FROM PATIENT CARE TO AI PIONEERS: NURSING STUDENTS EXPLORE CAREER POSSIBILITIES IN SILICON VALLEY
Three Nursing students enriched their understanding of global innovation, technology and entrepreneurship during a weeklong immersion experience in Silicon Valley and San Francisco January 5-10. Through Villanova in the Valley, which is held over winter break every year, senior Khabria Fisher-Dunbar, senior Mya Stinson and sophomore Brian Teeter traveled across the country with 15 other students in a variety of majors to make valuable connections with Villanova alumni and gain direct access to founders and C-level executives at industry-leading organizations.
Participants heard firsthand from investors, entrepreneurs and leaders at startups and large companies, acquiring insights into opportunities and challenges and how to start a career in the region.
Villanova in the Valley at Google: Teeter (second row, fourth from right), Stinson and Fisher-Dunbar (center, brown top and white sweater, respectively)
“It was so great to gain exposure to my career options and understand how diverse nursing is,” said Teeter. “Now I understand that nurses can be a part of the conversation around AI and technology—in fact, they should be part of these conversations as AI and tech continue to develop rapidly in health care.”
The six days of company visits, networking events and educational tours included cultural sites and stops at The Napa Valley Reserve/Solares Vineyards, Equator Coffee, Arista, Meta, Intuit, Nvidia, Geodesic Capital, Videra Surgical, Forethought AI, SoFi, Accel, Zeni, Thoma Bravo and Google.
“Meeting with so many established start-ups and businesses left me very inspired to have pursuits in entrepreneurship,” said Stinson.
Teeter, Napa Reserve
Stinson, Palace of Fine Arts
Fisher-Dunbar, Google
Fisher-Dunbar learned about Villanova in the Valley at the University’s Idea Lab, a gathering space for individuals from all corners of campus to collaborate on innovative, creative and cross-curricular projects. She was encouraged to apply for the competitive program to broaden her perspective on career opportunities
One of the best parts of the experience, Fisher-Dunbar said, was “knowing that while you’re a nursing major, you are not confined to your nursing bubble.”
Curious about how AI’s reach into the health care sector would affect the nursing profession, she asked the NVIDIA executives for their perspective.
“They explained that we can use AI to take better care of our patients,” she said. “Technology is growing just like health care, so there are going to be a lot of intersections, and we would rather stay ahead of it than be behind it. As incoming nurses, it’s good for us to be in these spaces.”
Villanova in the Valley at Accel: Stinson (front, second from left), Fisher-Dunbar (front, third from left), Teeter (back, third from left)
After talking with Joe Guido ’87 VSB, CEO and Founder of Videra Surgical, Teeter became interested in the medical device and technology side of the health care industry.
“I believe having experienced nurses as part of important conversations about growing technology and AI is extremely important,” he said.
Teeter believes his interest in exploring opportunities in AI, technology and venture capital firms as a nursing student, now magnified by his Villanova in the Valley experience, will give him an edge in seeking externships.
“At each company we visited, we got to speak to someone who had an extensive career with many pivots, and each of them had numerous life lessons,” said Teeter. Whether it was how to land your first job, how to pivot or make time for yourself while you try to climb in your career, these people had invaluable advice that I will continue to carry with me.”
From Nick Bartle, Vice President of Brand Marketing at Intuit, and Jayshree Ullal, CEO and President of Arista, “We learned a lot about who we are and who we can become,” said Fisher-Dunbar.
Stinson agrees, noting that the experience showed her how business and technology can transform patient care and how nurses can play a role in driving that change.
“This experience reinforced my interest in combining nursing, business and technology to improve health care efficiency,” she said. “The connections I made may also open doors to mentorship and future career opportunities in health care innovation.”
Villanova in The Valley is led by the Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.