Meredith Hornung

Area of Study
Nursing

Hometown & High School
Louisville, KY / Our Lady of Mercy Academy (or as people just say “Mercy Academy”)

Why did you choose WKU and your Major?

I chose WKU because of the distance from home, the size of the school and campus, and the reputation of their nursing program. The actual deciding factor between colleges was when I learned I got into the Living and Learning Community of the CHHS! I knew it was going to be a wonderful experience and that I had to take advantage of it. I had always had an interest in the medical profession and a passion for nursing. I have a couple aunts, uncles and cousins who are nurses, nursing professors, and lab technicians who through their experiences and stories have opened my eyes and helped develop my interest for nursing. This interest and passion was verified through my shadowing experiences in different hospitals and doctors' offices.

What is your favorite memory of your college experience?
I believe I can honestly say my favorite memory of college so far was when I found out I was accepted into the nursing program!

What is the one piece of advice you would give an incoming freshman?
One piece of advice I would give an incoming freshman is that it is important for them to become well-rounded! You must keep focus on your studies, but also get involved in different organizations of campus and become involved with different events! College is a time of growing and maturing and finding out who you really are, so do some experimenting!

What is the one thing that every new student should bring to campus?
One thing every new student should bring to campus is an open mind! They will experience many new things and meet very many different people for which they need to have an open mind in order to have the best experience.

What is the one place that people should be sure to visit on the WKU campus?
I would say one place that people should be sure to visit on the WKU campus is DUC. I believe DUC is in the heart of campus and if people go there then they can see the class buildings up the hill and also the residential life at the bottom of the hill. Also, DUC is one of the buildings most often visited by students because it has the food places, the book store, the ID center, postal services, meeting rooms and much more.

What are some tips that you could give to new freshman about getting involved?
Getting involved on campus is a great way to meet new people and it is a great way to enjoy college along with your studies. Getting involved and meeting new people will help out in the long run with networking and stuff as well!

What do you think is the secret to a good freshman GPA?
I believe the key secret to a good freshman GPA is setting a goal for yourself (obviously academic wise). For me, this goal was to get into the nursing program here at WKU. Because of this goal, my determination drove me to strive to do the best of my abilities in my studies.

What is the most surprising thing about you?
I would say the most surprising thing (to most people) about me is that I went to an all girls Catholic high school!

What was your greatest fear when starting college?
My greatest fear when starting college was not getting into nursing school.

What other campus organizations do you belong to?
Living and Learning Community of CHHS (freshman and sophomore years), Golden Key National Honor Society, Intramural sports