Jennifer Turner, an Ina G. Welborn Scholar, graduated from Cumberland in 2019 with a Bachelors of Science in Nursing.  She currently works at Tristar Summit Medical Center as a Registered Nurse on the medical surgical/oncology floor. 

Jennifer went into nursing because she enjoys helping others and wanted to assist people during some of the hardest times of their lives. 

“I want to be there and care for these patients on their best and worst days,” said Turner. “Nursing has given me such a new perspective on life – to always stay humble and to never take a single thing for granted.”  

She continues to appreciate the education she received as a student.

“CU has given me one of the best educations and foundations that I could have asked for,” said Turner. “It has taught me lessons that I will always carry with me and it has molded me into the individual that I am today.”

Like many college students, nursing school was made possible for her through financial assistance and generous donors.  

“The Ina G. Welborn Scholarship helped ease the financial burden of school,” said Turner. “It allowed me to focus more on my studies as opposed to stressing over the financial aspect of going to school.”  

Her professors and the friendships she made positively affected her experience at CU. 

“In all honesty, every single professor that I had at CU has impacted me in some way,” said Turner. “And for my classmates, let’s just say I came out of there with lifelong friendships. I never would have made it if it weren’t for my peers. We pushed through it together.” 

CU’s nursing program is challenging in order to prepare student nurses for their professional career after graduation. Jennifer and her peers relied on one another to see that they made it across the finish line.  

She credits the education she received at CU in helping her in her professional life as a nurse.  

“For me, there was not one particularly meaningful course,” said Turner. “They all were. From day one all of the courses built off of one another. They created a strong foundation for us to build our career off of. Each semester the new courses helped connect the dots from the previous semester. Every single course helped shape and mold me into the nurse that I am today. I am extremely thankful for my education from CU. It was a tough journey and I was pushed to my limits many times, but thanks to my professors and classmates, I made it through.”  

Cumberland’s nursing school educates selfless healthcare leaders who positively impact their communities.  

It is evident that Jennifer has a passion for her work.  

“I truly love what I do. Like Marc Anthony said, ‘If you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.’”  

We are thankful for our graduates like Jennifer who continuously serve and devote their time to the welfare of others.

To learn more about CU scholarships, visit https://www.cumberland.edu/scholarships/ .