As summer continues, so does orientation. With over 200 students entering the School of Nursing as the class of 2029, the program’s academic advisors make sure every student is equipped with the necessary tools to succeed.

These students all have a different story to tell, but no matter their journey they all have one thing in common – a passion for nursing.

Abigail (Abby) Griffiths

From Northeast Ohio, Abigail Griffiths ’29 (NURS) wants nothing more than to be a pediatric oncology nurse. Her experience with friends and family having cancer is what motivates her to be that helping hand when times get tough.

When Griffiths was younger, her grandmother passed away from cancer, leaving a lasting impact on Griffiths’ life. She also witnessed the effects cancer had on one of her friends from her high school tennis team. Griffiths saw the mental and physical struggles her teammate and grandmother were dealing with and knew how hard that battle had been.

“To be able to be someone who can help people who are going through similar situations is really important to me,” said Griffiths. “So being able to hopefully make a difference in someone’s life or even being able to make someone smile when they are sick or having a rough time makes me happy and is something I strive to do.”

The research opportunities that the School of Nursing offers, and UConn’s community and environment is what stood out to Griffiths when choosing where to continue her education.

Griffiths referred to UConn as “one big family,” and while she’s excited to further her education in nursing, she is also ready to discover herself. During her time as a Husky, she plans on continuing her swimming career by joining UConn Club Swimming. She’s also looking forward to UConn basketball games and meeting new people within her School of Nursing class.

As she gets ready to become a Husky this fall semester, she’s taking a special piece of advice from her swimming coach with her: “You are just as worthy and capable of everything in life just as much as everyone else – I deserve to be here and I am capable of doing very well in nursing school and even through hard times I can still do great things,” Griffiths said.

Katherine (Katie) Wojtas

Katherine Wojtas ’29 (NURS), from upstate New York, is no stranger when it comes to traveling. Wojtas has been to the Dominican Republic three times to assist in community development and sustainability projects and doesn’t plan on stopping there.

While in the Dominican Republic she helped communities in the sugar cane fields. With her fellow students, she laid cement floors in houses, built a running water system, and built latrines. Wojtas plans to continue doing community service abroad as a Husky, where she can hopefully travel with the School of Nursing.

“The opportunities for local and global service were one of the main reasons why I chose UConn,” she said. “I hope to travel to Ireland or Rwanda with the School of Nursing since it is a meaningful way to learn and make an impact at the same time!”

Wojtas is entering her first year with experience in the healthcare field. During her senior year of high school, she participated in a medical career program at her local nursing home. She received hands-on experience in various healthcare roles and got to shadow nurses.

“It helped me confirm my passion for nursing by allowing me to shadow professionals and learn basic clinical skills. It also opened my eyes to the impact nurses have on patient care,” she said.

She’s excited to start clinicals and learn from the School of Nursing faculty where she hopes to become a nurse practitioner in the future. Apart from her own academics and studying abroad, she wants to join the Women’s Club Flag Football team and healthcare affiliated clubs to connect with others who have similar interests.

“I hope to grow personally and professionally, maintain strong grades, and gain the confidence and skills necessary to become an RN,” said Wojtas.

Check out our other class of 2029 student profiles:

Shaunty Mae Vidad and Carlin Sabo