Jacqueline Waweru, RN, grew up in Nairobi, Kenya, the first of five children, and moved to Worcester six years ago. The Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing student wants to earn her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree to give back to her community.
“My mom, who bravely embraced the journey of motherhood at the age of 17 as a single parent, has been a profound source of inspiration in my life. She was in so much pain and had no epidural during childbirth,” said Waweru, who is passionate about addressing health disparities for women of color because of her mother’s experience. “What she went through to bring me into this world really stuck with me. This is not a degree to just put in the back pocket—it’s for me to be out there and make an impact in the lives of people I know.”
Waweru is enrolled in the Graduate Entry Pathway to Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program in the psychiatric mental health track. She said it was a friend’s struggle with postpartum depression that inspired her to choose the field.
“Even as her close friend, I didn’t notice she had postpartum depression. She said she didn’t have much support because her care team only focused on the baby, and that made me concerned. There’s a need for somebody like me,” she said.
Waweru, who studied economics and finance at Kenyatta University, works as a patient care assistant at UMass Memorial Medical Center University Campus on the med surg floor. In the future, she hopes to run her own clinic in Worcester and in Nairobi.
“I encourage [anyone who reads this] to pursue their passions and believe in themselves. There are so many people seeking health care. There’s a need, and you can fulfill that need,” Waweru said. “Why not you? When you look at yourself in the mirror, you should say, ‘Why not me?’”
“Going through nursing school has built up my confidence—it’s built me up to take risks and never put myself down. Even if you impact one person, that person could go on to impact the thousands. You’re not just a nurse. You’re not just a title. It goes beyond that.”
The Student Spotlight series features UMass Chan Medical School students in the Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing and T.H. Chan School of Medicine. For more information about UMass Chan Medical School and how to apply, visit the Prospective Students page.
