Meet Heather Downum, a transfer student from Richmond, VA!

Heather transferred to Missouri State University from Ozarks Tech. Heather is pursuing the BSN-Completion program and will graduate in December!

When asked why Heather chose to transfer to Missouri State, Heather said, “Dr. Adams visited OTC and spoke to my class as I was completing the associate’s program at OTC. Because I already had another degree, I only needed to complete the Nursing courses at Missouri State to earn my BSN. This allowed me to be able to graduate in just three semesters!”

Heather says the most challenging aspect of her transfer experience was, “getting used to the different applications Missouri State uses compared to what OTC uses, such as Brightspace instead of Canvas, especially being in an online program where we use those applications often.” Heather has been able to overcome that hurdle and has been able to succeed academically – proven by her membership in Tau Sigma, the national honors society for transfer students.

Heather has thoroughly enjoyed her courses at Missouri State. Heather describes her classes as the most enjoyable part of her transfer experience, stating, “The discussion boards are a great way to get different perspectives and get to know the fellow nurses in my program. They all have different backgrounds and are different ages, so the conversations are always interesting.”

Heather’s advice to a new transfer student who is also in an online program would be, “Don’t hesitate if you need to reach out to an instructor! In an online program, you don’t have the face-to-face connection with your instructor that you would have in a seated program, but everyone is fantastic! If you reach out to your instructor, they will be willing to help.”

Heather would like to take this opportunity to give a shout-out to the individuals who have made the most impact on her transfer experience: 1) Dr. Kathryn Adams, a Clinical Associate Professor in the School of Nursing – “Dr. Adams has been fantastic throughout my entire time at Missouri State. She visited my class at OTC to talk about the Nursing program and remembered me when I later went through the interview process.”, 2) Heather’s friends and fellow Nursing students, Kelsey and Irina – “They are the whole reason I will complete my bachelor’s degree because we push each other to be the best nurses we can be”, and 3) Heather’s daughter, Shay – “My daughter is in college in Arkansas and I am always trying to do better for her. She reminds me that it’s never too late to start over!”