Commencement 2020 profile: Johanna Quituisaca

Even as a little girl, Johanna Quituisaca ’20 wanted to be a nurse.

“When my siblings were sick, I would grab one of my dad’s blue t-shirts and race after my mom, pretending to be a nurse,” she recalled. “Mom was the affable doctor treating my sister’s fever and I was the dutiful nurse giving the patient Tylenol. When my mother left the room, I would continue pretending to be a nurse, writing down how my sister was feeling.”

Having a young cousin with cancer and spending time with her in the hospital interacting with and observing nurses further strengthened Quituisaca’s desire to pursue nursing.

“The way the nurses treated my cousin and my family during one of the darkest times of our lives had a profound impact on my life,” she said. “I want to help patients the same way the nurses helped my family. For me, there is much more to patients than their illness. They are people who have histories, families and dreams.”

Quituisaca realized her own dream in May by earning a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences.

“My childhood game pretending to be a nurse has become my dream job,” she said.

By graduating from college with a degree in nursing, Quituisaca fulfilled two other dreams. First, her parents emigrated from Ecuador when she was only six months old because they wanted a better life for their three children, one that included the opportunity to go to college. Second, her mother had wanted to become a nurse herself, but wasn’t able to due to financial hardship.

Although she is a first-generation college student, Quituisaca isn’t the first in her family to earn a college education nor is she the first to attend Binghamton University. Her sister, Martha, earned a bachelor of arts in political science and Spanish from Harpur College of Arts and Sciences in 2016.

In fact, among the reasons Quituisaca decided to attend Binghamton were her sister’s glowing recommendations.

“My sister would talk about how great the professors were and how beautiful the campus was during the fall,” Quituisaca said. “When I toured Binghamton in the 10th grade, I fell in love with the campus and the diverse student body. I liked the various degrees Binghamton had to offer and the strong sense of community on campus.”

Giving back on campus and off

Quituisaca contributed to that sense of community by participating in a number of programs and groups during her five years at the University, including the McNair Scholars program, a Federal TRiO program that motivates and supports students from disadvantaged backgrounds; and the Jewish Foundation for Education of Women (JFEW) SUNY International Relations and Global Affairs program, a two-year scholarship program for female Binghamton students. She was also a member of the Spanish Club, American Sign Language Club, National Society of Leadership and Success, Sigma Alpha Epsilon Pi and the Rho Lambda Chapter of the National Residence Hall Honorary.

Through the JFEW program, Quituisaca completed a paid internship at the International Rescue Committee in New York City, a nonprofit organization that resettles refugees and helps them become self-sufficient.

She also served as a resident assistant (RA) in Dickinson Community for two years because she wanted to support and guide others.

“Being a first-generation student, I knew how tough it was to adapt to schoolwork and the new environment. I had figured out how to survive college and I wanted to help other students,” she said.

While being a RA helped her develop leadership, communication and problem-solving skills — all qualities needed in nursing — Quituisaca stepped down from the role to concentrate on her studies during her final semester.

She spent her senior year serving as a student laboratory technician for Decker College’s Innovative Simulation and Practice Center (ISPC), where she “had the opportunity to work alongside amazing and talented people,” she said. “When I wasn’t in class or clinicals you could always find me in the ISPC. It became my second home!”

At the ISPC, Quituisaca worked closely with Director Patti Reuther and Assistant Director Lori Sprague.

“Johanna was a wonderful asset to our team,” said Reuther. “First and foremost, she is a kind soul, ready to help and to listen. She is also a creative problem solver.”

“Johanna is passionate and encouraging,” added Sprague. “When working in the lab she would give her all, and students gravitated to her for help. She made them feel comfortable and safe. Despite going through so many personal tragedies, she always has a smile on her face. She is kind and compassionate; it isn’t hard to understand why she became a nurse!”

Strong and brave

Despite her commitment to nursing school and her role at the ISPC, Quituisaca’s final year was particularly difficult since her mother passed away unexpectedly in the summer.

“My mother was one of the main reasons I pursued nursing. She was and still is my hero,” she said. “With her passing, I lost my number one fan and my confidante. It was hard going back to school and adjusting to my new life far away from my family. There were moments that I did not know if I was going to be able to finish my nursing degree.

“However, my mom always told me to be ‘fuerte y valiente,’ which means to be ‘strong and brave.’ And that’s exactly what I did in her memory,” she said.

Quituisaca is relying on that strength and that bravery as she tackles another hurdle — the National Council Licensure Examination-Registered Nurse (NCLEX-RN) test. Every graduate from a school of nursing must take and pass the NCLEX-RN to be a licensed, registered nurse in the United States.

“I will be spending my whole summer studying for the NCLEX-RN,” she said. “This exam is the last thing I need to accomplish in order to cross the finish line. However, I expect a whole new journey awaits me there.”

One of the steps in that journey will be joining Lourdes Ascension Hospital, where Quituisaca accepted a job in early June.

What might the future hold for this bright, determined, soon-to-be registered nurse? She hopes to pursue a graduate degree in public health.