Two Alums, One Goal

Ashley Allgood ’20 and Hannah Goepel ’22 share a couple of things in common: their love for nursing and their passion to continue their education by being in the college’s first Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) cohort.

Allgood decided to follow her dream of being a nurse during her junior year in high school. “I volunteered at a local hospital and was exposed to nursing and became interested in it,” she said. “At the time, my goal was to go to nursing school and eventually become a psychiatric nurse practitioner.”

Two years into her nursing career, realizing how many more opportunities there are in nursing that she had originally thought, Allgood decided to enroll in the MSN program at Colby-Sawyer. She is currently enrolled in one class, which makes working full time and going back to school manageable. “I am glad CSC is flexible with their program so that I can work on my degree while maintaining a good work-life balance,” Allgood said.

Allgood currently works as a clinical nurse at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center on an inpatient medical specialties unit and job shares with inpatient psychiatry, splitting her time 50/50 between the two units.

Allgood hopes to graduate in December of 2024. She hopes to teach BSN students during clinicals and in a classroom setting as well. “There are always more options within nursing by furthering education,” she said.

Allgood has advice to others who are considering enrolling in the MSN program at Colby-Sawyer. “It can be done without overwhelming yourself. It can also be done affordably,” she said. “I am just starting out, but I have many coworkers that have helped pushed me towards going back to school by showing how manageable it can be. Just take a look at some of the opportunities and see what sounds appealing to you.”

Goepel’s path to nursing was driven by the fact that her mother was a nurse. “My mom is a nurse and I always enjoyed hearing about her day when I was a kid,” she said. “I always knew I wanted to go into the medical field, and nursing just felt like the right fit for me as I got older.”

Goepel did not waste any time enrolling in the MSN program. A few months after graduation, she realized she missed going to class and wanted to continue learning. Goepel has been able to successfully manage her schoolwork with working full time. “My work schedule can be a little sporadic with night and weekend shifts so it takes some planning,” she said, “but online courses offer a lot of flexibility.”

Currently working as a critical care nurse in the medical intensive care unit, Goepel also works as a life safety nurse on Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center’s rapid response team. She is confident that receiving her master’s degree will open more career opportunities in the future. She hopes to become a nurse educator either in a hospital or academic setting. Her advice to other CSC alums considering enrolling in the MSN program is this: “Take the leap! It doesn’t hurt to start with one class to see how it feels.”

Best of luck to both Allgood and Goepel. We are proud of you!