College of Nursing student marshal starts her dream career and reminisces

Despite classes being virtual for her last semester, Maya Isabel Mosier is excited to represent the College of Nursing as student marshal this graduation.

Mosier is a senior undergraduate nursing student with a minor in global health. Over her four years at Penn State, she has been an active member in the College of Nursing, serving as a teaching assistant for pathophysiology, and is an active member in The Student Nurses Association at Penn State (SNAPS). She was involved with THON through SNAPS and acted as the fundraising chair for the organization at the Hershey campus.

“Just like my classmates, I've worked really hard at the College of Nursing during my time as an undergraduate,” Mosier said. “To be recognized in any way by the college is unexpected and very much appreciated.”

Mosier received multiple awards in recognition from the college including the President’s Freshman Award and the President’s Sparks Award which are awarded to freshman and sophomore students who achieved a 4.0 GPA. Her junior year she was the Evan Pugh Scholar Junior Award recipient which is granted for being in the top .05% of your class.

Being native to State College, Mosier watched her mom, a nurse practitioner, gain her graduate degree at the College of Nursing. Mosier shares the same passions as her mother and is grateful to be able to attend the same university as her mother and have her as a great role model.

“It feels like a family at the College of Nursing, you grow so close because it is relatively a small major,” Mosier said. “Even the people you don’t directly react with, you share such a common experience. We are all taking most of the same classes every year, we’re on a very similar career path, you have so much support around you.”

Mosier’s favorite aspect of the college is the unity of all the students in your major and class. One thing she would like to see in the future for future generations of nursing students is even more unity, especially incorporating more communication between the classes split up between the Hershey campus and the University Park campus the last two years as a nursing undergraduate student.

Upon graduation, Mosier will be working at Magee-Womens Hospital in Pittsburgh and will be in their obstetrics, neonatal ICU rotational program.

“I’ve loved each part of our schooling, but my favorite was our obstetrics class,” she said. “I am really excited to take everything I’ve learned and channel into my passion which is women’s health.”

During the current pandemic, Mosier continues to recognize the vital role that nurses play in health care across the world which reinforced her decision in becoming a nurse and is looking forward to her future.

“This has really shown me what an invaluable role being a nurse really is,” Mosier said. “I know in the past I've heard sentiments around being 'just a nurse,' but one thing the current state of the world is showing us is that we are so much more than that. Nursing is such an important part of health care that my classmates and I are really proud to be joining.”