Sgt. Shaquondre Berry of the United States Army National Guard has long envisioned a future in health care. Now a proud mother of two and a ten-year veteran of the Michigan National Guard, she has achieved a major milestone by graduating from Wayne State University's College of Nursing. 

“I believe that if you can make it through basic training, if you can make it through combat, then you can make it through this process. The VBSN program at Wayne State University is like no other,” Berry said. “I couldn’t imagine going to any other nursing school.”  

After earning her bachelor’s in psychology, she joined the army as a medic. After conversations with her fellow service members, she decided to pursue a nursing career.  

“I heard a lot about veteran-based programs through other nurses in the military, so I searched for the different programs in the state,” Berry said. She discovered the College of Nursing’s BSN for Veterans (VBSN) pathway, uniquely designed to assist students between active service and pursue a nursing career.  Berry reached out to VBSN graduate Lettia Morgan through social media to ask about her experience in the program.  

“At the time I had reached out to her, it was right after I put in my application, so she was in her third semester,” Berry said. “She took the time to talk to me and gave me all of her attention to walk me through things.”  

Berry began the VBSN program around the same time her children, 6-year-old Aubrey and 5-year-old Aiden, started elementary school. The busy mom juggled school, as well as her military requirements. She appreciates the support that she received through the VBSN program.   

“The faculty have truly built this program to cater to actively serving service members and veterans,” Berry said. “WSU made it possible for me to study, participate in clinical rotations, attend class, and fulfill all my military obligations without additional stress.” Berry believes the challenges of the program are well worth the outcome of being prepared in all facets of a nursing career. 

“One thing that becomes very clear in this program is how much the instructors want you to succeed. This is not something focused solely towards veterans in the program, but to all of the students, they want us to succeed and go above and beyond to ensure we have clear understandings of what we’re doing,” Berry said. “Whether it be financial need or educational, the Wayne State College of Nursing provides every resource they have to help you succeed. All you really need after that is the drive to do it.” 

Berry joined Wayne State’s chapter of Chi Eta Phi, a professional sorority for registered nurses and nursing students. That’s how she met other veterans in the program outside of her classes, including VBSN graduate Jutona Hightower, who is Berry’s big sister from the sorority.

Being surrounded by veterans made a difference in her education. Some of her most memorable clinicals were at the John D. Dingell Veterans Affairs Medical Center, where she said the opportunity to treat veteran patients was a full circle moment for her.  

“It was like camaraderie going in there. A lot of them have been there or been through that medical system for a long time. They were able to teach us some stuff and we were able to teach them some stuff and learn in the process,” she said.  

Another clinical that impacted her was her OB clinical with Clinical Assistant Professor Nancy Hauff, PhD, RN. The experience opened her eyes to the impact nurses can leave on families at bedside by providing them assistance to care for their children.

“Dr. Hauff really immersed us with those families and really got us hands on, so we built connections with them,” Berry said. “She really took an experience that I was dreading and made it exciting.”   

Thanks to her clinical experience with families, Berry plans to pursue an advanced nursing degree in the WSU College of Nursing Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program to become a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) in critical care nursing. 

“Babies scared me, but I never want to be scared of a patient population. I’ve found that so far in my life, the things that have scared me the most have been the things that I’ve enjoyed the most, like joining the military and having kids,” she said. “I feel like that’s where I’m supposed to be.”