---
title: "Alumni Spotlight: Jeian Miguel’s Calling to Nursing"
url: "https://arizonacollege.edu/blog/alumni-spotlight-jeian-miguel-calling-to-nursing/"
type: post
date_published: 2026-02-23
date_modified: 2026-03-03
schema:
  @type: Article
language: en-US
word_count: 1305
reading_time: 7 min
canonical: "https://arizonacollege.edu/blog/alumni-spotlight-jeian-miguel-calling-to-nursing/"
featured_image: "https://arizonacollege.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Jeian-Miguel-Graduating-Nursing-School-and-Becoming-an-RN.webp"
categories:
  - Nursing School
topic:
  - Nursing
---

# Alumni Spotlight: Jeian Miguel’s Calling to Nursing

![Jeian Miguel Graduating Nursing School and Becoming an RN](https://arizonacollege.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Jeian-Miguel-Graduating-Nursing-School-and-Becoming-an-RN.webp)

When Jeian Miguel started high school, she never imagined that she would become 
a registered nurse. Her plan was set: study forensic science, go to medical
school, and become a medical examiner one day. 

“I loved _Criminal Minds_ and _CSI_,” Jeian said. “I took an anatomy and
physiology course in high school and there was a muscular cystic exam I 
completely bombed,”  

Her teacher offered her and the rest of the class extra credit so they could all
pass, giving them some options, including writing a paper or touring a hospital.
Little did she know that this specific hospital visit would change everything.  

“My mom was a NICU nurse for [almost] 30 years at that point,” she explained.
“I went to work with her that night and got to see all the little blood pressure
cuffs for the babies and all the equipment they use to keep their lives going,
and it was from then on that I started looking more into nursing and what
nursing looks like for other populations, and now I’m here.” 

While TV shows pushed her towards a
[career in healthcare](https://arizonacollege.edu/healthcare-careers/), she
credits her mom and that one extra credit assignment to lead her to
[nursing](https://arizonacollege.edu/accredited-bsn-program/). 

## Finding the Right Fit 

After high school. Jeian started college during the height of COVID-19, deciding
to stay local in the Valley. Her college career began at a four-year university,
but she quickly realized it was not the right environment for her.  

![AZCN Alumni Jeian Miguel on Becoming an RN and Burn Center Nurse](https://arizonacollege.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/AZCN-Alumni-Jein-Miguel-on-Becoming-an-RN-and-Burn-Center-Nurse.webp?w=1024)

“It was a great starting point for me, but I realized the environment wasn’t 
[completely] healthy for me,” she recalls. “The classes were a little too big,
 and the professors were [more focused on numbers] than on individual growth
for students. I wanted a more hands-on, personal learning experience.” 

That’s when she found Arizona College of Nursing, specifically the
[Phoenix campus](https://arizonacollege.edu/phoenix-nursing-school/).  

The smaller class sizes, the accessible professors, and the
[guaranteed support](https://arizonacollege.edu/student-services/) made all the
difference, checking many of the boxes that she always wanted in a college.  

“My professors offered their emails, their hours, and they would guarantee a
24-hour turnaround time. The resources available and the professors available
made a huge difference in my learning career.” 

At Arizona College of Nursing, she also found a sense of community that had been
missing from her previous school.  

“When I came here, it was a mixed population of students. We had people in their
second careers, whether it was in healthcare initially or not, and some fresh
out of high school,” she said.  

## Mentorship and Support 

One professor during Jeian’s time at Arizona College of Nursing stood out above
all: Professor Jillian Lewis. 

“She was by far one of the most outstanding instructors I’ve ever had. She was
an ER nurse for years, traveled overseas to practice, and was also one of the
nurses who unfortunately burnt out from COVID,” she said. “She really pushed us,
 supported us, and helped us to find our own answers.” 

Jeian noted that Professor Lewis taught her students how to be self-sustained as
nursing students. 

“There was one point in time in my career here at Arizona College where I had
some life issues going on that impacted my academic performance… and Professor
Lewis advocated for me.”

That level of mentorship carried through [to] her clinical rotations as well. 

![Jeian Miguel finishing her nursing program](https://arizonacollege.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Jein-Miguel-finishing-her-nursing-progam.webp?w=1024)

“My [final] clinical instructor wrote something so uplifting [on my final
evaluation], and it still sticks with me to this day. She wrote, ‘I can’t wait
to be your colleague instead of your instructor.’ That moment gave me the push I
 needed to finish, get over this senioritis, and finally join the ranks of this
amazing profession.” 

## Building Confidence as an RN 

Nursing school was not always easy for Jeian. There were plenty of long days,
missed life events, and tough exams. However, there were also friendships,
laughter, and a sense of purpose.  

“I built a strong community here, not only in my own semester, but in other
semesters too,” she said. For Jeian, the Student Nurses Association was a huge
part of that. 

During her time in the Student Nurses Association, she was even part of the
mentorship program they had, and continues to touch base with her mentee, a
student who is now in her ninth semester.  

She also found the Learning Resource Center (LRC) and the ability to
[take multiple practice exams with NCLEX-style questions](https://arizonacollege.edu/accredited-bsn-program/nclex-exam-prep/)
using ATI, our comprehensive learning resource, invaluable. 

“We were able to use the study rooms, the whiteboard markers and erasers, the
printers of course, and then our little library. Sometimes we forget how useful
a hardcover textbook is compared to an e-textbook. So having all of that
available just supplemented my learning.” 

As for ATI resources, Jeian claims she used pretty much all of them. From the
practice tests to dynamic quizzing, the textbooks that were given to us at the
beginning of core; they were all extremely helpful to her nursing journey. Jeian
 even shared that she thought the ATI exams were tougher than the NCLEX.  

“In a way it overprepared you to make you really shoot for the stars. That’s how
I passed the NCLEX in 85 questions.” 

And thanks to the school’s rewards program, her hard work literally paid off. 

“I was able to push past the senioritis. I graduated, took my final… and passed
the NCLEX. Suddenly, I had a few thousand dollars in my bank account,” she
shared. 

## Life After Graduation 

There were a lot of late nights, a lot of early mornings, sometimes
back-to-back, but Jeian wouldn’t trade it for the world.  

Today, Jeian is at the Arizona Burn Center, living her dream as a nurse. She
just celebrated 2 years with them after starting as a tech, moving to become a
nurse extern, and now becoming a full-time nurse.  

“My lovely preceptors have been the most supportive, most encouraging people 
I’ve ever had in any of my careers. It’s just a great environment, and to go
from a supportive [college] to another supportive place, I can finally spread
my wings and practice on my own. 

Reflecting on her journey from forensic dreams to burn care, she knows that she
is where she is meant to be. 

“Nursing was a big switch from forensic science, where [I wanted to work with]
patients without a pulse. Now I get to support people at their lowest and see
them get to a better point.” 

For Jeian, getting to help people heal and walk out of the hospital after going
through major, life-changing injuries is one of the most fulfilling things in
the world. 

## Advice to Future Nurses 

Looking back on her journey to nursing, Jeian believes finding the right fit for
a school can make or break your passion for nursing. She shared that she is also
a strong advocate for finding your people and finding your sense of community. 

“It was different finding community [at Arizona College of Nursing]. We were
all here to [become nurses](https://arizonacollege.edu/admissions/) and 
[achieve] our goals.  

For those standing at the beginning of their nursing journey, she has one final
message:  

“My biggest piece of advice for people considering going into nursing school is
to do it. Nursing school is a long, tough journey, but worth it.”

**Categories:** Nursing School