Angel Vue recognizes this story well. With the unwavering support of her parents, Angel set her goals on fulfilling this dream for them while finding herself an avenue for upward mobility in life after college.

“Being a first-generation college student with immigrant parents, they want you to have a better life,” Angel affirms. “By going to school and obtaining your college degree, the outcome is having a great job and a steady form of income. That’s what my parents wanted for me since it’s something they never had for themselves, and they were going to support me every step of the way in getting there.”

With the support of her late uncle, who was a nurse assistant, she set her goal on completing a nursing degree at the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE).

Angel encountered many academic challenges once in the program, falling behind on courses due to their rigor. All-In Milwaukee was pivotal for her during this time.

As an All-In Milwaukee scholar, Angel had access to scholar advisors who were the starting point for connecting to the necessary resources to be successful in college.

“Nursing started to become challenging during my sophomore year,” Angel recounts. “When it started to get hard, I relied heavily on All-In Milwaukee by talking to my scholar advisor. They connected me with mentors and tutors who provided insight into pushing through a nursing degree and suggested steps I should take to prevail against the difficulties.”

Angel picked herself up with great humility and grace; she is the first nursing student from MSOE to be accepted into an operating room preceptorship at Aurora St. Luke’s South Shore. Prior to this, she was a patient safety companion at Children’s Hospital, an opportunity made possible due to All-In Milwaukee’s career partnership with the hospital.

“Being able to be in a full gown and hair net and finally cross the ‘Do Not Cross’ lines at the hospital felt rewarding,” Angel proudly stated. “I was finally able to step into my career and see firsthand what a future in this would look like. This motivated me to follow through with graduating and finding my career here, even with the challenges it has come with.”