Meagan McCoy ’19Graduating Nursing Student

Meagan McCoy’s new life starts today as she walks across the stage to receive her degree in nursing from Colby-Sawyer College. She says, “I know this is what I was meant to do. It is a way for me to give back to the older generation. Now it’s my turn to take care of them.”

Meagan has known for a while that she wanted to be a nurse. She remembers having a conversation with her ill grandfather when she was about 14 years old. “My papa asked me what I wanted to do with my life and I knew he had suffered through a lot of health issues. I told him I was thinking about becoming a nurse and he didn’t say anything, but just came over and hugged me. I knew in that moment that I wanted to be a nurse not only for me, but for my family and to make my family proud,” she says.

While at Colby-Sawyer, Meagan was very active in many activities on campus. She was involved in the Student Nurse Association, Presidential Blue Key Society and served as vice president of the Student Government Association her senior year. She also worked as a student ambassador for the Admissions Office. She says, “My favorite thing about Colby-Sawyer is how easy it is to get involved. When I first came here, I was an introvert. Once I got the ball rolling, it was easier to join things. I probably wouldn’t have done most of these activities if people weren’t always advocating for me.”

In preparation for graduation, Meagan completed two Capstone projects. Her first, for nursing, was a group project in which they assessed nurses’ perceptions of health care programs. For her second Capstone project, which was for the Wesson Honors Program, Meagan wrote a book titled Heroes in Healthcare – A Collection of Narratives, in which she highlights several interviews she conducted with family members, professors and friends. She says, “I held interviews asking a series of questions like how they got into healthcare and how healthcare has changed over the years. I then transcribed their stories and had help with photography and graphic design from my good friend Sam Thomas ’20. It was a hard but fun project, and it gives me a chance to give back to people who have helped me in this nursing journey.”

Meagan’s journey does not stop here. She has accepted a position as a graduate nurse in the Intensive Care Unit at Elliot Hospital in Manchester, N.H. Congratulations, Meagan, and best wishes for a successful career in nursing!