Samira Adan, RN

Graduate (GRD) Scholar

Seattle University

Now in its second year, the Graduate (GRD) program was created by the Legislature to build a pipeline of health care professionals to meet critical workforce shortages in our state, particularly in rural and underserved communities. Scholars in this program are pursuing a credential that’s in high-demand throughout our state that can play a pivotal role in helping communities provide vital health care services. Donor support, matched dollar-for-dollar by the state of Washington has the power to save lives as we launch Scholars like Samira who can now pursue her bold dreams to create more equitable access to health care for all.

Samira is a first-generation student in the Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) program at Seattle University and will graduate in June 2023. She currently works as a Registered Nurse (RN) at Valley Medical Center in Renton.

After she graduates, Samira plans to pursue her career goal of becoming an FNP providing care for underserved and immigrant populations. Samira is specifically interested in working to increase health screenings for these communities. She volunteers with the Somali Health Board to provide preventative health screenings and plans to complete a project with the goal of increasing cervical cancer screening among Somali women in King County.

“I am passionate and dedicated to working with the immigrant populations that face difficulties accessing health care due to linguistic barriers and minimal health literacy.

When volunteering with the Somali Health Board, I noticed that patient education wasn’t culturally relevant. Health promotion can be hard when there are linguistic and cultural barriers. I’m currently working on a project focused on increasing cervical cancer screenings for the Somali population in King County. Once I become an FNP, I want to collaborate with other professionals to improve patient education to make it culturally meaningful, relevant, and engaging.

I applied to Seattle University because their values resonate with me. When I applied, I faced financial challenges. Coming from an Islamic background, taking loans is frowned upon because of the interest. I was going to school and working full-time, which meant having a work-life and school-life balance was hard. WSOS really helped; I can now realize my dreams because I have more time to study, and it helps me be more motivated, knowing that becoming an FNP is more attainable. I feel less of a financial burden, can spend more time with my family, and have more time for self-care.”