Jerry Alewine, PhD: Well I came to Newberry College five years ago. We started a Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Therapy program. It is the only one in the state, and over these five years I've had an opportunity to grow the program. A lot of folks don't realize that we have the BSN program here at Newberry College.

Mattie Turner: I'm Mattie Turner and I'm a senior at Newberry College in the nursing program. I came from a technical college. I transferred here just because I like how small the classes are and I like how the teachers are so personal and like they know you and they care.

Alexis Shealy: For me it was close to home. I didn't want to leave my family and go too far away and I knew from a young age I wanted to be a nurse.

Jerry Alewine, PhD: One of the great things about us is we have low ratios between our instructors and our students. Even we who are in administration are very familiar with our students. The issue that I have often seen is new grads that go into big medical facilities tend to get lost. As the Dean of Nursing and Health Science, I am so excited with the relationship that the college has with Newberry Hospital.

Mattie Turner: I work as a tech at Newberry Hospital and they're supportive. They care about that I am in the nursing program. They work around my schedule. We take vitals three times a shift and we really try and get to know the patients. I fell in love with Newberry Hospital and they really like they treat me like a family.

Alexis Shealy: I was working as a retail assistant here at Newberry so I wanted to get into the healthcare field and get more experience to help me in nursing school, so I applied for the nurse tech position, did my interview and got the job. It not only helps me put what I learned in the classroom into practice but it also helps me get to know the people that one day I will be working with and will help guide me to being the best nurse that I can be.

Beth Joiner, RN: So I've been at Newberry Hospital for about three years now. I grew up in Newberry. I had told myself that I was never going to go to Newberry College because it was a small town, I wanted to get out of my community, but after touring the campus I actually decided to go there and pursued my degree in nursing. I wanted to work at a bigger hospital but after I talked to the manager here she walked me around the hospital, gave me a little tour of the floor and everything and it made me feel like I was at home. Knowing that I grew up in Newberry, it makes me feel like I can give back to my community by being a nurse here.

Jerry Alewine, PhD: When they are brought in as new grads or if they are working there during their time in school, the hospital embraces them because they know that is the future of the hospital and I feel like the family atmosphere, the camaraderie that takes place there is just a phenomenal opportunity for any new grad or any student to really appreciate that being in a smaller hospital you have a whole lot more opportunity to become ingrained in the institution and not simply as an employee and we are so delighted that we are expanding our clinical offerings at Newberry Hospital and our students will be given the opportunity to be exposed to a whole lot more over there than what they have been in the past.

Beth Joiner, RN: It's my calling, it's my passion, nursing. I've always wanted to be a nurse and I wouldn't have it any other way than a Newberry Hospital.