Some people grow up with the knowledge they would enter the health professions; others experience the call unexpectedly. Alvin Pascual was one of the latter. He had worked in the automobile and gaming industries, but when his mother passed away from cancer in 2014, he had an epiphany.
“I saw how techs, nurses, and doctors in Las Vegas took care of my mom, and I wanted to give back to the community that gave my mom so much care,” he notes.
That set him on a new course.
“I thought becoming a nurse would be a great way to achieve that.”
How did he end up at Roseman? He took classes at the College of Southern Nevada, but the timing worked out for Roseman.
“Roseman enrolled new cohorts several times a year, so it matched my timeline. And the fact that I would get a BSN as opposed to an associate degree was a no-brainer to me.”
He was “elated” when he was accepted, and he earned his BSN in January of 2019. Alvin thinks highly of his Roseman experience, including the block curriculum and collaborative learning model.
“I especially appreciated my groupmates, and I loved how diverse we were.”
Roseman students take Clifton Strengths assessments, and faculty carefully assign students to their smaller groups so there is a balance of personality types.
“We all had different backgrounds and personalities but had to work together and make it happen or fail. We encouraged and helped each other a lot.”
Did he find the program rigorous?
“It was tough! Pharmacy and Adult Health in particular were hard! I placed a lot of pressure on myself but I did it and continued on.”
And though his studies were challenging, he notes, “The didactic part ‘stuck.’ I’m surprised sometimes about how much book knowledge I have and how I can retain new information.” Alvin did have to juggle family obligations while he was a student. He and his wife have two children. But he shares, “It wasn’t so tough for me. My wife and I had help from my in-laws, which was the biggest factor in my being able to go to school full time. Having that support at home is very important. Without them, it would have been a much harder challenge layered on to an already difficult course, so I owe a lot of my success to them.”
What advice would he give to other students?
“I found goals are best attained when you’re doing it for someone else, in this case, my family. As a husband, father, and son-in-law, I knew failure was not an option. My family all sacrificed in one way or another so I could go to school, so I could help better our lives.”
“Graduating gave me a sense of new life. It gave a sense of new opportunities, and I knew from then on our lives would change.”
Alvin started his nursing career as a pre-op nurse at a Southern Nevada surgery center, where he polished his new skills. In early 2020, he accepted an offer at DaVita Kidney Care as a hemodialysis nurse. He recently completed his three-month training to become a Peritoneal Dialysis nurse. He takes great satisfaction in being able to help his patients. That feeling led Alvin to make a generous gift to his alma mater.
“I made a gift to Roseman because it’s a non-profit school. I wanted to help in any way I could to foster future nurses because Las Vegas needs more of them.”
Thank you for being a proud roadrunner, Alvin!
Article provided by Brenda Griego, Director of Alumni Relations, Scholarships and Special Events