Lilian Zubek

Sometimes a change in one’s personal life can start a domino effect that impacts education and career choices going forward. Such was the case for Western Connecticut State University Nursing student Lilian Zubek, who was on a path to a career in IT until the birth of her son, Henry, changed her focus to nursing.

Zubek grew up in Kenya, East Africa, and graduated from high school in 2000. “After earning my high school diploma, I immediately enrolled in Jommo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology with a desire to work with computers, and I earned an associate degree in Information Technology in 2003,” Zubek said. “I also worked toward a B.S. degree, but did not finish because I needed to earn money.” While in Kenya, she worked as a cost controller for a construction company and was “blessed with a son,” Zubek said. “Because my son has sickle cell disease, I became interested in nursing.”

In 2016, Zubek moved to the U.S., initially residing in New York near her aunt. After she got married, she moved to Connecticut where her husband was from. “When I decided to start a nursing career, I first contacted WCSU, but then I heard that Naugatuck Valley Community College had a two-year program, which would enable me to become an RN more quickly and begin earning real money and health benefits for my son. From the beginning, I intended to get my BSN degree at WCSU to advance my career. I re-enrolled pretty quickly: there was only about a year gap in my schooling between NVCC and WCSU.”

Zubek graduated from NVCC in 2021 and started working at Danbury Hospital as a registered nurse on a med-surf floor. A year later, she and her family relocated to Hopewell Junction, new York, and she found a job closer to home at Mid-Hudson Regional Hospital as a registered nurse on a med-surg floor. “I am a full-time employee working 12-hour night shifts three days a week with alternating weekends,” she said. “I’m simultaneously enrolled in WCSU’s RN-to-BSN program where many of my classmates have prior work experience and most of us have full-time jobs. I also had prior work experience as a Certified Nurse Aid. These work experiences inform our learning in the BSN program and provide material for class discussions and papers, resulting in greater depth.”

WCSU’s Nursing classes are host to a diverse group of students, Zubek said. At age 40, she is older than the average among her classmates, but there are others who, like her, are contemplating an employment change or seeking career advancement. “I have known several immigrant students with interesting life stories,” she said. “I believe my experience raising a child with sickle cell provides me with a unique perspective on nursing,” she added.

As part of WCSU’s RN-to-BSN degree program, several nursing courses require clinical hours. “The capstone nursing course requires clinical hours and self-directed learning,” Zubek said. “Because I live closer to Danbury than to some of the other clinical locations, the professor recommended that I do my clinical at the WCSU Health Services Center. This is a good choice because I am interested in public health and wellness. After getting my hospital work schedule, I schedule my clinical hours with WCSU Health Services Center Director Michelle Young, based on my work schedule.

“Michelle is very learned and demonstrates excellent communication with the students, and the clinical hours at the WCSU Health Services Center have been a very good experience,” Zubek said. “WCSU’s Health Services Center is also a good place to work on my chosen project, which is vaping/smoking cessation and wellness.”

Zubek will complete WCSU’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing program this spring. Her son, Henry, is slated to graduate from high school in 2026. Looking ahead, Zubek said, “I see myself working in a hospital setting for the next several years. Then I may return to Kenya to work in the Ministry of Health. I would tell any registered nurse thinking of getting a BSN that the WCSU program is doable because you can create your own study time since most of the work is asynchronous. A bachelor’s degree opens up a lot of opportunities. You can work anywhere. The WCSU program also prepares you well for getting a master’s.”

Western Connecticut State University changes lives by providing all students with a high-quality education that fosters their growth as individuals, scholars, professionals and leaders in a global society. Our vision: To be widely recognized as a premier public university with outstanding teachers and scholars who prepare students to contribute to the world in a meaningful way.