How IU Northwest, United Way helped prepare health services management graduate Nyla Collins for the future
GARY, Ind. — “My little nurse.”
That’s what Nyla Collins’ grandfather calls her because of the hours she spent at his house feeding him, spending time with him and taking care of his medical needs.
Collins did this throughout high school. She enjoys personalized care. And her gravitation toward the healthcare industry isn’t too much of a surprise.
“It was because of my grandparents,” Collins said. “My grandaddy used to call me 'his little nurse' and my grandma, she was a CNA (certified nursing assistant) before she died.”
From a young age, Collins knew healthcare was her calling. She just didn’t know where that calling would take her while she was earning college credits at Gary Lighthouse College Preparatory Academy.
Thanks to the Groups Scholars program, Collins started her higher education journey at Indiana University Bloomington. But, like so many people at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, adjusting to online classes proved difficult. After one semester, Collins transferred her credits to the university down the road from where she was raised — IU Northwest.
“I started taking classes at IUN and I liked it,” Collins said. “The in-person classes and a smaller environment, it was better to connect with my professors who helped me out a lot throughout my journey here.”
From taking classes in government to the legal aspects of health, utilizing the personalized attention of faculty and landing an internship, which turned into a part-time job, IU Northwest helped Collins succeed from her first day on campus.
But as she recently earned her bachelor’s degree in health services management in 2023, Collins is thankful for another organization that helped her along her healthcare journey and taught her how to succeed outside of college.
Finding a way with United Way’s Level Up program
A few months before earning her degree, Collins joined the United Way Northwest Indiana’s Level Up program. The program helps working individuals find better-paying careers and financial stability through job education training.
Through the program, Collins worked with a navigator, Suzanne Brown, who serves as a case manager and provides her with guidance, support and access to resources along her journey. Collins took modules on how best to use her money, including buying a car and home, and even received her phlebotomy certification thanks to the Level Up program.
“We want to help people pursue their dreams,” Brown said. “Rather than providing them a list of different programs they can choose from, we ask them ‘What do you want to achieve?’”
As Collins looks for her first full-time position in the healthcare field, Brown can’t help to feel excited every time Collins sends her another career update.
“I have no doubt she’s going to achieve anything she wants,” Brown said. “I see how much she cares about the people she works with and so being able to help her so she can help others is just really beautiful.”
Learn more about the Level Up program
Ready for whatever's next
At IU Northwest, Collins turned an internship into a job and gained real-world experience as a patient service representative at Integrated Orthopedics, delivering medical equipment to those preparing for surgery and doing what she’s always loved to do — helping people.
“A lot of people need help,” Collins said. “You wouldn’t understand the number of patients I’ve dealt with that are alone, especially older patients.”
The response she gets from those she cares for is what keeps her coming back.
“How much joy they get from a person helping them is really amazing sometimes,” Collins said. “It feels good to be appreciated and give back to people. It’s a great feeling and you want to keep doing it.”
Thanks to the education and skills Collins received at IU Northwest and through United Way’s Level Up program, she’s ready to keep helping people wherever the world takes her.
As a 21-year-old first-generation college graduate, Collins doesn’t know exactly what the future holds for her. But she knows the education she received and the skills she developed have prepared her for the next step of finding a job in healthcare.
And while she’s currently seeking professional opportunities, she’s also taking some time to celebrate a major milestone in her life.
“It’s a great feeling because I am 21 years old and a college graduate,” Collins said. “Most people don’t make it to this position. I just feel good about it.
“… It’s especially a great feeling knowing you made it through. College is hard and I had my ups and downs, but I made it.”
