Wausau student finds support, future career while attending both UWSP and NTC

When she decided to pursue a career in nursing, Samyris Thao, Wausau, found the resources she needed right in her hometown.

Enrolling in the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point at Wausau last fall made perfect sense, as it was just five minutes from her house, and it gave her the opportunity to help her family by allowing her to take her three younger siblings to school each day.

"Being able to stay in Wausau makes it easier for me to get to school and work while staying close to my family and my community," said Thao.

As a pre-nursing student at UW-Stevens Point, she is on the path to earn her bachelor's degree through a 1+2+1 nursing program that partners with Northcentral Technical College (NTC) in Wausau to offer classes at UWSP as well as four semesters of registered nursing classes at NTC. As a first-year student, Thao attends classes at both the UWSP at Wausau campus, NTC and online. That will become even easier starting this fall, as classes for both campuses will be held at the NTC location.

"I thought it might be difficult to navigate both campuses, but my courses are laid out perfectly," she said. "My UWSP advisers have helped with my schedule, so I have time to get where I need to go as well as get my work done. They simplified it so I don't have to worry."

Thao is currently taking sociology, oral communication and theatre classes through UWSP at Wausau and anatomy and physiology as well as developmental psychology through NTC.

"My professors make me feel very comfortable in class and offer me a lot of support," she said. She has been able to work closely with faculty at both campuses. "Penny Tesch is my anatomy and physiology instructor, and I can talk directly with her at NTC's Academic Resource Center so she understands how I learn. I also look forward to my sociology class with Professor Ann Herda-Rapp at UWSP at Wausau, because it is a calming class at the end of the day."

She also works in the Solution Center at UWSP at Wausau, where she also can find resources if needed.

Thao decided on nursing after talking to a family member about her interest in working with children and the options offered for working with babies and children in a health care environment. She also knew she wanted to pursue a four-year degree.

"As the eldest daughter in my family, I knew that if I invested in college I wanted to go as far as I could with my degree, and that motivates me," she said.

Making the commitment to college can be challenging, Thao said, but she has found support at both UWSP and NTC. "You will meet a lot of people along the way who will help you. There are so many opportunities and chances for you to see if this is the right path for you. It is easy to ask for help and get the resources you need."