Grandmother's Care Inspires Nursing Student
By Rybeccah Jahraus
Audrey Reyes had never stepped foot on Cal State San Marcos’ campus before she enrolled in the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program, almost by accident.
Reyes, a Northern California native, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in health science from Sacramento State in 2023, but knew she wanted to continue her education to pursue a career in nursing. She applied to multiple California State University schools and stumbled upon CSUSM through the Cal State Apply website.
Though she wasn’t familiar with CSUSM, she enjoyed her CSU experience at Sac State and liked what she saw when she visited Southern California over the summer.
However, nursing was not always Reyes’ goal.
“I was very anti-nursing for a long time,” Reyes said. “My mom is a labor and delivery nurse, so she was planting that seed in my head. But I was like, ‘No, I’m going to do my own thing.’ ”
But the death of Reyes’ grandmother from COVID-19 complications in early 2020 changed her perspective.
While Reyes was familiar with health care because of her mom and through volunteer work, she never had seen it the way she did during her grandmother’s time in the hospital.
“I firsthand saw the nurses be that connection for us in a time where we couldn’t go into the hospital,” Reyes said.
In a time when the world was shut down and her freshmen year at Sac State was online, the connection that the nurse made with her and her family provided inspiration.
“Seeing the connection that the nurse was able to create and help us communicate with my grandma in her last days really left a lasting impact,” Reyes said. “It made me think, ‘I want to be that kind of person for someone.’ ”
Once Reyes started pursuing nursing, she found herself liking it more than she imagined. Through the groups of people and professors she met, she found motivation that helped her find the career she wants to pursue.
Armildre Baez, an alumna who graduated from the ABSN program, is one of the professors whom Reyes credits for her success at CSUSM.
“I think the way she carries herself in the hospital reinforced our learning and was very supportive,” Reyes said.
Through the imposter syndrome that Reyes sometimes felt, Baez was there to encourage her and her fellow classmates. Reyes still gets to see Baez during her internship work at Kaiser Permanente in San Marcos, where Baez works as a progressive care unit nurse.
“What stands out most about Audrey as a nursing student is her unwavering dedication and genuine compassion for others,” Baez said. “Her intelligence was evident in the way she grasped complex concepts and applied them thoughtfully. I am confident that Audrey will be an amazing nurse one day and will make a meaningful impact in her patients' lives."
Being away from home for the first time has been one of Reyes’ biggest challenges while attending CSUSM.
“I never had the classic college experience of moving away and dorming,” Reyes said. “Through going to Cal State, I got that experience and was really lucky to meet some good people here.”
As Reyes is preparing to walk across the commencement stage in May, she is most excited for the nursing pinning ceremony. Her parents are high school sweethearts from the Philippines, where they each got their college degrees. They moved to U.S. at different times in their 20s.
“My mom is really excited about the nursing pinning because her mom was the one who pinned her,” said Reyes, whose mom will pin her.
After graduation, Reyes anticipates remaining in a hospital setting in medical surgical or telemetry, with an eye on eventually working in pediatrics.
Media Contact
Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs
ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314