Bridgett Oyeyemi
Bridgett Oyeyemi grew up in Staten Island, NY and was adopted at the age of 10. The typical adoption story ends there. But, Bridgett’s story was just beginning.
In order for Bridgett to attend school, her family needed to make sure that all of her immunizations and social records were up to date. While visiting multiple government offices during this time, Bridgett felt invisible and forgotten, until she went to her neighborhood health clinic.
“At the other offices nobody would even address me, but at the clinic they helped me feel like a person,” Bridgette said. “From then on I knew that I wanted to be a nurse so I could help others in similar situations.”
Bridgett attended an introductory nursing course held at her high school. A former student from her high school, who is now a graduate from SUNY Brockport, visited the class to speak about the opportunities and curriculum of the nursing program. When Bridgett applied to colleges, Brockport was now on the top of her list.
“I was accepted to Brockport, along with two of my friends, and we all applied as nursing intents,” Bridgett said. “We were aware that the program is highly competitive, but we were going to try our hardest to get accepted into the program.”
At Brockport, Bridgett had the opportunity to be a part of the McNair Program and Collegiate Science and Technology Program (CSTEP). Bridgett attended seminars held every Friday to strengthen her writing skills and work ethic. While she did not get into the Nursing program on her first attempt, giving up was not in her nature. Thanks to the help of a handful of faculty members, she was accepted on her second try.
“Barbara Thompson, director of the McNair Program, was literally amazing, she would listen to all of my problems and was always there for me,” Bridgett said. “After I failed to get in the first time, the faculty members of the nursing department went the extra mile. They made sure that I had what I needed to be accepted the following spring.”
Bridgett is now an avid member of the Brockport nursing community. She is the event coordinator of the Student Nursing Organization and co-chair of the Nursing Peer Mentor Program. Bridgett enjoys being able to help students in a similar situation as her, guiding them on the path towards acceptance into the program. Her favorite part of the program is how the department handles its curriculum, using simulation labs as a method to ease students into the realm of nursing.
“There is a sim lab joke that it is the place you make your mistakes. We watch other students and try to learn from what goes wrong,” Bridgett said. “Our lab times have a surprising amount of depth and truly prepare you for the real world.”
Bridgett hopes to become a pediatric nurse practitioner after graduating from the College. Unlike many, her focus will be on teenagers in their later years. Her recent research with Dr. Paula Barbel focused on this age range, particularly college students. Bridgett’s research looked into whether or not college students utilize their health care resources on campus. She found that most students don’t know what is available until they absolutely need it. When Bridgett was 18 she had to get her own health insurance and learned a lot about the experience for herself.
“The young adult age range is often forgotten by the health community because they are in their physical prime,” Bridgett said. “After going through my experience I knew that there has to be a better way to help them, and I want to be a part of finding out how!”
Posted: July 30, 2022