Baker graduate follows family ties to nursing career

Nursing is in Ngozi Nzekwe’s blood. When she was a child in Nigeria, her mother worked as a midwife. The family moved to Topeka when she was 10 years old, and her mother continued her career as a nurse.

“She used to bring laboring mothers home to deliver, and so I was exposed to that at a very young age,” said Nzekwe. “It made me want to be a nurse, specifically an obstetrical nurse.”

Nzekwe attended Topeka High School and completed two years of undergraduate courses at the University of Kansas before enrolling at Baker University School of Nursing at Stormont Vail Health in Topeka. When she was exploring nursing school options, Baker became an easy choice.

“I was doing research, and you hear about these nurses that went to Baker, and they’re very successful wherever they work,” said Nzekwe. “Going to Baker gives you a step up.”

Nursing students mark graduation with two ceremonies. On Friday, Dec. 14, at 5:30 p.m., graduates will be welcomed into the nursing profession at the Pinning Ceremony at Grace Episcopal Cathedral in Topeka, where they will receive their nursing pins and recite the International Pledge for Nurses. They will receive their diplomas at the Commencement Ceremony on Sunday, Dec. 16, at 1 p.m. at the George F. Collins, Jr. Sports and Convention Center in Baldwin City.

As these ceremonies come closer, Nzekwe feels excitement and just a hint of nerves. She knows she is prepared for a career in obstetrical or postpartum nursing. And she credits the faculty and the support from her fellow classmates for her success in reaching this milestone.

“The connections I’ve made over the course of two years at Baker, it’s unimaginable,” she said.