天美影视传媒

Srinya Julie Sukrachan, 鈥�14, 鈥�18, spent way too much time in the hospital as a child. But when she donned her scrubs and walked into Swedish Hospital as a registered nurse this past August, she was overjoyed. The intervening years had changed her life 鈥� and her perspective.

After being diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis at age 10, Sukrachan began a rigorous course of treatment that required regular hospital visits. Following years of medication adjustments, she finally went into remission. But by then, she was visiting another hospital for a different reason: Her father had been diagnosed with colon cancer. He passed away when she was just 15.

Sukrachan knew she wanted to pursue a career in health care so she could make a difference in the lives of other patients and their families, but she didn鈥檛 know where to begin.

Charting a course

The summer before her senior year at Roosevelt High School in Seattle, Sukrachan spent a week at . A free program supported by philanthropy and run by the UW School of Nursing, the camp introduces the possibility of a career in nursing to a small cohort of high school students from underserved and underrepresented backgrounds.

鈥淚t was inspiring to be around students who looked like me and had ambitious goals,鈥� Sukrachan says. 鈥淲e got certified in CPR. We listened to heart and lung sounds on high-tech simulation mannequins. We got to shadow nurses at UW Medical Center. At the end of the week, I knew I wanted to be a nurse.鈥�

With her goal firmly in mind, Sukrachan set off to attend the UW. She took prerequisites for the major. She started working in the office of a chronic pain management clinic to bolster her r茅sum茅 and gain experience in the field 鈥� and every year, she returned to Nurse Camp as a volunteer and mentor.

But when she applied to the School of Nursing as a junior, she wasn鈥檛 accepted. The following year, she applied again and got the same result.

鈥淚 was really confused and frustrated,鈥� says Sukrachan. 鈥淏ut in the back of my mind, I thought, 鈥業鈥檓 not getting in for a reason. They鈥檙e not going to admit me if I鈥檓 not ready for it.鈥欌��

Third time鈥檚 a charm

Sukrachan went on to graduate from the UW with a degree in medical anthropology and global health in 2014, but she continued to seek out the mentorship of Carolyn Chow, co-founder of UW Nurse Camp and then the director of admissions and student diversity at the School of Nursing.

鈥淪he helped me reflect on why I didn鈥檛 get in and what I could work on,鈥� says Sukrachan. 鈥淲ith her encouragement, I became a CNA [certified nursing assistant] and started working in an assisted living home. It really helped me figure out patient care from the nurse鈥檚 perspective.鈥�

After spending a year working and attending workshops at the UW to sharpen her application essay, Sukrachan applied to the School of Nursing a third time 鈥� and got in.

鈥淕etting patient experience alongside a nurse practitioner made all the difference for Srinya,鈥� says Chow. 鈥淪he fully understood what kind of relationships she wanted to have with her patients, and she was one of the strongest applicants.鈥�

Serving others

With the help of several scholarships, Sukrachan could fully embrace her student experience the second time around. 鈥淭hat support definitely took a huge burden off. I didn鈥檛 have to work my first year, so I could focus on my studies,鈥� she says.

Sukrachan also took on the role of volunteer coordinator for Nurse Camp for two years and co-founded , a registered student organization that provides pre- and current nursing students 鈥� especially those from underrepresented and underserved communities 鈥� with advice, networking opportunities and tips on the application process.

鈥淚t felt so right,鈥� says Sukrachan. 鈥淲e had just finished volunteering at Nurse Camp, which provides amazing opportunities for high schoolers. We thought, 鈥榃hy can鈥檛 we do the same for minority, low-income students at the UW who want to get into our program?鈥欌��

Says Chow, 鈥淪tarting a student organization like Future Nurses Club takes considerable work and commitment, but Srinya was focused on giving back. She鈥檚 a true role model.鈥�

Today, Sukrachan is an antepartum nurse at Swedish Hospital鈥檚 First Hill campus, caring for women with high-risk pregnancies. She spends even more time in hospitals than she did as a girl, but now there鈥檚 nowhere else she鈥檇 rather be.