Sunny鈥檚 life took a significant turn that day, but her story actually began about three years earlier, in 2012鈥�

Post-Graduate Plans Take a Detour

Sunny had just earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology from Mt. St. Mary鈥檚 University in Los Angeles, and she was accepted into medical school. However, she鈥檇 observed physicians oftentimes being burned out and spending less time with patients than the nurses, and this concerned her, so she decided to put medical school on hold and take a 鈥済ap year鈥� to figure things out.

Sunny moved to Texas with her family and began applying to physician鈥檚 assistant programs, but she was having little luck. Before she knew it, her gap year turned into gap years, and she had yet to take the next step in her life following her 2012 graduation.

By her own admission, 鈥渕y mom wanted me off the couch,鈥� and so on a Thursday in 2015, Sunny鈥檚 mom took her to the WCU-Texas campus. Alyza was skeptical. She didn鈥檛 want to go to nursing school and become a nurse like her mom, and so when she arrived on campus, she poked and prodded and looked for reasons not to go. Ultimately, all she found were reasons to go.

The Decision to Enroll in the WCU-Texas BSN Program

鈥淚 was very hesitant, but I visited classrooms, and I saw the classroom size. They were small so I didn鈥檛 feel like a number. I felt like they cared,鈥� Sunny said. 鈥淚n medicine, you can鈥檛 teach someone to care if they don鈥檛 care themselves, and I felt like they cared and that was a big thing for me. And then they showed me the simulation lab, and I was blown away.鈥�

So, Sunny鈥檚 mom asked, 鈥淥kay, what鈥檚 next?鈥� They were told the next term was starting on Monday, and there was a seat available. Sunny enrolled and was in class that Monday as a brand-new nursing student.

鈥淲est Coast changed my life in a matter of days,鈥� she said.

Sunny finished her BSN in less than two years because she was able to transfer in many of her classes from Mt. St. Mary鈥檚 and jump right into the core nursing program. She then proceeded to get her nurse practitioner鈥檚 degree from Houston Baptist in 2020, and the next step was to begin working at a hospital/healthcare facility. At the time, teaching wasn鈥檛 anywhere in her thinking process.

But right around the time of her graduation from Houston Baptist, Sunny also wanted to start a family, and with COVID-19 in its early days, she didn鈥檛 want to be around patients. So, she reached out to the WCU Alumni Association and scratched an itch that she鈥檇 had since she was very little.

Teaching Has Been 鈥渁n Absolute Dream鈥�

鈥淚 always wanted to be an English teacher,鈥� Sunny said. But her educational path went in a different direction, and so teaching was never a serious consideration. Until now. A year later, in the summer of 2021, Sunny was in front of a classroom full of students at WCU鈥檚 brand-new campus in Richardson, Texas, teaching N100, Fundamentals of Nursing.

And it鈥檚 been a moving experience for her, so much more than a 鈥渏ob.鈥�

鈥淎fter having my daughter, I realized that these nurses that I鈥檓 teaching, if something happened to her and she had to go to the hospital, they could be taking care of her,鈥� Sunny said. 鈥淎nd if I went into the hospital and saw one of my former students, I鈥檇 immediately be at ease.

鈥淲hat an amazing thing it is to be shaping these nurses who may be taking care of my family someday. I love it. It鈥檚 been an absolute dream.鈥�

Alyza Sunny, WCU BSN graduate and faculty member

鈥淲hat an amazing thing it is to be shaping these nurses who may be taking care of my family someday,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 love it. It鈥檚 been an absolute dream.鈥�

Amazing indeed.

Sunny鈥檚 class covers a little bit of everything students will see and experience, from IV fluids and nutrition to medication administration to infection control and oxygenation, and so much more. And her teaching style aligns with her enthusiastic and engaging personality 鈥� lots of interactive learning activities like how to 鈥渢ake off the germs鈥� by removing your equipment in an orchestrated manner that goes, in order, gloves first, then eyewear, then robe, and then finally mask.

鈥淚 enjoy having a very active classroom,鈥� Sunny said. 鈥淭hey are not just listening to me lecture for five hours 鈥� we act things out. They can learn a lot from me, but they can also learn so much from their peers, and that peer learning also helps to create long-lasting relationships.鈥�

Just like the one Alyza formed with 国产主播.

WCU provides career guidance and assistance but cannot guarantee employment. The views and opinions expressed are those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs or position of the school or of any instructor or student.