As Nicole Romero ’23 walked out of Costco on a normal February day, she checked her email on a whim. That’s when she discovered she was accepted into the University of Kansas Medical Center (KU Med).
As a first-generation college graduate, getting into KU Med was special for both Romero and her mom.
“My dad passed away in the middle of my freshman year at Newman University. He knew how much I wanted to become a doctor and died knowing that one day I would fulfill my dream. Although he is not here to see it, I know he is so proud of me. My parents were never able to get higher education but always instilled in me the importance of investing in my education,” said Romero.
Romero, a biology major with a pre-med concentration, started her Newman journey in the fall of 2019. From age 9, she had always dreamed of becoming a physician. She volunteered at a local hospital as a freshman in high school.
In addition to the scholarships she received, the small class sizes are one of the many reasons that Romero chose Newman. She consistently had classes with students in her same major and found that there was always someone she knew. Her favorite aspect of Newman, however, was the professors.
“I do not think I would be where I am had it not been for my professors’ support and encouragement. There were times when external situations occurred that caused issues with getting homework done or being able to efficiently study, but the professors were always so understanding. If I was ever struggling with something in or out of the classroom I knew I could speak to them about it,” said Romero.
Romero was involved in many organizations during her time at Newman. She served on the executive board of the Newman University Medical Professional Club during her junior and senior years. She was also a general biology lab assistant for three years and the biology lab coordinator her senior year.
It has been so great to see how successful all of my classmates have been since graduating from Newman.
Nicole Romero ’23
“A big takeaway from Newman is I have gained a new level of confidence in not only myself but also my ability to do hard things. There were many times when I did not think I was good enough or smart enough to do well in certain classes, but I always proved myself wrong,” Romero said.
She added, “It has been so great to see how successful all of my classmates have been since graduating from Newman.”
After mentioning her dream of becoming a physician to her family doctor, Romero started shadowing and later even got a letter of recommendation from him.
“Although I was very naive about what it would take to become a physician, I was set on making that goal come true. Through my interactions with patients and other workers I knew that I was headed in the right direction,” said Romero.
After graduating from Newman last May, Romero moved to Kansas City in preparation for starting KU Med in July. She has been working at an ophthalmologic clinic as a technician.
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