Maisey Ayer

UConn School of Nursing, Class of 2018

I am a student at the University of Connecticut’s School of Nursing. I grew up in Southington, CT, and attended Mercy High School in Middletown, CT.

I have been on three mission trips to Haiti and to Mexico, where I worked in an orphanage and in an elderly home, respectively. The need for love, affirmation, and comfort that I saw and felt through these experiences solidified my desire to become a nurse. I now work as a Personal Care Associate in a homecare setting for geriatric patients and for a young boy with a seizure disorder, two very different settings with very similar needs for love. It is a privilege to assist my patients at some of the most difficult, most embarrassing, and most frustrating times of their lives. In these moments, I have learned that everything has meaning, and that to give care means doing what needs to be done proficiently and efficiently, with my whole being.

The heart of nursing is the ability to care deeply while giving care. The Urban Service Track will build upon my sense of being truly present with my patients, allowing me to become the best possible advocate for them. The challenges and opportunities that will arise are all a part of the journey towards embracing the unique worth and individuality of each patient. I believe this is the single most important part of giving care.