BEMIDJI — Megan Berens has always wanted to be a nurse.

It hasn’t been easy — there have been many obstacles along her journey. In high school, with her father deployed in the military, she struggled to focus and her grades fell. When she arrived at BSU, a lack of confidence forced her to use her freshman year to prepare for the nursing program. She did, and through it all, she is now on her way to becoming a nurse.

Berens’ story was one of 57 celebrated at Saturday afternoon’s Nursing Induction Ceremony at BSU, a time to acknowledge past successes as well as the preparation ahead for these students as they take the next step into the nursing field.

Assistant Dean of the College of Science Sheila Paul described what the moment means for the students.

“It is a transition from theory to practice,” she told the audience of about 325 people.  

Each student has spent hundreds of hours studying textbooks, and now they will put their knowledge to use.

The students who walked Saturday’s stage in the Beaux Arts Ballroom all endured tough prerequisite classes and the demanding process of applying to the nursing program.

“Oh my gosh, anatomy kicked butt,” inductee Alice Bertram said. “It definitely took a lot of time studying. And there’s plenty ahead of us, but it’s worth it.”

Berens said taking an extra year before deciding to apply helped her gain the confidence and maturity she needed to enter the program. It forced her to spend last summer in the classroom to finish up the necessary courses, but she said it “was the best decision I could have made.”

Berens was raised by her father, Chris, a single parent and a member of the U.S. Army Reserves. His first two deployments caused her to become discouraged in her schooling, but she used his latest deployment as motivation to succeed.

“Before he left, he kept reminding me, ‘Study hard and get good grades,’” she said.

Saturday’s ceremony featured a recitation of the Nightingale Pledge to express the values shared among nurses. All inductees, as well as any nurses in the audience and BSU faculty, stood and read the pledge.

The Nightingale is important to Berens, and her family took several photos and videos as she recited it.

“In nursing, you are responsible for the lives of many and I want to assist them while maintaining the highest standards of morals,” Berens said.

After the new nursing students received their name badges and took a group photo, Berens returned to her family in the crowd. Her grandfather shook her hand in congratulations, while her grandmother offered a fist bump.

After the ceremony – for the first time in over two months – Berens’ spoke to her father via FaceTime.

After catching up, he offered congratulations and told her how proud he is of her.

“It just made a good day complete,” she said.

Story by Ryan Pietruszewski, Jessica Dalen, Talaya Kautz, Cody Booker, Kristina Malterud in in the Reporting and Writing class at BSU.