Reaching the Apex: How a Childhood Letter Led to a Transformational Career
When she was only eight years old, Benedicta E. wrote a letter that would change her life.
“I remember my father giving me the task of writing a letter to him and telling him what I wanted to be in the future,” she recalls.
At such a young age, her path was unclear: She knew she wanted to help people, and she knew she was drawn to the academic world, but she wasn’t quite sure at the time how to combine those passions into a career. But, while her specific destination wouldn’t reveal itself to her for years to come, her ambition shone through in her letter.
“I said I wanted to get to the apex,” she says. “I remember my father being very proud of me, and I was excited, because my father is my hero.”
Decades later, thousands of miles from her childhood home in Nigeria, and fueled by coffee and carbohydrates, Benedicta has achieved what she set out to do by completing her online Doctor of Nursing Practice from Maryville.
“The doctoral degree is the apex of my career,” she says. “Maryville made my dream come true. It's a very surreal moment right now that eight-year-old me would be proud of — ‘she did it, thanks to Maryville.’ And I know my dad would be proud of this.”
Benedicta’s journey wasn’t always easy, but her perseverance and a strong support network helped guide her toward the finish line. Now, as a doctorate-prepared nurse practitioner, she’s ready to make a positive impact on people’s lives as big as the one her father made on hers.
‘I felt like family’: Navigating doubt through dedicated support
After Benedicta earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing, she knew she had options available to her for further advancement. She could pursue her master’s degree, or she could jump directly into a Doctor of Nursing Practice. But the idea of pursuing a DNP gave her anxiety, and she wasn’t quite prepared yet.
“I’m like, ‘doctorate, research?’ I was very scared. So I put it away,” she says.
Instead, she pursued her MSN at Maryville and focused on advancing in her career. This helped her build the personal confidence in her skills as a nurse practitioner, and a few years later, she decided to pursue her terminal DNP with a focus on psychiatric mental health.
“I was looking for an opportunity to have a place where I could feel comfortable, where I felt like family,” Benedicta says.
The resources she knew Maryville offered also helped her overcome her nerves and believe in her ability to succeed at the doctoral level. Based on her previous experience with Maryville and the discussions she had with her advisors before ever enrolling, she knew she would get a high-quality education and strong, dedicated support.
“My advisor changed the whole game for me. She made me believe in myself,” Benedicta says. “She introduced me to the resources that were available, she assured me that the department was going to hold my hand through it — not to make it an easy ride, but if I was ready to put in the work, there were resources available to help me through it. That really made the difference for me.”
Thanks to open and easy interactions with faculty and advisors, Benedicta felt like her success was a priority. Specifically, she says their availability and transparency were factors helping build her confidence.
"Nobody turned me away. I was free to make appointments. You could see in their eyes that they truly care and they were ready to help you," she says.
Now, even as she prepares for boards and the next chapter of her career, Benedicta says the resources her faculty provided her are still helping her learn and grow.
“I’m even more sure now that I’m going to do great because I have all those resources available to me,” she says.
‘More angels’: Achieving impact and making change happen as a nurse
Benedicta stands in front of a mural on Maryville’s campus.
Benedicta’s professional philosophy as a nurse is simple: She knows she would want the best possible care, so she holds the care she gives as a nurse to the same standards she would expect as a patient.
She says nurses have the capacity to be difference-makers and heroes when people need them most.
“The world needs more angels,” she says. “This is not just a profession. This is dealing with human lives. This is patient advocacy.”
Making a difference with one patient can be extraordinarily meaningful, but with her DNP, Benedicta sees the possibility of effecting change on an even wider scale across the healthcare system — to make change happen. For her, that started with earning an education at a place that challenged her to grow.
“You want a school that will prepare you to make a change in the world,” she says. “You want a place that helps you grow and become a professional — not just in patient-centered care, but also in making a difference in the broad healthcare system.”
Her attentive and dedicated professors played a huge role in helping her succeed in the program and develop her understanding of what’s possible to achieve as a nurse. Benedicta says she’s especially grateful for the support Dr. Mariea Snell provided throughout her coursework and her doctoral project.
“They made me feel comfortable — they guided me through each and every step of the way, especially during my doctoral project,” she says. “It made me feel confident knowing that I do have my professors supporting me.”
‘Put in the work’: Become a Maryville Saint
At Maryville, we believe the world needs more Saints — starting with nurses. The promise Benedicta wrote to her father in the letter all those years ago put her on the path toward being a Saint and making a real change in the world.
“The world needs nurses that will put their heart and mind into making not just patient-centered care but care that affects both patient and family,” Benedicta says.
Maryville is here to help brave caregivers like Benedicta pursue education and careers that will make a real difference. It’s our goal to help tomorrow’s nursing leaders achieve their potential through full support, helpful resources, and high-quality education.
“Just do it, especially if it's something that you really want,” she says. “Of course it's a lot of work, but if you want to grow, if you want to be challenged and you want to achieve that dream, you have to put in the work. Maryville was there to walk me through each step of the way. ... I'm very fortunate to achieve this."