How Nursing Became This International Student’s Way to Make a Difference

When Amarachi Nwosu was stuck inside during the COVID-19 pandemic, she made herself a promise. 

When the pandemic ended she vowed to return to school to get a nursing degree so she could give back like all the health providers who she saw on the front lines. She’d always wanted to be in the medical field and now was the time.

Today, Amarachi is close to fulfilling that promise. She’s a Nursing student at CNM and will soon finish her degree. After CNM the plan is to attend UNM so she can get her Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing.

“The pandemic made me rethink everything and it prompted me to really follow my dream,” she says. 

Because Amarachi is so invested in giving back, she didn’t want to attend any old nursing program. Before she applied to CNM she did her homework and everyone she came across said CNM’s program was second to none. 

She’s found that to be true every single day.

“CNM’s program is so well organized. You literally see yourself taking the next step toward becoming a nurse every time you’re in the classroom,” she says. “I feel like I get to climb another step on the nursing ladder after every class.”

She’s also loved the instructors. 

“The instructors at CNM are all invested and you can see it. They understand that people like me have a dream, and they want to help any way they can,” she says.

Amarachi, who grew up in Nigeria and is part of the Igbo tribe, says that when she graduates she wants to find a nursing job where she can give back to the communities here in the United States that have helped her get her training and welcomed her at every step.

“I love New Mexico not only because the pace of life is slightly slower, like my home back in Nigeria, but also because everyone here has been so nice,” she says. 

After working Stateside, Amarachi has long-term plans for her degree. Her mom has suffered from diabetes for years, and Amarachi wants to eventually return to Nigeria to open a diabetes clinic in the southeastern part of the country where she’s from.

“I’ve watched all my life as my mom struggled so I want to be able to help others with diabetes take care of their health and let them know they can still live their lives,” she says.