This is a multi-part series celebrating Arizona College of Nursing students, their stories, and their embodiment of the AZCN values.
In 2023, Arizona College of Nursing established the AZCN Values Scholarship Fund as a way to celebrate our values with our colleagues, our students, and the communities in which we serve. Each time an AZCN colleague recognizes another colleague for demonstrating our values, $5 is added to the scholarship fund. These add up to $5,000 scholarships awarded to students the following year who have demonstrated our values within their communities.
Join us in celebrating 2025 AZCN Values Scholarship recipient Marie Clemens as she shares some of her journey to nursing:
From CNA to BSN Student
Meet AZCN Values Scholarship Recipient, Marie Clemens, a Nursing Student at the AZCN Sarasota Campus. Marie started her career as a Certified Nursing Assistant, and her journey into nursing was inspired by her mother and a strong desire to help others.
Watch Marie’s video here:
Marie Shares Her Path to Nursing
All I have ever wanted in life was to become a mother and a nurse. My inspiration came from my own mother, who worked as a nurse for 45 years. She was not only incredibly skilled and intelligent, but also deeply kind and compassionate to everyone she met. I admired how she could bring comfort to people in their most difficult moments, and I knew I wanted to follow in her footsteps.
Life, however, had other plans before I could start my nursing career. I married young and soon welcomed my first child, who was later diagnosed with autism. Around that same time, my mother was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer. I suddenly found myself balancing the roles of caregiver, advocate, and daughter, all while trying to navigate my own dreams.
Raising a child with autism taught me a new level of patience, creativity, and problem-solving. There were moments when my son could not express his needs or emotions, and I had to find ways to communicate and connect with him. I learned to celebrate small victories, to be persistent, and to never give up on finding solutions. Caring for my mother during her cancer treatments also gave me firsthand experience in providing emotional and physical support for someone who was fighting for their life.
These personal experiences led me to start my career as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA). Working as a CNA confirmed my passion for healthcare. I learned the importance of not only tending to a patient’s medical needs, but also offering them dignity, compassion, and a listening ear. Each patient I cared for reminded me of my mother and my son, who deserved understanding, respect, and advocacy.
Now, I am pursuing my nursing degree with the same determination I have carried through every challenge in my life. This scholarship would not only help me financially, but it would also be an investment in my ability to serve others with empathy and skill. I want to combine my personal life lessons with professional training to make a real difference in the lives of patients and families, just as my mother did for so many years.
Nursing is more than a career for me, it is a calling. I have walked in the shoes of both the caregiver and the family member, and I understand how vital compassion and competence are in healthcare. With your support, I can take the next step toward becoming the kind of nurse who not only heals but also inspires hope.
Q&A with Marie
Q: Tell me a bit about your healthcare journey.
M: My mother was a nurse for 40 something years, so I grew up hearing all the stories. I really just wanted to be like her growing up…I got married at 18, had a baby at 21, and was a CNA for a little while. Then, I found myself being a single mom of an infant and I got a job as a secretary. I quickly moved my way up the ladder and ended up being project manager in a construction company for 15 years. My husband looked at me one day and he goes, ‘is there anything else you would ever want to do?’ I always wanted to be a nurse, but I [didn’t] think I could do it. After extensive therapy and talking to my husband, I made the decision to enroll at AZCN. I quit my job, and I started working as a CNA in the hospital and going to school full time.
Q: How did you find Arizona College of Nursing?
M: I was looking at nursing schools in the area, and I wanted somewhere I could actually go to [in person]. I have ADHD, a house full of kids, a husband, so I didn’t want to just sit there and do homework. I need structure. Forcing me to get out of bed and go to campus was helpful as well. When I was looking at Arizona, they would take most of my credits*, so my timeline was shorter, and I wanted a school where I felt like a fit. At Arizona, I felt like I could still do everything I wanted to do. I wanted to have a job, because I needed a job, I needed somewhere that could fit my schedule, my time, and wasn’t completely disrupting my family, and AZCN was that.
Q: What does receiving the AZCN Values Scholarship mean to you?
M: Winning this scholarship made me feel solidified about my decision to go to nursing school. It silenced all of the negativity I was told growing up that I would not be a nurse, I didn’t have the stomach for nursing school, or I wouldn’t be a good nurse. Winning this was like [having] an outside cheerleader that I didn’t know, but that I needed.
*Eligible transfer credit varies by individual student
Start Your Future in Nursing Today
If you’re considering a career as a registered nurse (RN), Arizona College of Nursing is here to help you pursue your dream. Our BSN program enables you to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in just 3 years or less with qualifying transfer credits. We’ve helped hundreds of students to earn a BSN degree and enter the nursing profession – and we’re ready to support you on your path to becoming an RN.
Why Choose Arizona College of Nursing?
- Earn a BSN degree in 3 years or less with eligible transfer credits
- Campus locations throughout the US
- Night classes for general education courses
- Hybrid Online/In-Person format for general education classes
- Nursing education is all we do
- CCNE-Accredited Program*
- NCLEX-RN success coaches and exam preparation class
- Financial aid available to those who qualify
Discover Your Path to a Career in Nursing
Information in this post is accurate as of May 4, 2026.
*The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree program at Arizona College of Nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (https://www.aacnnursing.org/). All Arizona College of Nursing and Arizona College campuses are institutionally accredited by the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (https://www.abhes.org/), a U.S. Department of Education-recognized accrediting agency.