Logan Michaelson needed a reset.<\/p>\n
After wrapping up her high school experience, things did not go to plan. Enrolment at one post-secondary institution ended after only a year, while attempts at taking additional classes were derailed by well-being challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was doing poorly in class and spending most of my time in the basement. It was a really hard time,\u201d she said. \u201cOne cold winter day, I\u2019d had enough, and I unenrolled from all of my classes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Months went by as Michaelson took time to focus on her well-being, calculate her next steps and rediscover her love of painting.<\/p>\n
Through her art, she would eventually collaborate with Brock University Associate Professor of Nursing Sheila O\u2019Keefe-McCarthy on a painting about the pandemic. But the meeting would also lead to some vocational clarity.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter talking to Sheila, I began to realize that I wanted to be a nurse,\u201d said Michaelson.<\/p>\n
However, the tumultuous nature of her post-secondary career to that point posed a hurdle. Though her high school grades had been stellar, Michaelson\u2019s post-secondary transcript was now far below her normal academic standards. She would not have been eligible for admission to Brock\u2019s Bachelor of Science in Nursing program.<\/p>\n
Fortunately, it was around this time that Lynn Wells, Brock\u2019s Provost and Vice-President, Academic, spoke to Michaelson about an academic option that could help her realize her nursing dreams \u2014 the University\u2019s Fresh Start pathway.<\/p>\n
Launched in 2020, the Fresh Start pathway allows Brock to admit students based on their high school records, even if they also have previous post-secondary experience.<\/p>\n
Wells said the pathway allows prospective students to figuratively wipe the slate clean of any previous post-secondary experience, allowing them the opportunity to start over in a better position to succeed.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is critical that all students are given a fair chance to work towards their future goals while ensuring they are not unduly affected by the circumstances of their past, much of which may have been beyond their control,\u201d she said. \u201cThe Fresh Start program is one way in which we help to show our students and community that everyone is welcome here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Now in her third year of Brock\u2019s Nursing program, Michaelson has fully embraced the opportunity the pathway has provided for her.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeing a nurse has become part of my personality,\u201d she said. \u201cI eat, sleep and breathe health care, and I would not have found that purpose without Fresh Start.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brock\u2019s Director of Admissions Pauline Dawson said she\u2019s delighted to see Michaelson\u2019s progress in the program.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt gives students like Logan an opportunity to shine and figure out their path, and that is exactly what she has done,\u201d said Dawson. \u201cWe hope others will follow her example and explore the possibilities available to them here at Brock.\u201d<\/p>\n
Having overcome the obstacles she faced, Michaelson is thankful for the direction Brock and Fresh Start have provided at a time when she was questioning the very foundation of her identity, and she hopes more people will utilize the program for their own new beginnings.<\/p>\n
\u201cI got to the point where even my own name didn\u2019t feel like it was mine, but the one title I really do identify with is \u2018nurse.\u2019\u201d she said. \u201cI got to find a profession that defines me and a title that fits me because Brock gave me a second chance, and I hope others are able to do the same.\u201d<\/p>\n