Kelsi Schlundt, a junior BSN major, will be volunteering at the 2015 BSN Preview Day on Jan. 31. (Photo by August Jennewein)

Nursing may be for you. It is for Kelsi Schlundt. She comes from a long line of teachers, but when her father was diagnosed with cancer, the kindness of a nurse during his treatment changed her career path.

“His nurse was the nicest person,” Schlundt said. “The impact she made on his whole outlook, on how he was going to be afterwards, was really inspiring.”

She is hoping to pay that kindness forward and is now a junior pursuing her BSN as a Pierre Laclede Honors College student at the University of Missouri­–St. Louis. The choice to come to UMSL was easy for her after a campus tour.

“When I came here, something just clicked,” she said. “I felt at home. Walking around campus, people were holding doors open and saying hello. And as soon as I walked in to the nursing building, I was like, ‘I want to be a nurse.’ Everybody was so excited. I wanted to be part of this program that was passionate about what they were doing, not just trying to get degrees.”

Schlundt had researched UMSL’s Pre-Licensure BSN options and appreciated the course design that tailors the required general education classes to nurses, who have locked-in schedules that guarantee them seats. She also liked the unique freedom UMSL nursing students have to do clinicals at numerous hospitals across the St. Louis region.

“You can go to Barnes Jewish, St. Anthony’s, different rehab centers for psych clinicals, et cetera. We move all over. And because nursing students get to go to most of the hospitals in the St. Louis area, there are a lot more networking opportunities.”

She recently wrapped up her first semester of clinicals at DePaul Health Center, where she found it easy to apply what she had learned in the classroom.

“They cover all aspects of nursing care in our classes. If somebody has a wound, you learn how to clean it, how to explain it to the patient, how to talk to the family and make everyone feel comfortable. I never felt like I wasn’t prepared in any situation.”

Besides nursing, Schlundt partakes in all kinds of student organizations including Delta Zeta, the Pierre Laclede Honors College Student Association and the Student Mentor Advisory and Recruitment Team.

“I said yes to everything,” she joked. “There are a lot of opportunities to get involved. Plus, I really like the tone of the student body too. They are excited but here to get a serious education.”

Expect to see Schlundt volunteering at the 2015 BSN Preview Day on Jan. 31 for prospective students interested in UMSL’s Pre-Licensure BSN options and admission criteria. The College of Nursing holds two sessions: 10 a.m. to noon and 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Schlundt will be at both sessions, which are held in Seton Center Hall on South Campus.

Visitors will tour the facilities, see what it’s like to take part in an actual nursing class and speak with nursing faculty, staff and current students. RSVPs to askhina@umsl.edu should include their names, number of guests and which session they’ll attend.

Students who submit an UMSL application at Preview Day will have their $35 application fee waived.