At La Salle, Erian Henighan, ’29, is able to explore a variety of interests while working toward her bachelor’s degree in nursing.
Erian Henighan, ’29, felt like nursing was the perfect fit to bring together her love of working with people and her interest in the health sciences.
When it came time for Erian Henighan, ’29, to choose her college major, she felt like nursing was the perfect fit to bring together her love of working with people and her interest in the health sciences.
“I always wanted to do something in healthcare, so nursing felt like the perfect intersection for me,” she said.
She chose to pursue that dream at La Salle as she felt confident that the School of Nursing and Health Sciences could equip her with the knowledge and skills she needed. She also had a personal account from her uncle, who attended the University for a degree in computer science and enjoyed his experience.
Now a sophomore, Henighan is finding her place at 20th and Olney. She’s engaged in and out of the classroom through a variety of different clubs and organizations, including La Salle’s Student Nurses Association of PA chapter (SNAP), Black Student Union (BSU), Ambassadors, and Pep Band. She also works as a resident assistant and was elected by her classmates to serve as a representative for the sophomore class on the Undergraduate Student Advisory Board of the College of Nursing.
This year, she’s begun her clinical rotations, something she’s enjoying as she begins to gain patient care experience. In the fall semester, she and her classmates visited West Oak Lane Senior Center to work with the residents.
“I go there every week and play Scrabble with this one lady, and she’s so sweet, but she’s so good at Scrabble, and she’s very competitive. So, I feel like it’s sharpening me up and I’m learning some new words,” she said.
While some of Henighan’s classes are challenging, she said the support of her friends and classmates has helped motivate her.
“I’m with people who are going through the same thing, so we built some community around that,” she said.
Her social activities have also allowed her to grow her connections on campus, making friends outside of her nursing classes and connecting with students across different class years and majors.
In the future, Henighan hopes to continue her education to become a nurse practitioner working in women’s health. She said the experiences she’s gained at La Salle have allowed her to grow confidence in herself.
“At La Salle, I’m able to exercise self-advocacy, which I think is really good,” she said, referring to how she feels empowered to talk to faculty and staff when she has a question and can act as a leader among her peers. “I’ve kind of built up my self-esteem since high school, so I’m a lot more open to being seen by people and connecting with people. And so, I feel like I’ve had a lot of opportunities to do that here.”
— Meg Ryan, M.A. ’24
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