College: St. Louis University
Major: Nursing
Growing up and hearing about her mom helping others as a nurse sparked TK Bernsen’s interest in nursing. Bernsen spends part of her days at STL CAPS learning to become a labor and delivery nurse. Whether through observing procedures in the operating room to being able to comfort new moms during delivery, Bernsen is working towards her dream.
Because of her involvement in the medicine and healthcare course in the STL CAPS program, Bernsen said she has been able to work with patients and nurses and has been able to gain a head-start into her field.
“[I’ve had] so many hands-on experiences that a high schooler normally wouldn’t get,” Bernsen said. “[These experiences] solidified my choice to go into nursing and it’s been really cool.”
Evan Thornberry, Bernsen’s math teacher last year, said that Bernsen has a good mindset towards mental health and the importance of paying attention to it. He also shared that it provides her with a good frame of mind for someone interested in nursing.
“You can’t really talk about [nursing] and how difficult [that is],” Thornberry said. “Without also talking about [how] you need to be able to take care of yourself and mental health.”
STL CAPS has provided Bernsen the opportunity to have internships at hospitals, providing her with real-world experiences. Throughout the program, she has made numerous connections with professionals in the field.
“I went to St. Mary’s labor and delivery for my internship [where I] got to see C-Sections, which has been really cool,” Bernsen said. “All the nurses said they’ll remember me, and [that] they’ll keep me in mind when I come back for nursing school.”
Kelly Nevins, anatomy and physiology teacher, said that Bernsen is able to share her experiences from CAPS with her classmates. Nevins also said that it is clear that she is very excited and interested in a career in nursing.
“She asks a lot of questions and I [could] tell from the minute she was in my class that she was super interested in science and human health,” Nevins said. “She is going to be super successful.”
