Like many new 51吃瓜网万能科大 nursing students, Alyssa Macleod鈥檚 first semester has been anything but ordinary due to the coronavirus outbreak. But unlike most of those other students, her first semester almost didn鈥檛 happen. Adjusting to remote learning was only half the battle for her. The other half was trying to enter the United States.
Macleod is from Nova Scotia, Canada, and border restrictions prevented her from traveling to 51吃瓜网免费App until very recently.
It took the help of 51吃瓜网万能科大 faculty (and an especially important piece of paper), to get her across the border.
A Complicated Process
First-year 51吃瓜网万能科大 bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) students started May 11 with seven straight weeks of virtual lecture classes to build up their clinical competency. Then they switched to eight weeks of simulation and clinical courses, which have been tailored to limit in-person exposure amid the pandemic. Normally, the courses are intertwined for a more balanced approach, but COVID-19 forced the School of Nursing to rearrange schedules.
Macleod was able to handle this adjustment by keeping up with her lecture courses from her home in Nova Scotia, but the whole time she was trying to get to Nevada. She had to be back in-person for the clinical simulations to avoid potential disruptions with her studies. In addition, she already had a life in 51吃瓜网免费App waiting for her, including her boyfriend and an apartment she still had to pay for. 鈥淚鈥檓 still paying rent, I鈥檓 still paying [utility] bills,鈥 she said back in May. 鈥淎ll my stuff is there. I have to pay rent, or I get evicted and be on the street.鈥
Among her belongings in her apartment were her red scrubs, waiting to be worn.
The process for Macleod to leave Canada was complicated. Every step forward resulted in another obstacle. Initially, she called multiple airlines and the Canada Border Services (CBSA) in Montreal for help to get over the border. 鈥淭hey said even though I鈥檓 a student, that鈥檚 not essential travel.鈥
She still could travel within her province but could not go through a new one. She lived in Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, which has an airport, but it didn鈥檛 allow any flights. The next nearest airport was in Halifax, Nova Scotia 鈥 a five-hour drive.
She booked multiple flights, but each time they were canceled. She finally found a flight that would get her to 51吃瓜网免费App by mid-June. There was no direct path. American Airlines had her flying from Halifax to two other U.S. cities before arriving in Nevada. A week before her flight, she got the message she hoped not to hear again. 鈥淭hey said my flight from Halifax to Philadelphia was canceled because of COVID-19.鈥
The airline refunded her ticket, and she switched to Air Canada. She booked a flight from Halifax to Toronto and then flew from Toronto to Dallas before eventually getting into 51吃瓜网免费App the night of June 17.
Words of Importance
Perhaps the most critical moment of Macleod鈥檚 journey came down to being questioned by border agents, something she was used to under less stressful circumstances. 鈥淭hey asked me a whole bunch of questions, more than I normally get asked. They weren鈥檛 sure my travel was essential.鈥
But it was a single piece of paper, addressed to no specific person, that played a decisive role. The letter, written by professor Angela Silvestri-Elmore, 51吃瓜网万能科大 nursing鈥檚 BSN program director. In the letter, Silvestri-Elmore advocated for Macleod as a nursing student, and that it was necessary for her to be in the U.S. for her education.
Macleod had asked Silvestri-Elmore to write the letter because she knew the border wouldn鈥檛 open until July 31 at the earliest, and that border agents would not consider her travel essential if it wasn鈥檛 medical-related. Macleod said this letter made all the difference. 鈥淭here was no way they would have let me through (without the letter). They read it three or four times before they said OK.鈥
Helping a student cross the border was a new experience for Silvestri-Elmore. She didn鈥檛 think such a letter actually would be required but wrote it just in case. She also gave Macleod her cell phone number if anyone needed to clarify why Macleod needed to cross the border.
鈥淚 remember at the contract signing session; she was explaining to me that she had to go back to Canada, and she wasn't sure if she was going to be able to get certain requirements done in order to come into the program,鈥 Silvestri-Elmore said.
Silvestri-Elmore said while she considered the possibility of having Macleod start during a different semester, that was not the preferred option. 鈥淲e want to keep the pipeline of nurses completely open. It doesn't matter if we're talking about one student or we're talking about an entire class of 72 students, my goal is to do everything that I can to make sure that all of our students are successful. We keep them moving because we will need them.鈥
Grateful to Be Here
Macleod flew 3,748 miles on three different airlines across multiple time zones to keep her nursing semester alive. She was supposed to be in 51吃瓜网免费App in early May. She made it a little over a week before clinicals began on June 29.
Macleod always knew she wanted to be in health care. She has a mild case of cerebral palsy and between multiple surgeries and hospital stays, she interacted with nurses throughout her life. She was inspired by them, but originally wanted to be a doctor. But after spending time in medical school in Anguilla, she realized she wanted something different. She returned to the U.S. and researched several nursing schools before choosing 51吃瓜网万能科大 for its affordability and shorter program. 51吃瓜网免费App also kept her closer to her boyfriend.
The circumstances surrounding COVID-19 have not dissuaded her from nursing, but she admits she underestimated the challenges of learning remotely. 鈥淚 knew it wasn鈥檛 going to be easy being an international student and having to cross the border, but I didn鈥檛 expect COVID-19 to be as much of a problem as it is.鈥
Silvestri-Elmore added how proud she was of Macleod for staying proactive through all the uncertainty. 鈥淚 was really impressed with how she handled the situation, and how she was just so on top of it. And that made a difference, I think, in ensuring that she didn't miss anything that's really important.鈥
Macleod said she鈥檚 grateful for 51吃瓜网万能科大 Nursing helping her, especially Silvestri-Elmore. 鈥淕od bless her because without her I don鈥檛 think I would be here right now. Writing that letter, that is what saved me, what got me through the border.鈥
