---
title: From Caregiver to Nursing Success at Arizona College of Nursing
url: "https://arizonacollege.edu/blog/from-caregiver-to-nursing-success-at-azcn/"
type: post
date_published: 2026-05-04
date_modified: 2026-05-04
schema:
  @type: Article
language: en-US
word_count: 1078
reading_time: 6 min
canonical: "https://arizonacollege.edu/blog/from-caregiver-to-nursing-success-at-azcn/"
featured_image: "https://arizonacollege.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Nursing-School-Scholarship-Award-Group.webp"
categories:
  - Nursing School
topic:
  - Nursing
---

# From Caregiver to Nursing Success at Arizona College of Nursing

![Nursing School Scholarship Award Group](https://arizonacollege.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Nursing-School-Scholarship-Award-Group.webp)

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](https://arizonacollege.edu/admissions/scholarships/)
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](https://arizonacollege.edu/sarasota-nursing-school/).
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.

![Marie Clemens Nursing Program Scholarship Recipient](https://arizonacollege.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Marie-Clemens-Nursing-Program-Scholarship-Recipient.webp?w=811)

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](https://arizonacollege.edu/accredited-bsn-program/)
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.

![How to get nursing scholarships at AZCN](https://arizonacollege.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Nursing-scholarships-at-AZCN.webp?w=1024)

## 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](https://arizonacollege.edu/admissions/). 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?

![Nursing school scholarship recipient Marie Clemens](https://arizonacollege.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Nursing-school-scholarship-recipient-Marie-Clemens.webp)

M: I was looking at
[nursing schools in the area](https://arizonacollege.edu/accredited-bsn-program/why-azcn/)
, 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](https://arizonacollege.edu/admissions/credit-transfer-info/)
\*, 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

**Categories:** Nursing School