Hello Professor Newtz!
My name is McKinzi Lee and I am a second-year nursing student here at The Ohio State University College of Nursing!
I’m from Marysville, Ohio and grew up on my family’s grain farm that produces corn and soybeans. Farming has always been and always will be a huge part of my life and people from home are often shocked to hear that I chose a career in nursing instead of agriculture. Nevertheless, they are proud that I found something I am truly passionate about and are just as excited about my journey as I am.
I also surprised myself by choosing nursing as a major and future career. When I first came to Ohio State, I planned on majoring in business, but started out in the University’s Exploration Program. This is where I was first interested in the College of Nursing and after talking it out with my parents, I decided to apply (against my advisor’s recommendation). I was told multiple times that the program was too hard to get in to and the classes I still needed as prerequisites would make my upcoming Spring semester too challenging to handle. This just made me work harder and want it more.
Throughout my first year, I spent a lot of time visiting my grandpa at the new James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute. Seeing how the nurses there made his already miserable experience a little bit more bearable, made me realize that nursing was truly what I wanted to do. Receiving my acceptance letter in June was a day I’ll never forget, along with my grandpas smile on FaceTime when I told him the news. He never missed a chance to tell me how proud of me he was.
Along with my parents, I live with my four younger sisters and my dog, Tressel. My house as you could guess, is never quiet and I wouldn’t want it any other way! All five of us kids have always played soccer and basketball and shown sheep and chickens at our county fair. My summers are always super busy and packed with all kinds of family fun, and therefore summer is my favorite season.
My interests include all things Ohio State! Both of my parents graduated from The Ohio State University so, ever since I was little, I’ve been taught how to be a Buckeye! I love watching any OSU sport but football and basketball are definitely my favorite. My dog is named after the football coach Jim Tressel and my house is always decked out in all kinds of OSU decorations. Hopefully my sister who is a senior now, will join me here next year and carry on the family tradition.
I also love Grey’s Anatomy, baking, spending time with my friends and family, and exploring Columbus.
As far as nursing goes, I’m not quite sure what specialty I want to pursue during my career. I have always loved working with kids and babies and can definitely see myself as either a Pediatrics or OB nurse in the future. I also love working with people in general so I’m open and excited to branch out through my clinical experiences during the program and hopefully find an area that I love. While the program is challenging, I hope that in the end all of the long nights and hours studying will be worth it. I want to make a difference in people’s lives for the better and I can’t wait to continue my journey in this program to eventually reach that goal!
