The first class of University of St. Thomas students with bachelor’s degrees in nursing (BSN) crossed the commencement stage at Lee & Penny Anderson Arena May 23, capping off three days that also included the inaugural BSN pinning ceremony and marching out of the Arches.
Many of the nearly 50 graduates are preparing for the licensure exam before their search for employment in nursing. Of the students who are actively seeking employment, almost all have secured a position.
Two students from the first BSN cohort, identical twins Kaija and Melija Vijums, will join the Mayo Clinic’s yearlong training program for new graduates in July, where they will work in the oncology unit.
The two spoke with WCCO Radio and the St. Paul Pioneer Press about their experience in St. Thomas’ new nursing program and their career plans. The sisters reflected on how personal family health experiences inspired them to pursue nursing and highlighted the close-knit support they received through St. Thomas’ small cohort model and clinical training opportunities.
From WCCO Radio:
Vineeta Sawkar: A lot of pomp and circumstance being played in football stadiums and inside arenas, with all these graduations going on big time at the University of St. Thomas. Their first class of St. Thomas students with bachelor’s degrees in nursing are graduating over these next few days, and two of those students who will be celebrating are twins who already have jobs lined up at the Mayo Clinic.
Joining us now are Kaija and Melija Vijums, two of the University of St. Thomas students in that 50-person cohort who will graduate with bachelor’s degrees in nursing. Good morning to both of you. Kaija, I’m going to start with you. Why did you think it would be good to get into nursing? What prompted you to make this decision to get a nursing degree?
Kaija Vijums: Yes, I get this question asked a lot, and honestly, it all came down to one individual named Kathy. Growing up, there was a story that my family always told me of when we were born, my sister and I had twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, and I was placed into medically induced coma due to cardiac arrest. I spent months in the NICU, and there was this one nurse who took care of me during this time, and just knowing how much of an impact she made on my family and me, I just knew that I wanted to do that with other individuals.
Sawkar: That’s great. That is a great story. Melija, I’d love to hear what prompted you to get into nursing.
Melija Vijums: Growing up, my mom actually had breast cancer when I was 10 years old, and just watching her go through that, I felt a little powerless I guess, in a way where I felt like choosing a major meant that I could choose something in order to learn and gain power through knowledge to help other people and make sure that I can make them comfortable and give them hope.
Sawkar: You two are already fantastic. I can see you’re going to be fabulous nurses, even just talking to you for a few minutes here. It’s a big thing at University of St. Thomas. I was working there when they were still developing that School of Nursing, and what an amazing place that is, and real social justice, social component to it.
From St. Paul Pioneer Press:
The Vijums twins, Kaija and Melija, were co-captains of their Roseville Area High School lacrosse team. They worked together for five years coaching 11-year-olds in volleyball. And this week, they’ll graduate side by side as part of the first-ever four-year nursing degree cohort at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul.
For most of four years, the identical twins have shared a car while living, studying and taking almost every college class together, including minoring in theology. Naturally, they’ll also take their first steps into the workforce together this summer, joining the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. ...
First graduates of nursing program
The Morrison Family College of Health enrolled its first 50 graduate and 50 undergraduate nursing students in fall 2022, making the twins pioneers of sorts for its Susan S. Morrison School of Nursing’s focus on community health equity. The four-year bachelor of science in nursing program has since grown, and will enroll 125 students in the fall. The two-year accelerated master’s program also has added a three-year hybrid option for working professionals. ...
From KARE 11:
“We felt very powerless just being like young kids and being unable to help our mom,” Kaija said.
Their mom has been cancer-free for 12 years, but the care nurses showed their family have always stuck with them.
This summer, they will start training at Mayo in the oncology unit. It’s a competitive program and they weren’t sure they both would make the cut. They interviewed for the job while traveling overseas. About a week later, they both found out they got the job.
“We never planned to be together at all in any way, so it’s just like I feel like our plans will always align in some sort of way,” Melija said.
A lot of people ask them why they would choose a field where they can be so sad, but the answer is simple.
“I really just want to make an impact on families and that’s honestly why I went into nursing, just to be a support system for others,” Melija said. “We can be those people to lift up others, and we can be those people to physically or emotionally help others when they’re in their most difficult and life-changing experience of their life. I feel like I want to be that person for them and just kind of put myself in their shoes.”
