May 12, 2025
Contact: Brian Consiglio, consigliob@missouri.edu
Photo courtesy of Abigail Whitt
The University of Missouri has always been a big part of Abigail Whitt’s life. Her grandparents, parents and older sister all went to Mizzou and her younger brother is now a Mizzou freshman. After World War II, her grandfather was part of the first Mizzou class to get assigned student numbers (he was #250).
“My dad has worked at University Hospital for longer than I have been alive,” Whitt said. “My mom graduated from the nursing program in December 1996 and met my dad on the first day of her practicum in the hospital’s medical intensive care unit. It’s special to have so many meaningful connections to a place that has given my family so much.”
Though she once considered pursuing music, Whitt ultimately followed her mother’s path into health care and enrolled in the Sinclair School of Nursing, where she is set to earn her degree this weekend. And she’s thankful she chose Mizzou.
Read on to discover how Whitt made Mizzou her own.
What has your experience been like in the Sinclair School of Nursing?
It’s been both the most challenging and rewarding experience of my life so far. These past two years have stretched me in ways I never expected, but they've also helped me grow in ways I’ll always be grateful for. I’ve gained invaluable insight, developed critical skills and had the privilege of learning from some of the most compassionate, dedicated professionals I’ve ever met.
What’s even more meaningful is the opportunity I’ve had to care for people during some of the most vulnerable and difficult moments of their lives. That’s something I don’t take lightly. I don’t think I’ll ever forget the patients I had while I was in nursing school. I will also never forget the nurses who poured knowledge into me while I was learning how to do “simple” things, especially my preceptor for my practicum. She was overwhelmingly encouraging and made the weekend night shift something to look forward to.
Through different volunteering experiences, shadowing in hospitals and learning more about what it really means to care for someone, I found myself drawn to the nursing profession. Nursing has challenged me deeply, but it’s also shown me a sense of purpose I never could have imagined when I first started at Mizzou.
How did you take advantage of hands-on learning opportunities on campus and in Missouri?
Mizzou allowed me to be a student nurse at Camp Barnabas in Purdy, Missouri, where I served individuals with special needs in a fun and supportive environment. It was one of the highlights of my college experience as I laughed endlessly and learned so much while forming amazing friendships.
Through my clinical experiences, I worked with the palliative care team at University Hospital, helping people with serious, life-threatening or terminal illnesses. I also learned a lot from the residents at TigerPlace, a senior living facility in Columbia that helps older adults live independently.
Outside of clinicals, I served as a nursing student mentor, supporting an incoming student through her application process and first semester at Mizzou. We met monthly to talk through anxieties, explore opportunities and offer encouragement. Before I started nursing school my junior year, I was active in the Student Nurses’ Association.
What opportunities did Mizou give you to travel the world?
While studying abroad in Bergamo, Italy, I learned about ethical dilemmas within health care, toured hospitals,spoke with nursing students, and compared the advantages and disadvantages of their health care system to ours.
Through my involvement with a campus ministry, Veritas, I went on several service trips. In Jamaica, I helped build homes and worked with school children. In Japan, I worked with a church to help combat isolation and build community among college students. These experiences have stretched me, humbled me and strengthened my desire to serve others in whatever way I can.
What would you tell someone who is interested in coming to Mizzou?
I would tell them it’s nearly impossible to come to Mizzou and not learn something meaningful about the world, about others and about yourself. You will be impacted by professors and feel something special when standing in front of the Columns or walking through Memorial Union.
Mizzou has so much to offer academically, socially and personally. There are so many opportunities here that even if you come in dreaming of owning a music venue and end up switching your entire career path to nursing like I did, you’ll still find places where you feel inspired, supported and like you belong. It doesn’t matter what your background is or where you come from, there’s room at Mizzou for you.
What's next for you after graduation?
After graduation, I’ll be taking the National Council Licensure Examination to earn my nursing license, and then I’ll begin working as a nurse on the night shift in the neonatal intensive care unit at University Hospital here in Columbia. I’m excited to stay in a place that feels like home and to start my career in a unit that cares for some of the tiniest and most vulnerable patients. The neonatal intensive care unit was my favorite rotation while I was in nursing school, and I can’t believe I’ve been given the chance to start my career there.
I’ll also be moving into non-student housing with two of my best friends, which makes this next chapter of my life even sweeter.
My dream down the road is to become a pediatric flight nurse. But for now, I’m just taking it one step at a time and soaking in all the learning and growth that’s ahead of me.
