Lemlem Jeldo received her bachelor’s in 2021 and is currently pursuing her master’s in nursing. Her goal is to earn her Doctor of Nursing Practice with a focus on midwifery. She credits FSOS with its focus on how culture, religion, and intimacy affect children and families as the “…Perfect undergrad major for master’s in nursing students.”

Jeldo said Sara Axtell, an FSOS lecturer, helped guide her in preparing to apply to the School of Nursing and was also a graduate school reference. Internships are a key component of the undergraduate major in Family Social Science so that students complete their degree with work experience that helps them launch their career.  

“I went to her office and we would talk about all these opportunities,” says Jeldo. “My family didn’t really understand what the degree was and Sara spent a lot of time with me talking about what I could do. My internships helped me to get accepted to my program and gain more experience.”

Axtell guided her towards an internship as a personal care assistant where she worked with patients with disabilities, learned how to dispense medications, and gained valuable patient care experience that helped prepare her for the master’s in nursing program.

Her advice? “Build relationships with a professor for letters of recommendation and other opportunities. Go to office hours and get help. Even if you doubt yourself, keep working and don’t give up.”