For Melissa Kubic, women in healthcare spans back generations of her family. Kubic’s great grandmother was a nurse during the Great Depression, and Kubic herself said that she spent most of her adolescent life caring for other members of her family. It came as no surprise that Kubic enrolled in Keiser University Lakeland’s Associate of Science Degree in Medical Assisting when she moved to Florida about nine years ago.

The medical assisting program gave Kubic the professional healthcare background that she felt she needed to become a nurse, which was the end goal. After completing her associates degree, Kubic moved on to Keiser University’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree program.

“Even when I was in the medical assisting program, they prepared me in a way that would make me a strong candidate for the nursing program,” Kubic said, speaking of her instructors in the program. “They kind of helped plant that seed.”

Kubic is a single mother with three young girls. Both of her parents are retired military members, making her no stranger to being of service to others.

“The ability to help people in their time of need, and to get them all mended up, it’s just a fantastic feeling,” Kubic said.

Kubic said that after graduating next spring, she dreams of becoming a surgical nurse in a local hospital. She was recently allowed to shadow a surgery at the hospital where she attends clinicals for class and said that it was an unforgettable experience.

There is a growing need for compassionate and qualified nursing professionals. To help meet the need, the College of Nursing at Keiser University is offering students like Kubic the education, academic credentials, best practices, skills, and insights she might need to provide the best patient care and advance her nursing career.

Keiser University is a private, independent, non-profit university serving nearly 20,000 students at 21 Florida campuses, online, and two international sites. Co-founded in 1977 by Chancellor Arthur Keiser, Ph.D., and Evelyn Keiser, Keiser University currently offers more than 100 degrees from associates to the doctoral level. Keiser University is a  designated Hispanic-Serving Institution, a member of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, and was ranked No. 5 in the U.S. in Social Mobility by U.S. News And World Report in 2022.