By Lauren Buelow, student writer, UW-Eau Claire News Bureau
Sara Yaron
- Mosinee, Wis.
- Bachelor of science in nursing
- What's next: Graduate school at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
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UW-Eau Claire photo by Bill Hoepner |
Sara Yaron's experience at UW-Eau Claire included accumulating a long list of goals, resulting in an even longer list of accomplishments.
As a nursing major in the honors program, Yaron was presented with many opportunities to broaden her education. She never hesitated to make the most of them all.
Yaron's fondest memories are of travel. She participated in the UW-Eau Claire Continuing Education/UW-Extension Central European Travel Seminar the summer after her freshman year, learning about European history during a three-week tour. The summer before her senior year, Yaron traveled to Anchorage, Alaska, for one of the clinical cultural immersion experiences offered by the College of Nursing and Health Sciences.
"A group of 17 nursing students traveled there to work in two different hospitals and get experience working with the Alaska native population," Yaron said. "It was great to get that exposure to a different culture, and also a really fun trip to take with my classmates."
While on campus, Yaron was a peer health educator with the Student Wellness Advocacy Team (SWATeam). She was honored with the Outstanding Peer Health Educator Award in 2008.
"This really broadened my scope of how I viewed the university, and introduced me to people and programs that I otherwise would not have known existed on our campus," Yaron said. "I stepped out of my comfort zone and had a lot of fun with this job."
Yaron also is a member of several honor societies, attended leadership programs and volunteered with various organizations on and off campus.
"I would say my proudest accomplishment is making the most out of my experience as a student at UW-Eau Claire," Yaron said. "I came here with a focus and determination of achieving a degree in four years, and while I have done that, I have more importantly been able to gain a wide variety of experiences that have really enriched my education and helped prepare me for my future.
"I wasn’t afraid to take on a project or try out a new experience. Those things are what have helped me to achieve my potential and what make me proud of how far I have come in my four years at UW-Eau Claire."
More on Sara Yaron
Future plans: This summer I will be studying for and taking the registered nurse licensure exam. In the fall I will be off to grad school in the Twin Cities to get my doctorate of nursing practice in public health nursing. My emphasis is going to be in adolescent health, so I will work primarily with that population, focusing on the health promotion aspect of nursing through education and advocacy.
Unique aspects of her UW-Eau Claire experience: I really enjoyed being a part of the nursing program, where our class sizes are small and we travel through the program with the same people. It really gave us the chance to develop close friendships and learn to work with one another like we will as nursing colleagues. I was also able to participate in the nursing honors program, which let me investigate my area of interest (public health nursing) more than the standard curriculum required.
What she liked most about her UW-Eau Claire experience: I’ve really enjoyed all of the people at UW-Eau Claire. The faculty is approachable and wants to help you be successful. Students have a really great energy and make the university as great as it is. And the Eau Claire community is very accepting of college students and having the university in the area, which helped make both the on- and off-campus experiences more enjoyable. I also really liked that I was exposed to variety of disciplines and could take classes outside of nursing to explore other interests.
Highlights of her UW-Eau Claire experience and her proudest accomplishments while she was here:
- Travel opportunities (Central European Travel Seminar; clinical cultural immersion experience in Anchorage, Alaska; honor society conventions in various U.S. cities)
- Being a peer health educator with the Student Wellness Advocacy Team (SWATeam).
- Finishing my degree in four years.
Advice for incoming students: Keep an open mind and take advantage of every opportunity you’re given. You never know what you will learn, who you will meet, and where it will take you!
Learn about other featured May 2009 graduates
