Page 10 - Laker Connection Fall 2013

TRACYE LAMAR
CLAYTON STATE’S YOUNGEST NURSING GRADUATE IN THE MAKING
Tracye Elaine Lamar will be the youngest person to graduate from Clayton State University’s School of Nursing. In a pro- gram where 65 percent of the students are age 25 or older, Tracye is on track to earn her Bachelor of Science in Nursing by age 21.
Tracye fast-tracked her college career by attending college courses at Clayton State before she graduated high school. But participating in dual-enrollment wasn’t her first experi- ence at the University.
“In the spring of my junior year of high school, I applied to volunteer that summer at Children’s Hospital at Egleston and Grady Hospital,” Tracye recalls. “During my research online, I discovered Clayton State’s Careers into Nursing Summer Camp program and also applied.”
The Careers into Nursing Summer Camp, funded by a federal Nursing Work- force Diversity Grant, in- troduces high school students to the nursing pro- fession.
“I was already interested in the nursing field, espe- cially the diverse special- ties; but after attending the camp, I solidified my deci- sion to become an acute
care pediatric nurse,” she says. “Clayton State has a campus that is close to my home, beautiful, safe, and diverse. I wanted to attend a university that had a great nursing program, teach- ers that care and extracurricular leadership opportunities, and Clayton State has it all.
Tracye plans to graduate with her Bachelor of Science in Nursing with a minor in Spanish – an excellent secondary concentration for a nurse who may provide care for non-Eng- lish speaking Hispanic patients or their family members. She is also pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Manage- ment and second minor in Health and Fitness Management.
Her dream is to work at Chil- dren’s Hospital at Egleston in the Neonatal or Pediatric In- tensive Care Unit and eventu- ally earn her Doctorate of Nursing Practice with a spe- cialty in pediatric acute care.
But before she earns her Ph.D., she is enjoying her time as a Clayton State stu- dent.
Tracye Lamar
“The professors here are amazing! One thing I really appre- ciate at Clayton State is that the professors encourage a pos- itive learning environment. They want to know their students, and they enjoy when students ask questions and desire to learn,” she says.
In addition to her commitment to her studies, Tracye is a 2013 Laker Orientation Leader, peer tutor, and supplemental in- structor in the Center for Academic Success. She served as the historian in the Alpha Lambda Delta freshman honor so- ciety in 2012, and volunteers with the Department of Campus Life and AmeriCorps.
Tracye encourages other students to get involved on campus and participate in opportunities like study abroad as they pur- sue their academic goals.
“It’s not enough to just attend classes and go home. Take ad- vantage of the opportunity that you have been given, and be- come a leader. Impact the world, one person at a time!”
Tracye is a recipient of the Clayton State Presidential Schol- arship, Zell Miller Scholarship (HOPE) and Pell Grant. She thanks her parents who encouraged her to do her best and gave her a quality education, all the nurses in her family for inspiring her to pursue nursing as a career, and her Clayton State family for supporting her and her dreams.
by Lauren Graves
8 THE LAKER CONNECTION