WGU Indiana nursing student delivers inspiring address at Indiana Center for Nursing Celebrate Nursing Gala

Indianapolis — Anitra Cooley, a WGU Indiana nursing student and Indiana Center for Nursing (ICN) scholarship recipient, shared her moving story of overcoming significant personal obstacles, including a period of homelessness, on her journey to fulfill her dream of becoming a nurse. She delivered her remarks during the ICN’s Celebrate Nursing Gala on Sept. 19, 2018 in Indianapolis.

“WGU Indiana has changed my life in ways I can never repay,” said Cooley. “The Indiana Center for Nursing awarded me a scholarship this year at a crucial time and allowed me to concentrate on my academics with much less worry. I look forward to paying this honor forward with every patient I have, in my dream role, as a registered nurse.”

The Celebrate Nursing Gala is held annually to raise money for nursing scholarships, like the one Cooley received. Over the past four years, the Indiana Center for Nursing has distributed over $500,000 in scholarships to nursing students across the state.

“WGU Indiana’s affordable, flexible nursing degree program and the ICN scholarship made it possible for Anitra to pursue her dream of becoming a nurse,” said WGU Indiana State Director of Nursing, Dr. Mary Carney. “We’re proud of Anitra and her accomplishments and we hope that her story of perseverance and hard work inspires others who are considering a career in nursing.”

The Indiana Department of Workforce Development projects a 17.7 percent increase in the need for registered nurses by 2022. Aimed at addressing Indiana's growing shortage of registered nurses, WGU Indiana's undergraduate and graduate nursing degree programs combine WGU's online, competency-based education with rigorous clinical experience. WGU is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM).

About WGU Indiana
WGU Indiana offers more than 60 undergraduate and graduate online degree programs in business, education, information technology and healthcare, including nursing. The nonprofit university’s competency-based model allows students to accelerate through coursework at their own pace.
According to a 2017 Harris Poll, 96 percent of WGU graduates are employed, 89 percent of them in their degree field. According to a 2017 Gallup study, WGU graduates are more likely than graduates from other U.S. universities to have the jobs they want, to feel that WGU Indiana was the perfect school for them, and to feel that their education was worth the cost.
WGU Indiana has helped more than 6,600 Hoosiers achieve their dream of completing a college degree. Another nearly 5,700 students are currently enrolled. For information about WGU Indiana’s degrees and scholarships, visit indiana.wgu.edu.