When students at the University of Florida transitioned to online learning in 2020, nursing student Kayla Elliot ’21 (Jamaica, Pearson UWC) got back in touch with a hospital in George Town, Cayman Islands, where she had interned during previous breaks. She joined the hospital’s pandemic-response team, directing patient traffic, verifying patient information and organizing test kits at community sites.

“I was very grateful to the Cayman Islands Health Services Authority for allowing me the opportunity to help out during that time,” Kayla says. “Some people arrive at the swabbing site so nervous they momentarily forget their names. I was able to pick up on that and help to explain what the procedure entailed, and alleviated some of their nerves before they got their tests done. This has also been important as I have learned in school to ask questions in the clinical setting in order to learn more about a situation.”

After she returned to UF, “I completed my clinical rotations and even engaged in community vaccination clinics as part of the program,” Kayla says. Now graduated from UF’s College of Nursing, “I have just started working as an oncology nurse in a major hospital, and I’m looking forward to growing in this field. I can’t thank the Davis UWC Scholars Program enough for making this possible for me.”