In February 2023, I had the honor of meeting President Joe Biden in Virginia Beach

"Although we nurses advocate for our patients daily, our roles only permit us to accomplish so much. Therefore, nurses need to become informed advocates on all fronts, as we did on that day in Virginia Beach."

BSN class of 2024 student Morgan Allen

alongside two of my UVA colleagues, UVA Health clinician Mesha Jones and associate professor Malinda Whitlow (BSN ’07, MSN ’11, DNP ’13).

As a student, I was immensely grateful for this invitation, as it proved to be an experience I will always remember. And while meeting the President was undoubtedly the highlight of the event, equally rewarding was the chance to interact with outstanding nurses from all over Virginia who had many great experiences and stories of success to share. The entire day inspired me as a nursing student, and I intend to maintain the connections I created.

The most surreal part of the experience, which I didn’t realize until my father later acknowledged it, was that President Biden was the first president I had ever voted for, and two years later, I had the pleasure of meeting him. Never could I have imagined as an 18-year-old casting my first vote that I would soon have the opportunity to meet that same President and shake his hand in the near future.

"President Biden was the first president I had ever voted for, and two years later, I had the pleasure of meeting him."

Morgan Allen, BSN `24

UVA School of Nursing has given me the capacity to experience this and much more, surrounding me with many successful nurses who have a drive for equity and advocacy and a passion for improving our healthcare system. During his speech, President Biden highlighted the transformative changes implemented across our healthcare system since the Affordable Care Act was passed. He emphasized the profound impact of healthcare access and what life would look like for the millions of Americans who would lose access to healthcare if the Affordable Care Act was repealed.

One of the top healthcare priorities of the Biden Administration has been to limit the cost of insulin to $35 for all Americans, not just those on Medicare. As a future nurse, I found this important change reassuring, knowing that measures are being taken to ensure access to healthcare for all patients.

Although nurses advocate for our patients daily, our roles only permit us to accomplish so much. Therefore, nurses need to become informed advocates on all fronts, as we did on that day in Virginia Beach.

Third-year BSN student Morgan Allen, from Goochland, Va., is president and a founder of the Black Student Nurses Alliance (@bsna_uva). She plans to become a nurse practitioner. Top photo by Vivienne McDaniel, VBNA.