A Standout Nursing Program

When one of Benell’s high school teachers learned she wanted to become a nurse, he told her that Luther was a program she needed to consider. “He felt Luther had one of the best four-year programs in the Midwest. And when I learned that the Luther nursing program partnered with Mayo Clinic, I thought it was amazing,” Benell says.

She applied to several Lutheran colleges (including Luther) and was accepted at each one. Benell recalls, “I visited all of them, but when I stepped onto Luther’s campus, it immediately felt like home to me. I knew it was where I wanted to spend the next four years.”

Career Choice and Independence

“Studying at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, during my junior year really solidified what I felt was my calling to be a nurse,” Benell says. “My clinical and classroom experiences made me realize that nursing was my true passion.”

Her experience with study-abroad trips also helped Benell achieve a higher degree of independence. “My two January Term study abroad trips to Jamaica and Tanzania helped shape me to be the person I am today,” she says. “I have always had a deep desire to travel the world, experience different cultures, and simply learn.”

Education and Co-Curriculars Offer Balance

Benell took part in numerous co-curriculars when she was at Luther and recommends current students do the same. “My best advice is to get involved,” she says. “The activity fair during the first week of school is the best thing ever! It lets you see all of the major groups, teams, forums, committees, fraternities, sororities, and everything else in one glance.”

Benell understands that college is primarily for education but says, “Your co-curriculars give you outlets to provide balance in your life and will provide the foundation for a well-rounded, holistic education that you can take with you forever. I learned that the combination of the two is really what Luther is all about.”