“This is what I was meant to do.”

“This is what I was meant to do.”

Aiyat Abunga, ’21, had heard about a virus, but didn’t think much about it. That was before she found herself on the frontline of a global pandemic.

Aiyat Abunga with her cap and gown after the Final Walk event on Park University’s flagship Parkville, Mo., Campus on May 7, 2021.

Aiyat Abunga started her job as a full-time nurse in August 2021 at Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center in Houston.

While completing her nursing degree at Park University, Abunga learned about an opportunity to be a nursing associate at North Kansas City (Mo.) Hospital. “If I was going to achieve my dream of becoming a nurse, I wanted the extra practice to build my confidence, no matter the situation,” she said. “Even though I started to understand the seriousness of COVID-19, I applied anyway and was happy to get the job.”

Living with her parents, she was diligent to protect her family who had moved from Sudan to Kansas City when she was 5 years old. “My parents are older and I didn’t want to take any chances,” Abunga said. “When I came home from my hospital shifts, I’d leave my jacket and shoes in my car. No hugs were shared until after I had showered.”

Starting over

The coronavirus was just one of the extraordinary challenges she endured on the winding road to her dream.

A few years back, Abunga had been excited to be nearing her nursing degree finish line. Graduation party invitations had been sent. But a sliver of a percentage point on a final exam at her previous school kept her from passing a final class required to complete her degree. Despite appeals, Abunga was unable to graduate.

“If I wanted to be a nurse, I had to start over,” she said. “I began to think maybe it wasn’t for me. But when I tried working other jobs, nursing was all I thought about.” With passionate determination, Abunga decided to reboot her dream and applied to Park’s Ellen Finley Earhart Department of Nursing.

Heartbreaking call

As she approached the finish line a second time, Abunga received a heartbreaking call. Her oldest sister, who was seven months pregnant, suffered a pulmonary embolism and died on April 28, 2021. “I was devastated,” she said. “My heart was too heavy to celebrate my graduation.”

Grateful for the compassionate support of the Park faculty who offered to delay final exams until she was ready, Abunga decided to keep going. “I knew my sister would be proud of me,” she said. participating in the next day’s virtual commencement ceremony where she graduated magna cum laude. For her outstanding dedication, Abunga received the Park University Ellen Finley Earhart Award — the highest honor Park bestows on a nursing graduate — which was presented to her during the Department of Nursing’s virtual pinning ceremony.

Despite her grief, Abunga decided to press on and pursue her other dream of living in Texas where she had several good friends and a job offer.

“I knew I had to persevere and keep moving forward,” she said. “And I knew my skills are needed now more than ever.” Abunga proudly and confidently began her first shift on Aug. 8, 2021, as a full-time nurse at Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center in Houston where she continues to care for COVID-19 patients.

“It has never occurred to me to fear working with COVID-19 patients,” she said. “I’m a nurse. This is what I was meant to do.”