---
title: "From Patient to Nurse: Brandi’s Story of Hope and Healing"
url: "https://arizonacollege.edu/blog/from-patient-to-nurse-brandi-victor/"
type: post
date_published: 2025-11-04
date_modified: 2026-04-10
schema:
  @type: Article
language: en-US
word_count: 814
reading_time: 5 min
canonical: "https://arizonacollege.edu/blog/from-patient-to-nurse-brandi-victor/"
featured_image: "https://arizonacollege.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/BSN-Degree-Scholarship-Recipient-at-a-Nursing-College-Near-Me.webp"
categories:
  - Nursing School
topic:
  - Nursing
---

# From Patient to Nurse: Brandi’s Story of Hope and Healing

![BSN Degree Scholarship Recipient at a Nursing College Near Me](https://arizonacollege.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/BSN-Degree-Scholarship-Recipient-at-a-Nursing-College-Near-Me.webp)

_This is a multi-part series celebrating Arizona College of Nursing students, their stories, and their embodiment of the AZCN values._

![Nursing Program Scholarship Recipient Brandi Victor](https://arizonacollege.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Nursing-Program-Scholarship-Recipient-Brandi-Victor.webp?w=300)

_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 Brandi Victor as she shares some of her journey to nursing:_

## Patient Turned Nurse

Meet AZCN Values Scholarship Recipient, Brandi Victor, a Nursing Student at the
AZCN Cincinnati Campus. Brandi’s journey into nursing was inspired by her own
health challenges, including diabetes and kidney failure. She chose to pursue
nursing after a nurse at her dialysis clinic encouraged her, recognizing her
natural ability to educate and help others.

## Brandi Shares Her Path to Nursing

After having both of my children I began to get ill. I started dialysis at 34
years old. My dialysis healthcare team encouraged me to become a nurse because I
educated myself and would teach other patients about organ transplants. I
received my kidney transplant in 2016 and went to school in 2017. I became a
Licensed Practical Nurse in 2018. I then got a second transplant and received a
pancreas. It was quite an adjustment, but I was willing to do it. I went back to
school to obtain my Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) but unfortunately had
to withdraw because my pancreas rejected. I learned so much about healthcare
being a “professional” patient my entire life. I know my life experiences will
help others.

## Q&A with Brandi

**Q:** How did you find Arizona College of Nursing?

**A:** I was at a different school…and during one of the lessons, they were not
teaching accurate information. I said, ‘These are my cohorts, and these are
people’s lives that you’re dealing with.’ I don’t want other people to be
damaged potentially by learning improper information. I was asked, ‘How do you
know?’ And I said, ‘Because I live it.’ So, when you’re talking about diabetes
and you’re talking about nephrology, I live that daily even to this day. You
need to know accurate information. So, I talked to the counselor, and I said, ‘I
think I need to withdraw.’

…I researched other schools and [thought], ‘Okay, you’re going to graduate
with your ASN to turn around and get your BSN. Might as well go straight for
your BSN.’ I went through the process, I filed the application, I was contacted,
I interviewed, and I just kind of fell in love with the fact that everyone there
has gone through and at least got their master’s in nursing and is teaching us.
So, from experience, that motivated me, and I felt like I was making a good
decision.

**Q:** How has AZCN been for you so far?

**A:** It’s a family. Each of the teachers and each of the classmates are
willing to help one another and they make themselves available. Every faculty
has the same attitude. [They are] willing to go above and beyond, set study
hours with you outside of class, on breaks, and do different things like that to
help you achieve. It is very supportive and very encouraging to know that we
have such a strong support system between ourselves and the faculty that we work
with. It’s an amazing school.

**Q:** Do you have any standout moments from your time at AZCN so far?

**A:** I was in microbio and I wanted to be successful. The teacher, Doctor
Broughton, was amazing. He would show us how moving around the room activates
different parts of our brain to help you with recollection of what you’re
learning. He made class fun. It was very interactive and memorable. And it was
on his exam that I got the absolute highest score. I tried to not scream and
jump for joy…I started to leave, and he came over and was like, ‘you are
absolutely amazing, you’re going to be an amazing nurse.’ Afterwards, I texted
him and said, ‘I want to thank you for being a phenomenal teacher. You made me
want to learn.’ I was excited to come to his class. I’m excited to go to all
classes, but I was really excited to come to his class. He was very encouraging
to the whole class, so I think that was my most memorable moment, getting the
highest grade on the final and being able to go off into core happily.

**Categories:** Nursing School