Kayla Steinhorst- Living Up to Her Potential

Kayla Steinhorst from Baraboo, Wisconsin, believes the UW-Madison will allow her to reach her educational potential, and she wrote that she also appreciates Madison’s unique and exciting atmosphere. The Gwen P. Shapiro Rural Nursing Scholarship isn’t just a monetary award for Steinhorst; it’s a recognition of her hard work and her parents’ commitment to help her as much as they can, despite tough economic times.

What is your favorite place on campus and why?

I would say that it’s a tie between Memorial Union terrace and the football stadium. The terrace is such a perfect place to go and relax, especially in the spring when the weather is getting better and a tough school year is coming to a close. Being at Camp Randall on game day though is like no other experience. Everyone is fired up, and it makes all of us students at UW seem so much more close-knit than we can seem (otherwise).

Who inspires you?

I am most inspired by my classmates. It never ceases to amaze me how much I can learn from them every day and how deeply they motivate me to be the best student, and one day nurse, that I can be. Rarely, do I feel competitive with my fellow nursing students, but instead, we all support one another. We’re always sharing such amazing stories, learning opportunities and helping each other through problems we face as student nurses. These people truly motivate me to succeed.

What does this scholarship mean to you?

My dad got laid off of his job a little over a year ago, leaving my mom to be the sole provider for our family until he could find something else. As a teacher, she didn’t make that much. He found a new job, but with a drastically lower pay than his last one. As most of us know, an education at a great university like UW does not come cheap, but my parents put everything they had into making sure that I could continue to attend the school I had worked so hard to get into. In return, I put all of my energy into my classwork and getting into nursing school. This scholarship is more than just a monetary award that my family and I desperately needed, it is a personal success. To see my hard work pay off in such a way that I can help my education and my parents at the same time is doubly rewarding. I am so very grateful I was elected to get this scholarship, and proud to be from the small town of Baraboo. My rural roots will be with me forever, no matter where I end up and this scholarship has proved that.