As a mom, a wife, and a full-time Registered Nursing student, Jessica Smith’s days are packed from dawn to dusk. Between caring for her toddler, attending classes at College of Western Idaho (CWI), and completing clinical rotations, she navigates the demands of family, school, and work with focus, determination, and heart.
“I’ve always been someone who goes all in,” Jessica said. “When I want something, there’s nothing that’s going to stand in my way. Nursing school has been intense, but I knew that if I really wanted it, I was going to make it happen.”
It was that same mentality that gave her the courage to leave a stable job as an inventory analyst in a corporate office and enroll at CWI.
“I enjoyed the work, and it was a good job, but at the end of the day, it just didn’t feel like I was making a difference,” Smith said.
She found the inspiration to become a nurse came after a personal experience in the hospital that opened her eyes to the kind of impact she wanted to have. Seeing nurses care for her loved ones left an impression she couldn’t ignore.
“I was watching the nurses in the NICU and Labor and Delivery, and I just thought, ‘I want to do that.’ At first, going back to school felt impossible, but I found the drive to go for it,” she said.
With a toddler at home and a busy family life, Smith needed a program that could fit her life while challenging her academically. CWI’s Registered Nursing program offered flexibility, smaller cohort sizes, and the chance to test out of several prerequisite classes, saving her an entire year.
“CWI made it achievable,” Smith said. “I could take classes at night, online, and test out of prerequisites. It meant I could focus on my goals while still being there for my family.”
Hands-on training has been central to Smith’s success. CWI’s nursing program combines classroom instruction with extensive practice in simulation labs, giving students the chance to learn and refine critical skills, from head-to-toe assessments to IV insertions, before applying them to real patients.
“You start out feeling like a lost puppy in the simulation lab,” Smith said. “It’s a lot of new information and skills, and your heart is racing when you try it on a real patient. The instructors are so honest, encouraging, and helpful. They set you up to succeed without adding fluff, and that’s made a huge difference.”
Smith has also experienced the benefits of CWI’s new Nampa Campus Health and Science Building (NCHS), which has transformed the learning environment for her and her cohort. The building features advanced nursing labs, simulation suites, and telehealth facilities, giving students the chance to practice critical skills on lifelike mannequins and realistic clinical setups before working with real patients.
“The new labs are huge, with more beds and better technology than we had before,” Smith said. “The simulations feel so much more realistic, and it gives the students an amazing advantage. I’m a little jealous, but I’m so happy for first-year students — it really shows how CWI is investing in its students and their success.”
Even at home, Smith finds ways to make learning part of everyday life. She practices her head-to-toe assessments on her son, who eagerly steals her stethoscope and penlight, turning study time into hands-on lessons.
“It’s messy sometimes, but it’s also fun,” she said. “He’s learning little things, I’m learning big things. It’s all part of it. Having my family and husband supporting me has made it possible to do this.”
Beyond family support, Smith credits her cohort with helping her navigate the intensity of nursing school. Sharing the highs, lows, and small victories with classmates has made the process both challenging and rewarding.
“I’ve made friends here who are going to be in my life for the long haul,” Smith said. “We push each other, encourage each other, and celebrate every small victory together. It’s been hard and fun, frustrating and rewarding, sometimes all in the same day, but having them has made it possible to get through it.”
Scholarship support has been crucial as well as she navigates this journey. Smith is a recipient of the CWI Foundation Ambassador Scholarship, which allowed her to focus fully on her studies without the stress of finances.
“Receiving a scholarship was incredibly helpful in allowing me to continue my education and focus on learning,” she said. “It makes such a difference to be able to put my education first, be the best student I can be, and know that my tuition and fees are covered. It gives me the chance to really focus on my schooling and my family.”
With graduation on the horizon, Smith plans to enter a new graduate residency program at a hospital in the Treasure Valley, ideally in critical care. Further down the line, she hopes to continue her education and pursue graduate studies.
But for now, she’s focused on learning, growing, and showing her son what’s possible when you commit to your goals.
“It means a lot to me to be setting the example of going back to school while I have my son,” she said. “I'm just showing him the resilience, the hard work, and the ethics behind coming home every day and studying. It's going to make both of us better people later on in life. e's hopefully going to have like the work ethic and drive that I have and accomplish all the goals that he can.”
Through nursing school, Smith is preparing for a career that will allow her to care for others and make an impact every day.
“Thank you to everyone who supports CWI,” she said. “What you’re choosing to donate to is truly making a difference. Investing in students like me, and helping shape our futures through education, is so important and vital.”
This Giving Day, you can make a difference for students like Smith. CWI’s fourth annual Giving Day is Tuesday, April 7—a 24-hour online event dedicated to scholarships, hands-on learning, and student programs. Every gift helps students focus on their education, gain real-world skills, and pursue their dreams.
