Class of 2026 Graduates Head to Top Nursing Programs

According to a National Institutes of Health study conducted in one hospital intensive care unit, 86% of the time a patient was with a health care worker, it was a nurse. That’s compared to just 13% with a physician.

In just about every medical setting, nurses perform and assist with medical procedures, monitor and assess patients, operate sophisticated equipment, collaborate with doctors, therapists, and other specialists on treatment plans, provide emotional support to families, and more.

It’s a career that requires a myriad of skills and the ability to think critically and clearly.

In other words, a perfect job for a graduate of a liberal arts college.

Bryn Mawr Class of 2026 members Suli Kamholtz-Roberts and Juanita Beenyi will both be attending graduate school this fall to pursue nursing degrees. Kamholtz-Roberts, a biochemistry major from Evanston, Illinois, will be attending the University of Pennsylvania, and Beenyi, a chemistry major from Ghana, will be attending Johns Hopkins.

“We need really smart nurses and nurse practitioners,” says Kamholtz-Roberts. “We need great midwives. We need great nurse anesthetists. Nursing is different than it used to be. It’s not just starting IVs and things like that. Nurses are primary practitioners for many people, especially in underserved areas where there might not even be a doctor available. You need all these really high-level, capable, competent nurses who are focused on patient care. I think that's the future of health care.”

Beenyi came to Bryn Mawr from Ghana thinking she might work in pharmaceuticals, but became interested in nursing, considering not just her academic interests but also who she is as a person and what she wanted to get out of a career.

"I realized that empathy and compassion come naturally to me, and this played a major role in my decision to pursue nursing," she says.

Kamholtz-Roberts knew she wanted to do something related to healthcare, thinking medical school or medical research would be her most likely paths.

Through Bryn Mawr’s partnership with Swarthmore in the Tri-Co, she joined the student group SwatDoulas, became a certified doula, and helped deliver babies at a local birthing center.

At Penn, Kamholtz-Roberts will be enrolled in both the traditional nursing program and the midwifery program.

“I've always been called towards work with mothers and babies, and reproductive health care, but to be in the birth room was just such a joy,” she says. 

Beenyi is considering leveraging her strength in math to become a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA).

Both Beenyi and Kamholtz-Roberts credit their Bryn Mawr experiences for shaping their career decisions, particularly their time working in the labs of Associate Professor of Chemistry Yan Kung and Assistant Professor of Chemistry Ashlee Plummer-Medeiros.

“It's one thing for professors to teach you. It’s another thing for them to actually believe in you,” says Beenyi. “I am grateful to Dr. Kung, my PI, and Dr. Plummer for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to grow”.

“Dr. Plummer believes in all of us so deeply,” adds Kamholtz-Roberts. “She makes you think you can do anything.”

Look for more coverage of members of the Class of 2026 leading up to Bryn Mawr’s undergraduate commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 16.

If you are a member of the Class of 2026, share your post-Bryn Mawr plans with us at commuications@brynmawr.edu for an opportunity to be highlighted.

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