Azusa Pacific University has a rigorous nursing program that seeks to produce graduates who excel academically and exemplify God’s love in their holistic care. Jueliza Mainit ’26, a nursing major and honors humanities minor, is preparing to make a difference in the lives of others as a nurse. Due to the science based curriculum of nursing, she found that combining her major with a humanities minor gave her the opportunity to have a well rounded and meaningfully tailored college experience.
Nursing has always been Mainit’s calling. Many of her family members, including her dad, are nurses. “I’ve always leaned towards joining the healthcare field, but I decided to do nursing for myself after going through some skin conditions,” she said. Researching how she could help herself inspired Mainit to help others. She hopes to pursue nursing in cosmetic dermatology.
When Mainit’s older friends applied to APU’s nursing program, she was intrigued by the prospect of learning how to become a nurse in a Christian community. Mainit had only ever attended public schools, so she was excited for the opportunity to enroll in a private university where she could get an education that shared and encouraged her religious values. “Being able to simultaneously study nursing and learn about God surrounded by other people who love God was an influential aspect in my decision.”
Mainit’s decision to pursue a nursing degree at APU has given her opportunities in the field that will help her later on. She feels that she is already being equipped to work in the healthcare field post-graduation. “APU does an amazing job at providing intentionally excellent clinical experience,” she said. “Being on the floor helping patients is a firsthand look into what I’ll be doing in the future, and APU gives students the opportunity to establish connections with places they could eventually work at.” Mainit said that the nursing professors have been influential since many are currently or have been nurses themselves.
Mainit also has her course in honors humanities. The Honors College is a tight knit community that provides students with the opportunity to have discussions revolving around the big questions of life and faith. Most of the assignments are reading and writing based which attracted Mainit who loves to write. General education requirements are also built into the honors curriculum which Mainit thought would be a great opportunity to immediately focus on her nursing classes. “Nursing is all science and facts, but honors allows me to be more creative and self reflective,” she said. “I am able to discover for myself what I believe and become a deeper thinker. Honors was totally new and different for me, and it’s helped me grow in my faith.” Mainit enjoys learning about different philosophies and views on Christianity. She’s been challenged to think about her own beliefs and look at how she can adopt and understand other views.
Through the books and conversations I’ve immersed myself in through honors, I’ve been able to understand the beauty of learning about different perspectives.
Both honors and nursing are rigorous academic studies that require time and dedication. However, Mainit said that putting the extra effort into her coursework has been worthwhile. “I love nursing and healthcare, and I’ve gotten to learn and grown so much since coming to APU,” she said. “It’s challenging, but I wouldn’t choose to do anything else. The same goes for honors. The course gives me a new perspective and allows me to continually think about who I am, who God is, and the big concepts of everyday life that I wouldn’t have thought to question on my own. Balancing both studies is worthwhile because of the value it adds to my life and how it has developed me into a better person.”
Mainit’s faith at APU has also been strengthened by her experience as a global chapel band co-leader. “Our goal is to share that we can worship God in many different ways because our God is not limited to the English language or contemporary music,” she said. “There are so many diverse ways in different cultures to worship God, and I love that I have the opportunity to praise Him in Tagalog, the language of the Philippines where my family is from.” Mainit’s first experience on a chapel band has pushed her to serve God and others with a sincere level of excellence. “When I do anything for God, I want to give him my best,” she said. “That doesn’t mean perfection, but it does encourage me to show up and do everything I can to be my authentic self while serving Him.”
Chapel is part of APU’s effort to intentionally set aside time for worship, but God is also present everywhere on campus from the classroom to Cougar Walk. “The students and faculty here are genuinely good people who love God and love serving Him,” Mainit said. “APU especially devotes themselves to giving us as much knowledge as possible about the Bible and community growth through the curriculum and chapel.”
After graduation, Mainit plans to take her board exams and become a registered nurse right away. While she doesn’t know what field of nursing she’ll end up in, she’s excited to gain work experience and put into practice all that she’s learned from her classes and clinicals.