Nursing graduate goes from high school to starting a nursing career in two years

Susan Stromgren, who grew up on a farm near Osage City, Kansas, was in high school when she decided she wanted to be a nurse, and Baker’s School of Nursing was an easy choice.

“I knew people who had gone [to Baker],” Stromgren said. “They gave really great reviews. Baker has a great program and classes, and it was pretty close to where I lived. It was just my best option.”

Once Stromgren knew what she wanted, she immediately set to work on the prerequisites for a nursing degree.

“I was able to get all of those done and start nursing school at 18,” she said. “Now I’m graduating at 20.”

Stromgren has accepted a position in the Stormont Vail Birthplace and looks forward to starting in June.

Nursing students celebrate graduation in two ceremonies. On Friday, May 17, 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, May 19, at 1 p.m. at the George F. Collins, Jr. Sports and Convention Center in Baldwin City.