My story began in CEGEP, when I was inspired by a project done on the renowned Florence Nightingale's story. I knew I would one day aspire to become a nursing leader, with Nightingale’s philosophies at the core of my practice. During my undergraduate studies, I served as the advocate for my classmates as their BSCN U1 and U2 Representative, and then as the Nursing Undergraduate Society (NUS) President in my final year (Class of 2017). I learned the importance of mentorship through the Nursing Peer Mentorship Program (NPMP), and this all grew my continued desire to strengthen and enhance our nursing community. I helped spearhead the McGill Association of Students in Healthcare (MASH), an interprofessional collaborative with other student leaders in McGill’s Faculty of Medicine and beyond.
Upon graduating from my BScN, I knew contributing to the Ingram School of Nursing (ISoN) was still a passion and priority of mine. I joined McGill’s Nursing Alumni Association, and continued to do research on NPMP alongside one of my greatest mentors, Prof. Lia Sanzone. I am now excited to be returning back to ISoN as an MScN (Administration) student, to be a teaching assistant for bachelor nursing students, and to also be working part-time in a Pediatric Intensive Care unit (PICU) setting. Working alongside such supportive classmates, ISoN faculty members, colleagues, and nurse managers have taught me an important realization: My story of strength continues to grow not only because of my determination, but also based on the lessons from the nursing giants before me.
Vanessa D'Aquila is a recipient of the Isabel C D Woodrow Scholarship; Irma Riley Undergrad Award (2016); Evelyne Rocque Malowany Convocation Prize, and the Anne Marie Hum Fong Memorial Prize.