For one student at Arizona College of Nursing, the journey to nursing school has been more than studying, balancing clinical demands, and preparing for a future career. It has been about finding a calling and making a difference.
Meet Giovannia Downs: A mother, wife, former medical assistant, and current nursing student leader who is redefining what it means to pursue your goals. On top of gaining an education, Giovannia is the Vice President of the Student Nursing Association (SNA) and a member of the Social Scrub Squad at AZCN’s Fort Lauderdale campus.
Giovannia leverages her position as a member of the Social Scrub Squad to share the unfiltered truth of nursing school and utilizes it as a platform for leadership and a way to inspire others. She not only is working toward her own degree, but she is inspiring a whole new set of future nurses to take the leap and enroll.
Giovannia’s Call to Care
Giovannia’s path to nursing began in Nicaragua. Her passion for the medical field was not something she found in a textbook. Instead, it was something that she had lived with since childhood.
“I remember always wanting to be in the medical field. I remember always playing with my dolls and pretending to be a doctor [or] a veterinarian. I always wanted to be the one taking care of my sister [when she] would fall and get a scrape. I was the one rushing with a band-aid,” explained Giovannia.
That deep desire to heal stayed with her as she grew up. She always looked up to the healthcare professionals who advocated for their patients and knew she wanted to be the same person for others one day.
As a result, Giovannia moved to the United States eight years ago and began working as a medical assistant. It was here that a colleague noticed her potential to be a truly inspiring leader in the medical field.
“I remember a doctor telling me, ‘Don’t take this a bad way, but you can do so much more than a medical assistant. Why don’t you go back to school?’ I was like, ‘No, med school is a long journey.’ I already had a daughter…and I was like, ‘You know what? I can be a nurse. I can still give to the community being a nurse and is a shorter trajectory.”
Finding Arizona College of Nursing
When it came time for Giovannia to choose a school, she was not just looking for a degree; she was looking for a community. Like many students, her search for a college began online. However, it was human connection and hard data that solidified AZCN was the right fit for her.
“Well, it’s cliche to say this…but I feel like Arizona found me because I was looking for universities and it came up on my searches. I communicated with the advisors here and everything went smoothly. It just gave me a good sense of energy,” she said.
In addition to the “vibes” of the college, Giovannia had a very specific checklist of things she looked for in a school. In the state of Florida, where NCLEX pass rates are a major talking point for prospective nurses, she did her research.
“For me, the most important thing was the NCLEX score, because here in Florida, there’s a lot of colleges or universities that have pretty low [NCLEX scores]. That was one of the first things I looked at. When I went on the [AZCN] webpage and saw their score, I was like, ‘this is it.’”
The speed of the application process also appealed to her. From finding information about the College in June to starting classes soon after, the transition was seamless. She credits the staff and faculty for this welcoming atmosphere.
“I just love being here. Like the Dean, she’s amazing and very reachable. The faculty wants to help, [and] you can feel that. That’s what I love the most about Arizona College of Nursing. Every time I speak about Arizona, I speak about it pridefully and I always give my experience, which has been nothing but excellent.”
Joining the Social Scrub Squad
On top of studying, prepping for clinicals, and taking care of her life at home, Giovannia decided to expand her impact at the College through social media. Joining the Social Scrub Squad, a group of students from our campuses across the United States, who love creating content, staying updated with trends, and connecting with others, allowed her to share the realities of nursing school.
“Being part of the Social Scrub Squad has been nothing but a fun and meaningful experience because when I was looking for a college, I was looking on social media. I wanted to give that to [others]. I wanted to show not only the rewarding part of the nursing journey, but also the challenging part. And that’s what I have based [my content] on. I don’t only share the good things that I’m going through. I also share the challenging parts.”
Through social media platforms, her confidence, communication, and creativity have blossomed, and she has become a mentor who takes pride in representing AZCN. She often shares “Day in the Life” videos, her own clinical experiences, and organizational tips and tricks.
Her impact as part of the Social Scrub Squad is clear, as Dean Jenny Lucy, DNP, MSN-Ed, PMHNP-BC, APRN, CNE, Dean of Nursing at Arizona College of Nursing’s Fort Lauderdale campus, even mentioned that multiple people have enrolled at Arizona College of Nursing, citing her videos as one of their reasons why.
“Dean Lucy told me there’s a lot of people that have come here from watching my videos. A lot of people have reached out on me on TikTok asking, ‘How is it?’ or ‘How many prerequisites?’ I will text them back [and say,] ‘DM me and I’ll send you all the details,’ because that’s why I did it, right? Because I wanted people to have the information.”
Balancing Leadership and Motherhood
In addition to her roles on campus, Giovannia is a wife and mother. According to her, the roles don’t compete for her attention. Instead, they work together.
“I’m a people person. I love […] interacting with people [and] being part of the SNA helps me with that. And then, joining the social scrub squad – they go together. It is just like [being] a nursing leader on campus.”
Though Giovannia is humble about her influence, many of her instructors have noticed her natural talent and personable nature.
“I get that a lot…In my last two clinical rotations, I was told by my instructors that I am a natural leader,” Giovannia shares. “I want to guide [others], so I guess it comes out like that motherly kind of persona per se. So yes, I guess that does make me kind of a leader.”
For her, clinical rotations are where her “calling” is reaffirmed and where she truly enjoys combining classroom theory with the hospital’s realities to be a leader.
“I told my husband, when I go to my clinical rotations, I come back home and [am] like, ‘This is what I need to be doing.’ This is what I love doing. I love being there, and I just enjoy it so much.”
Instead of viewing nursing as just a job, she views it as an opportunity to be the person she would want by her own bedside.
“I want to be the person that’s going to give [a patient] all [they need] to make [them] feel better… [I] put myself into their place and think what I would want [in] a nurse [taking] care of me? I would like a nurse to advocate for me, and I would like a nurse to care.”
Advice for the Next Generation of Nurses
As she gets closer to graduation, Giovannia has a message for individuals considering starting their own nursing journey, especially those who may be worried about their age or the time it will take.
“My advice is to do it. Don’t think about it too much. It will help you time manage, it will teach you discipline, and] it will teach you perseverance. If you think about it too much, the time is going to go by, so just do it… It’s never late, it’s never too early, so just go for it.”
Giovannia’s story shows that it is never too late to find your passion or become a leader. Whether she is advocating for patients, leading meetings for the SNA, or filming a video for social media to encourage others to embark on their own nursing journey, she shows that anyone can make a difference in their community at any time.
“I always tell people, don’t get into nursing if you don’t feel passionate about it, because we need compassionate people out there, especially in the medical field.”
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 June 15, 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.