Inspired by the nurses who taught her father to breathe, walk and live again after a heart attack several years ago, Sana Qureshi, 21, of Waldorf knew she wanted to also make that kind of difference in other people’s lives.
At CSM, she took an important step in that direction, earning an associate of nursing degree with honors. She plans to become a nurse practitioner in pediatrics. “I want to work with chronically/terminally ill children,” she said.
She received numerous scholarships while at CSM that affirmed her decision to pursue work in the medical field — Bryce T. Sanders, Nyce Annual Scholarship, Peter Cangelosi Memorial Scholarship, Calvert Memorial Hospital Scholarship and Maryland Delegate Scholarships. Qureshi noted that she found CSM’s Scholarship Finder to be a great tool as she searched for funding assistance. Qureshi also received the Travel Study Scholarship, which enabled her to travel to Camp Boggy Creek in Eustis, Florida, where she had the opportunity to work with chronically and terminally ill patients.
Qureshi credits her anatomy and physiology tutor Penny Trustee with a large part of her success at CSM. “Those fundamentals she again and again repeated to me will stick with me forever,” Qureshi said. “She is also a great mentor and cheerleader.”
Qureshi has been accepted into the University of Maryland’s Nursing School’s RN-BSN program through the dual enrollment agreement CSM has with UMD. “I was very fortunate for that as well. This is one of the things that makes CSM wonderful,” she said.
Qureshi was named the Maryland Nurses Association (MNA) District 9 student of the year. She was also honored by the CSM nursing faculty with the Achievement in Nursing Award, presented to the graduate who demonstrates academic achievement, clinical competence, community service and leadership potential.