Service to others lands Iowa City Kirkwood student a place on All-Iowa Academic Team
It was a simple uniform that sealed the deal for Laura Harp. Harp, a student at Kirkwood Community College in Iowa City, did an internship at the Veteran’s Affairs Hospital assisting nurses. While at the VA, Harp worked alongside a nurse that left a big impression on her.
“[She] was exactly how you would picture a nurse,” Harp said. “She wore the white dress, white stockings, white hat and white shoes.”
Although the outfit was a memorable quirk, most of all Harp appreciated the way the nurse interacted with her patients. “Not only was it her uniform that impressed me, but her compassion, patience and kindness towards her patients. She was the health care clinician that really got me interested in nursing.”
Harp, an Iowa City native, started taking classes at Kirkwood in the summer of 2007 and started full time in the spring of 2008. “I decided to go back to Kirkwood full time because it was the number one choice for me financially. I really like the small classes and environment, which makes me feel comfortable and gives me confidence for pursuing a nursing career,” she said.
With her Certified Nursing Assistant course completed and work on her other nursing classes underway, Harp started many of her community involvement endeavors. Harp volunteered at the Surgery Center of Cedar Rapids 16 hours a week, and currently spends three or four hours a week at the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital.
All of these aspects of Harp’s life have made her a member of the All-Iowa Academic Team, and eligible for the All-USA Academic Team. To be eligible for the honor, students must possess a 3.5 GPA, and be an active member of Phi Theta Kappa, Kirkwood’s honor society. Twenty students from across the nation will be awarded with $2,500 and will be featured in USA Today. These students will also be honored in April at the PTK President’s Breakfast in Phoenix, AZ.
“Phi Theta Kappa has shown me many things,” Harp said. Harp has been involved in numerous PTK activities including bake sales and voter registration. “My favorite activity I have been involved with is the soup sales,” Harp added.
Laura Harp plans to use all of the experience she has gained at Kirkwood and through volunteering to pursue a career in health care after she graduates from Kirkwood in May of 2009.