Tamela Odums has faced countless hardships, but she remains determined to create a better life for herself. Graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from South University, West Palm Beach in 2022, she returned to South University to earn her Master of Science in Nursing with a specialization in Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) degree and she’s providing guidance for her fellow FNP students.
Her story didn’t have the happiest beginning. By the age of sixteen, she lost both of her parents. Her father to lung cancer, and her mother sadly passing shortly thereafter from what she describes as “brokenhearted syndrome.” Other members of her family stole the money her father had left for her along with selling her childhood home, leaving her homeless, hungry, and hopeless at a tender age. In addition to facing the hardship of loss, she also became a teenaged mother, and Tamela was determined to not leave her daughter in the same dire straits she had been left in.
In the midst of all this struggle, she also lost her nineteen-year-old brother in a fatal car crash. With so much loss, she entered into a depression. But through all of that, Tamela found hope and relied on her belief in God. She realized that she alone had to follow her dreams to make her parents and brother proud. “I concluded no one was going to save me but myself.” She recalled her old desire to become a trauma nurse. Inspired by the show “Trauma, Life in the ER,” she wanted to be a nurse that “brought patients back to life.”
She began researching BSN programs, comparing all the lengths, training, etc. She came up with a unique system to help her finalize her decision: “I made an acronym up to choose and asked myself if I wanted to be an Average Skilled Nurse (ASN) or a Best Skilled Nurse, and my answer was the Best Skills Nurse to give the best-evidenced practice of care.” In June of 2022, Tamela graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
After earning her BSN, Tamela decided to enroll in the Master of Science in Nursing program, with a specialization in Family Nurse Practitioner. As she was working on her Bachelor’s degree, she met with supportive faculty members who helped her and believed in her potential. Tamela initially was ready to be done with her education after earning her BSN, but she knew she could do more. She wanted to prevent hospital readmissions due to a lack of knowledge. She decided to become the change she wanted to see and she took on the challenge of furthering her education.
But education wasn’t the only thing she found as part of the FNP program. Tamela also became a mentor for many of her fellow students. Initially, she struggled with the writing portion of the courses and she was ready to withdraw. However, she credits Rebekah Lewis with helping her find her motivation to continue. In an email from Rebekah, Tamela recalls a piece of advice she found most helpful: “The only thing stands between what you want and what you have is what you do...right now. Make that change.” When her grades improved, Tamela was inspired to help others. She even helped one student raise their scores from 68% to 98% which Tamela claims is one of her biggest rewards.
Tamela is still working through her MSN, but she doesn’t think her educational journey is going to stop there. She’s strongly considering pursuing a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree, or even becoming part of the faculty at South University. She acknowledges her journey hasn’t been easy, but the alternative of, in her words, living off minimum wage and being uneducated has its own challenges. She urges others to invest in themselves and live up to their potential. Tamela herself is proof that circumstances aren’t a barrier for success. “If I can do it, anyone can do it.”
Testimonials have been provided by students/alumni in their own words and without coercion.
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