Making the switch

A transfer student from Minnesota West Community and Technical College in Worthington, Minnesota, Maddie Rasche explored attending Northwestern after contacting head women’s volleyball coach Kyle Van Den Bosch. Interested in joining the team, she enrolled but eventually gave up intercollegiate athletics so she could focus more on her studies. “I think God directed me here through volleyball, but he kept me here for nursing,” she says. With future plans of one day returning to school to earn her nurse practitioner license, Maddie is committed to a life of serving others.

Community minded
I love how personal the faculty and staff are in the nursing department. They will do anything for their students to enable them to succeed. While in their classes, you almost feel like one of their kids because they take such an interest in your life. And I've actually come to love the community of Orange City as well. It seems like anywhere I go in town, people remind me that their houses are always open to college students if I ever need anything. It’s hard to feel homesick when everyone around you is so open and caring.

Freely expressing faith
My faith has definitely been challenged while I’ve been at Northwestern. I am Catholic and tend to be more private about my faith. But after attending Northwestern for a year, you get used to opening up about your faith since everyone around you does it so freely. Here, we pray before every class—even in classes that aren’t religion courses.

New heights, awesome sights
My favorite spot on campus is the third floor of the DeWitt Learning Commons. At night when you look out the window, you see the whole campus lit up, and it is so beautiful.

Set up for success
The nursing department is truly amazing. Not many schools have fully functioning human patient simulators for students to practice on. They can do everything—even simulate the birthing process! I also appreciate the opportunity to travel abroad for our program; as a nursing student, you’re required to go on a medical mission experience to Tanzania or another developing country. And since the department is close-knit, nursing students go through everything together. We all have the same classes, and I am surrounded by a lot of the same people every year. Having this built-in support system really helps take away any anxiety about college.