The Experience of Northwestern State University

Lola MagazineCommunity, Jessica Mango

Hello everyone! My name is Jessica Mango and I am a senior in the radiologic science program at Northwestern State University on the Shreveport campus. I am going to share something with you that everyone should know and should share with every person they know. Okay, that might be a little dramatic. But seriously here it is: NSU is the best university in Louisiana. Let me explain to you why. I will start at the beginning. When I was in my senior year of high school, I was looking at colleges and strongly considering NSU since it was close to my hometown and it was a smaller university than many of the others in Louisiana. Once I got to NSU for my tour, I was sold! I knew it was where I was meant to go to college. Every person I met from the moment I stepped out of the car was kind and went above and beyond to make sure that I understood what to expect. They made my transition from my high school years to being a college student as smooth as possible. Semester after semester, I met even more people and their intentions never changed. They cared about ME. Even the president of the university stops to have genuine conversations about life and recognizes the students’ accomplishments. It felt like every time I walked into a building I knew someone and this made the experience of being away from my family and many of my friends easier.

I have always loved the sciences. That is why I worked very hard to be accepted into the radiologic science program. The professors that make up this program are intelligent, accomplished technologists that come from different backgrounds of the profession and make this a truly well-rounded program. I know every student believes their faculty are the best, but the faculty at NSU truly are. Here is an example of their commitment to their students. This past April, my father was put on hospice care and we were told we did not have much time left with him. Since this is a professional program, there are guidelines to how many days a student is allotted to miss as a result of a death in the family. We were at the end of the semester, just about two weeks left, when we got the news. I was scheduled for clinic the day we were told. Instead, I went to my professors to ask them if I could please go home to be with him, even though I knew I would be missing clinical days. Mrs. Farmer and Mrs. Michael comforted me, prayed with me, and told me to go home. They assured me that everything at school would be rescheduled and that all I needed to do was focus on my dad. I am forever grateful for their kindness and for them sending me home, because my father went to be with the Lord that night. My professors allowed me to take the time I needed and they worked around my emotional needs and mental capabilities to finish my exams for the spring semester. I knew that I could grieve the way I needed to because I had their support.

Okay, now that I officially saddened everyone, I’ll try to lift your mood with some good news! I am graduating from NSU in May, after which I plan to work as a radiologic technologist for a few years to gain experience. After I have some time to save money, I want to go to radiation therapy school. I know that I would not be where I am in my life without my Northwestern State University family.

 

Illustration by Emily Welch/Magnolia Creative Co