Diana Felix Rebelo

Being a college student can be hard. Being a successful student-athlete can be challenging. And combining the intensely demanding academics associated with being an Honors Nursing student while simultaneously serving as the captain of an NCAA- Div. III sports team may be the most difficult thing of all. Yet, none of these challenges have deterred Naugatuck resident Diana Felix Rebelo from overcoming these and additional obstacles — she will graduate in May with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing with a 3.87 GPA and recently has been named a Henry F. Barnard Distinguished Student Award recipient, one of only two students to receive this award in 2025 at Western Connecticut State University.

A First-Generation college student, Rebelo is the daughter of Portuguese immigrants who came to the United States in search of a better life. Growing up, Rebelo watched her mother work as a second-shift CNA and determined that she, too, wanted to be a caregiver. “Little did I know when I told my mother’s coworkers, ‘I want to be just like my mommy when I grow up,’ that I would follow her footsteps and go beyond,” she said. “She has always given me the comfort in my most vulnerable times, and now it is my time to return the favor to others. Every challenge I have faced shaped me into the person and future nurse I am and will be.”

After having applied to nearly a dozen colleges and universities at which she could study Nursing, Rebelo came to WestConn because she was invited to enter as a Kathwari Honors Program student, which comes with tailored opportunities for participants in the program and a sizable Presidential Scholarship. “Although I chose WestConn primarily for financial reasons, I later realized that its nursing curriculum was a much better fit for me compared to elsewhere,” Rebelo said. “At WestConn, nursing courses are introduced alongside prerequisites as early as sophomore year. This meant that I was typically taking two nursing courses per semester, which allowed me to be more academically successful. As I graduate I can confidently state that WestConn was the best decision I made, unknowingly at the time as a senior in high school. Being such a small school, that’s close, everyone is here supporting your success. I can honestly say that part of my success academically and professionally is because I chose WestConn.”

In addition to being a Kathwari Honors student, Rebelo has served as the captain of WestConn’s Women’s Tennis Team. She has been involved with the National Student Nurses’ Association (serving as president in 2024-25), is a member of Minorities in Medicine (2021-25) and is a peer tutor and mentor for Nursing students (2024-25). Her numerous awards include the RN Peer Recognition Award for Accountability, Leadership, and Commitment to Nursing Care (2024); induction into Chi Alpha Sigma, the National College Athlete Honor Society (2021-25) and Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing (2023-25). She is the recipient of a WCSU Presidential Merit Scholarship (2021-25), and was named to the Little East Conference All-Academic Team (2021-25).

Off-campus, Rebelo works as a rehab aide at Beacon Brook Center for Health and Rehabilitation, and as a Patient Care Technician at the Yale New Haven Hospital in the Medical Intensive Care Unit. After graduation, she will transition into the role of a graduate nurse in the Medical ICU at Yale New Haven Saint Raphael. Her future plans include earning a Critical Care RN certification and eventually becoming a nurse educator to train the next generation of health care providers.

Her success has not come without its challenges, however. In the essay she submitted for Barnard Award consideration, Rebelo  acknowledged some of the obstacles she had to overcome.

“Like many children of immigrants, navigating the waters is a little different than others around you,” she wrote. “How are you trying to figure out life as a child when your parents are too? They are learning English at the same time you are. For me, school was one of my least favorite things, ironically, and it wasn’t until 7th grade that I stopped needing extra help with reading. I knew that I needed to give it my all in order to succeed, never wanting to fall short. I ended up graduating from high school as Salutatorian, which came as no surprise to my parents. They live on the idea that ‘Como fizeres a cama assim nela te deitas,’ which translates to ‘how you make your bed is how you lay in it.’ If you want to succeed and be successful it is within your power to do so.”

As she transitioned to college, Rebelo felt so driven to achieve perfection that she began to experience anxiety and a lot of self-doubt. “However, I eventually found ‘my people,’ including my two closest friends, Priscilla and Veronica,” she said. “Nursing school naturally has this stigma of competitiveness, which can be draining with anxiety. Those two have made it far from that. We push each other to do our best and support each other’s success with no envy, but genuine want for success for each other. I also want to acknowledge the incredible faculty members who supported me along the way: Dean of Student Affairs Dr. Julie Perrelli and Assistant Professor of Nursing Dr. Eileen Campbell. Both served as mentors at different points in my journey,” she said.

“As a freshman, I doubted whether I could succeed,” Rebelo continued. “As a student-athlete, everyone is given a faculty mentor to help bridge academics and athletics, and that person happened to be Dr. Perrelli. I booked a meeting with her, sharing my concerns. She provided a listening ear and guided me through my options, offering the reassurance I needed. She also shared her own personal experiences, which gave me hope that as long as I kept trying, I could succeed. Dr. Campbell became an essential part of my journey as well. She continuously reminded me of my capabilities and believed in me when I struggled to believe in myself.”

Rebelo said that her family — her parents and her brother — also played a crucial role in her support system. “As I approach May of 2025, I will be walking the stage receiving my Bachelor of Science in Nursing,” she said. “As I receive my diploma, my name in bold letters: ‘Diana Felix Rebelo’. This diploma is not only for me, but also for my parents. I represent my mom with Felix and my father with Rebelo; they, too, earned this degree as much as I did. I am beyond grateful for everyone who supported me along the journey to get here. My parents, who gave up everything they knew in hopes for something better for their family. Every time I felt like giving up, they were there pushing me, reminding me of my capabilities. There’s a saying, ‘it takes a village’ and I am beyond grateful for mine. They listened to me every day, through tears and moments of self-doubt, always reassuring me that I was more than capable of succeeding,” she added.

Succeed she did, and Rebelo has words of wisdom for students who follow in her footsteps. “As a First-Generation college student, I understand the challenges that come with navigating college life without a roadmap. It’s hard, and there will be moments when it feels overwhelming — but what you put in is what you get out. One of the most important pieces of advice I can give is to take advantage of the resources available to you. There are support systems everywhere, whether it’s faculty, academic services, tutoring, or student organizations — you just have to seek them out and use them. It is okay to ask for help. Also, find ‘your people’ — those who uplift you, encourage you, and remind you why you started this journey in the first place. Having a strong support system, whether it’s friends, mentors, or family, makes all the difference. Most importantly, believe in yourself. There will be times when you doubt yourself, but think of how far you have come. Keep pushing forward, stay resilient, and embrace every opportunity that comes your way.”

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.