Bella Schuelke x'25

Even though she applied to numerous colleges, Bella Schuelke always knew she wanted to attend the UW–Madison School of Nursing. She liked that it was big enough to offer many opportunities while also facilitating a sense of closeness with peers and instructors, and she also admired the School’s prestigious reputation.

“The competitiveness of the major here only intrigued me further, giving me something to work towards and keeping me motivated,” says Schuelke. “I knew that if I was admitted to the School of Nursing, the classmates I would be surrounded with would be just as driven and inspired as I was.”

Now that her dream is a reality, Schuelke says, “I can confidently say choosing to study nursing at UW–Madison has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”

But nursing hasn’t always been easy, and at one point, Schuelke thought about switching majors. “I remember coming out of my first Chem 103 discussion, calling my mom and proclaiming that ‘I can’t do this, it’s too hard, and I’m not meant to be a nurse.’” Schuelke’s mother suggested she wait a week or two before making an official decision. It proved to be a wise choice. “A couple of weeks later (when metric conversions had passed), my passion for nursing was alive again,” says Schuelke. “I learned a handful of lessons here: 1. Maybe mothers do know best, 2. Don’t give up too quickly, and 3. Being a nursing major is hard, but so very worth it.”

Schuelke has many plans for after graduation. She wants to pursue a nursing career in women’s health with a focus on working with pregnant women. She’s also interested in working at a medical spa as a nurse Injector and one day going back to school to become a nurse practitioner or nurse anesthetist.