BSN Graduate Mylyn Ngo Reflects on Nursing, Service, and Growth
For 2026 Stanbridge University Bachelor of Science in Nursing graduate Mylyn Ngo, nursing began with a simple desire to help someone she loved. Years later, that early motivation carried her through nursing school, clinical education, community service, and leadership opportunities at Stanbridge University. Her journey culminated in graduation and recognition with the Thomas A. Fuentes Community Service Award, an honor given to a graduate who has made a significant impact through service to others.¹
Looking back, Mylyn describes her experience as one shaped not by a single defining moment, but by the people, challenges, clinical experiences, and opportunities that helped her grow into the nurse she is becoming.
What Inspired Mylyn to Pursue Nursing?
Mylyn says her interest in nursing began when a close relative became ill and needed ongoing medical care.
“Although I was too young to fully understand what was happening, I remember wanting to help but not knowing how. That experience became the driving force behind my decision to pursue nursing and sparked a lifelong desire to care for others during some of their most vulnerable moments.”
When she later began exploring nursing programs, she was also looking for a new chapter in her life. Mylyn says the admissions process at Stanbridge stood out because she felt applicants were considered from a broader perspective rather than being reduced to one academic measure.
“Knowing that the university looked beyond numbers and took the time to understand each applicant gave me the confidence that Stanbridge was where I wanted to begin this next chapter of my journey.”
Nursing Faculty Mentorship
When Mylyn reflects on the people who influenced her growth, several instructors stand out. She credits her instructors with reinforcing the importance of compassion and seeing the person behind the patient. They helped strengthen her clinical skills while emphasizing teamwork and collaboration.
Her instructors, she says, consistently challenged students to look beyond what was happening with a patient and consider why it was happening, why an intervention mattered, and how nursing decisions could affect patient care.
“Their lessons fundamentally challenged the way I approach patient care and continue to shape my clinical reasoning today.”
For Mylyn, those relationships became an important part of learning how to think more critically and approach nursing with greater purpose.
Community Service Through the Outreach Program
Mylyn’s education also extended beyond classrooms and clinical settings. She credits Stanbridge’s dedicated Outreach Coordinator with introducing her to service opportunities throughout the community.
“Through her mentorship, I had the opportunity to connect with numerous community organizations and participate in meaningful outreach initiatives that broadened my perspective on what it truly means to be a nurse.”
Those experiences included volunteering with food banks, community organizations, and health education efforts. Mylyn says they helped her understand nursing as a profession connected not only to bedside care, but also to advocacy and service. Serving as a Stanbridge Outreach student volunteer, she learned that being a nurse means much more.
“She taught me that nursing extends far beyond the walls of a hospital – it is about advocating for and serving our communities wherever the need exists.”
Community service is also part of the current Stanbridge BSN graduation requirements. The university catalog requires BSN students to complete a minimum of 10 hours of community service before graduation.³ By making service part of the nursing experience, the program encourages students to develop beyond clinical competency, strengthening the empathy, communication, and community awareness that contribute to well-rounded nursing practice.
What Did Receiving the Thomas A. Fuentes Community Service Award Mean to Her?
Mylyn’s commitment to community engagement was recognized at commencement when she received the Thomas A. Fuentes Community Service Award. This award honors a graduate who has made a significant impact in the community by serving those in need.¹
For Mylyn, the recognition created an unexpected moment of reflection.
“As the accomplishments, organizations, and community initiatives I had been involved with were being read during commencement, I found myself quietly thinking, ‘Wow… I really did all of that’. It was a moment of reflection that surprised even me.”
She says recognition was never the reason she chose to participate.
“I participated because I wanted to grow, support my classmates, and make a meaningful impact within both the Stanbridge community and the communities we served.”
Receiving the award helped her recognize how consistent acts of service can add up over time.
“Receiving the Thomas A Fuentes Award reminded me that the small, consistent efforts we make over time can leave a lasting impact.”
Mylyn says the recognition also affirmed values she hopes to carry into her nursing career: servant leadership, compassion, lifelong learning, and a commitment to helping others.
The Experiences That Shaped Her as a Future Nurse
Mylyn does not point to one clinical experience as the moment that shaped her. Instead, she describes growth as something that happened gradually through many different experiences.
“Looking back, it wasn’t one defining experience that shaped me as a future nurse, but rather the countless lessons I learned through both my clinical and community experiences.”
During clinical rotations, she says she developed skills in prioritizing care, managing time, adapting to changing situations, and collaborating with interdisciplinary healthcare teams. Those experiences gave her opportunities to apply concepts learned in class while becoming more comfortable with the pace and responsibilities of patient care.
Her community service experiences reinforced a different lesson: that nursing also involves understanding and serving the broader communities where patients live. Together, Mylyn says those experiences strengthened her commitment to approaching nursing with compassion and purpose.
How Did Stanbridge Prepare Mylyn for the Next Step?
As graduation approached, Mylyn says licensure preparation became another meaningful part of her experience.
“Stanbridge University prepared me for far more than passing the NCLEX – it prepared me to begin my nursing career with confidence, curiosity, and a commitment to lifelong learning.”
She specifically highlighted the ATI curriculum resources and one-on-one consultations with NCLEX specialists as helpful parts of her preparation for her licensure exam. Launch ATI Seminar is a student development program designed as a readiness check for the next stage of nursing education. The program reviews components of the nursing curriculum, establishes expectations around professionalism and leadership, and introduces students to NCLEX preparation with support from an NCLEX Specialist.
“Through the ATI curriculum and the one-on-one consultations with our NCLEX specialists, we received personalized guidance and support that helped us strengthen our clinical knowledge, identify areas for improvement, and build confidence as we prepare for licensure.”
What Advice Does Mylyn Have for Future BSN Students?
Mylyn’s first piece of advice is simple: remember why you started.
“My biggest piece of advice for future BSN students is to always remember your ‘why’. Why do you want to become a nurse?”
She acknowledges that nursing school can be demanding and says reconnecting with that motivation can help during difficult periods.
She also emphasizes the importance of investing in yourself.
“In order to work in a selfless profession, you must first be selfish and invest in yourself.”
For Mylyn, that means protecting your time, setting boundaries, prioritizing school, and taking care of your own well-being.
She also encourages students to be intentional about the opportunities available to them.
“The more intentional you are with your learning, your clinical experiences, and the opportunities around you, the more prepared and confident you’ll become.”
Mylyn’s experience illustrates that nursing school often involves much more than completing courses. Mentorship, clinical learning, service, leadership, and relationships can all become part of the journey.
What Comes Next for Mylyn?
As she begins her professional nursing career, Mylyn plans to continue learning from experienced nurses while providing compassionate, patient-centered care.
“I am excited to continue learning from experienced nurses, embrace new challenges, and give back to the communities I serve.”
Looking back, she says her time at Stanbridge gave her more than an academic credential.
“It gave me lifelong mentors, meaningful friendships, opportunities to serve my community, and the confidence to believe in myself.”
She plans to carry those lessons forward as she continues growing into her professional role.
A Nursing Journey Grounded in Service
Mylyn’s story reflects a nursing education shaped by purpose, mentorship, clinical learning, and community engagement.
Her path began with wanting to help a loved one and grew into a broader commitment to supporting patients and communities. Along the way, instructors challenged her thinking, clinical experiences developed her skills, and community service expanded her understanding of what nursing can mean beyond the bedside.
Receiving the Thomas A. Fuentes Community Service Award gave Mylyn an opportunity to see those experiences as part of one larger journey. As she begins the next chapter of her nursing career, the values she identifies most strongly remain the same: compassion, service, curiosity, leadership, and lifelong learning.
To learn more about nursing education at Stanbridge University, explore the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program.
Frequently Asked Questions
Mylyn Ngo is a 2026 graduate of Stanbridge University’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing program and a recipient of the Thomas A. Fuentes Community Service Award.
The Thomas A. Fuentes Community Service Award recognizes a graduate who has made a significant impact in the community by serving those in need.¹
Mylyn says a close relative’s illness first inspired her interest in nursing. As a child, she wanted to help but did not yet know how, which later became a motivation to care for people during vulnerable moments.
Mylyn highlighted faculty mentorship, clinical rotations, community service, leadership opportunities, and relationships with classmates as important parts of her personal and professional growth.
Mylyn encourages future students to remember why they chose nursing, invest in themselves, protect their time, take care of their well-being, and be intentional about learning and clinical opportunities.
Mylyn says she plans to continue growing professionally, learn from experienced nurses, provide patient-centered care, and remain involved in the communities she serves.
The statements and experiences shared in this Alumni Spotlight reflect Mylyn Ngo’s personal experience as a Stanbridge University student and graduate. Individual experiences and outcomes vary. Her comments do not guarantee academic, licensure, employment, or career outcomes for other students or graduates.
Footnotes
¹ Stanbridge University, Alumni Awards https://www.stanbridge.edu/alumni/awards
² Stanbridge University, Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program https://www.stanbridge.edu/program/bsn
³ Stanbridge University Student Catalog, Bachelor of Science in Nursing Graduation Requirements https://catalog.stanbridge.edu/
Alumni Experience Disclosure: Mylyn Ngo’s comments reflect her individual experience as a Stanbridge University student and graduate. Individual experiences and outcomes vary.