This is a multi-part series celebrating Arizona College of Nursing students, their stories, and their embodiment of the AZCN values.
In 2023, Arizona College of Nursing established the AZCN Values Scholarship Fund as a way to celebrate our values with our colleagues, our students, and the communities in which we serve. Each time an AZCN colleague recognizes another colleague for demonstrating our values, $5 is added to the scholarship fund. These add up to $5,000 scholarships awarded to students the following year who have demonstrated our values within their communities.
Join us in celebrating 2024 AZCN Values Scholarship recipient Teya Phanmanivong as she shares some of her journey to nursing.
Introducing Teya from AZCN Tempe
Meet AZCN Values Scholarship Recipient, Teya Phanmanivong, a Nursing Student at the AZCN Tempe Campus. Growing up in Alaska, Teya looks to make an impact in rural communities by finding ways to improve patient care and better access to healthcare in remote areas.
Receiving the Arizona College of Nursing Values scholarship would not only have a profound impact on my own life but also on the community I serve. By allowing me to focus on my education, this scholarship would enable me to make a greater impact on the healthcare needs of my community.
As a self-reliant student, I spend all my additional time outside of studying working long hours over the weekends and before class. If I were to receive a scholarship, it would lessen the burden of making ends meet. This would allow me to spend more time collaborating with my classmates and focusing on what really matters – my education. My education is important to me because of the plans I have for my nursing career. With my education and eventual nursing license, I want to use my career to further my commitment and advocacy for the health and well-being of communities across the United States.
Advocating for policies and initiatives that benefit my community is an important aspect of my career. I am eager to participate in focus groups and collaborations that influence decisions regarding healthcare quality and access, particularly in the small towns and villages of my home state, Alaska. I am passionate about the improvement of access to high-quality care in rural villages in Alaska.
Due to geographic isolation, high-quality care can be very difficult to obtain for many patients. For example, Kotzebue, Alaska, is regarded as a “hub” among its surrounding villages because it’s the closest village with a hospital- even though it can be as far as 80 miles away and only accessible by plane year-round (Walker, 2023).
Upon graduation from the Arizona College of Nursing, my objective is to work as a licensed traveling nurse, providing better access to healthcare and improving patient care in remote areas. I have full confidence that my efforts will have a positive impact on the healthcare needs of multiple communities.
Arizona College of Nursing is committed to increasing the number of qualified nurses, promoting diversity, encouraging specialization, and fostering community engagement. These are values that I share and strive to uphold in my own future nursing career.
I am proud to be a nursing student, especially when the demand for qualified nurses continues to grow. As I advance my career, I look forward to specializing in a particular area and making a meaningful impact on community health. I believe that working as a traveling nurse in rural areas of the U.S. will allow me to promote diverse cultures and contribute to community engagement.
I am confident that I possess the ideal qualities to qualify for the Arizona College of Nursing Values Scholarship. I strive for excellence by implementing a highly structured and disciplined learning routine, which is reflected in my test scores and the quality of my assignments.
My devotion to my community is evident in class when I actively participate, engage with my peers, and others or receive help. Moreover, I am adaptable in class, able to easily connect with students I have yet to meet, and unafraid to confront challenging concepts that I may not fully comprehend. Even when things get tough and uncertain, I pride myself on upholding my integrity and staying committed to my ethical values. My ethical values keep me accountable to my studies, my community, and most importantly- myself.
Through education and the adoption of Arizona College of Nursing’s values, I have seen firsthand the positive impact that these principles can have on my work ethic, attitude, and relationship with my community. I am confident that as I continue to progress with passion and positivity, these benefits will only increase. The values imparted by Arizona College of Nursing are truly transformative, and I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to embrace them fully.
Q&A with Teya
Q: How did you find AZCN?
A: I was doing some research, and I knew that I wanted to go into nursing school. I was really impressed with Arizona College of Nursing. For example, when I was putting out those feelers, putting my email down, putting my number down, Arizona College of Nursing, the people who called me, they are the ones who convinced me, this is the place that I want to go. They are so friendly, so helpful, so passionate. You could tell that they really loved their jobs and it honestly, like, I really didn’t have to question it once I started talking to them. It just stood out to me especially seeing all the campuses that have opened up in the past few years, it’s obviously a very professional setting and has a great standing and great reviews.
Q: Why did you choose AZCN’s Tempe Campus and what does AZCN mean to you?
A: I flourish in smaller settings, so when I decided to go back to school and get a nursing degree, I knew that I wanted to go to a smaller school with smaller classes. The personal connection with your classmates and your teacher is way more important than being in a crazy big fancy campus.
I only have great things to say about all of my professors. Specifically, I really love the way Dr. Hassan teaches. I went to him when he wasn’t even my teacher. He had a tutoring thing, and I went before my midterm for my chemistry class, and he just really helped me understand a lesson that I could not get.
I feel very comfortable approaching them. I say “hi” to them in the hallways when I see them all, wave at them, smile at them. I see them more like mentors than cold professors that are kind of up here. I see them as someone who genuinely want to be on this journey with me and watch us flourish and grow.
Q: How’s the Tempe Campus community with your cohorts and other students?
A: I love it. When I went to [my previous school], I was in a sorority for a year and being like just an Alaskan girl, it didn’t really resonate with me. But I wanted that friendship, and I feel like with nursing school, it’s just what I was looking for because all of us have the same goals. We all have the same interests and passion. So, even if you think that you don’t have anything in common with somebody, At Arizona College of Nursing, you do, because we’re all there for the same reasons. We all want to see each other grow. It’s amazing how being driven with the same purpose really brings you together. I really see the effort in my classmates, trying to connect with me. And it’s the same way with me to them. We are just in it for the long haul, and we’re going to get through it together.
Start Your Future in Nursing Today
If you’re considering a career as a registered nurse (RN), Arizona College of Nursing is here to help you pursue your dream. Our BSN program enables you to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in just 3 years or less with qualifying transfer credits. We’ve helped hundreds of students to earn a BSN degree and enter the nursing profession – and we’re ready to support you on your path to becoming an RN.
Why Choose Arizona College of Nursing?
- Earn a BSN degree in 3 years or less with eligible transfer credits
- Campus locations throughout the US
- Night classes for general education courses
- Hybrid Online/In-Person format for general education classes
- Nursing education is all we do
- CCNE-Accredited Program*
- NCLEX-RN success coaches and exam preparation class
- Financial aid available to those who qualify
Discover Your Path to a Career in Nursing
Information in this post is accurate as of .
*The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree program at Arizona College of Nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (https://www.aacnnursing.org/). All Arizona College of Nursing and Arizona College campuses are institutionally accredited by the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (https://www.abhes.org/), a U.S. Department of Education-recognized accrediting agency.