For Brad Trump, the path to studying at the NYU Meyers College of Nursing wasn’t exactly a straight line. After graduating from a performing arts high school in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he started a BFA program in Dance. Then he accepted an offer to study at the Joffrey Ballet School in New York City. He took advantage of the opportunity to pursue his dream of dancing professionally but soon began to wonder if it was the right path for him. Nevertheless, he booked a prominent production’s national and regional tours, taught at various dance studios, and traveled the country to guest-teach dance classes.
A few years passed and Brad still hadn’t shaken the idea there was something else he was meant to offer the world. As his 30th birthday approached, he decided a career change was in order. So he enrolled at Hunter College as a psychology student and, before long, followed a strong calling to apply to NYU Meyers. Now a junior nursing student, Brad’s experiences inspire him to champion an inadequately supported area—transgender youth health care—even as he juggles classes, clinical rotations, and a part-time job.
The Path to NYU
While Brad decided to apply to NYU on a whim, once he received an offer of admission, he knew it was the opportunity of a lifetime. “The quality of education and the extraordinary faculty really set NYU Meyers apart,” he explains. “I have never felt more supported anywhere else. We truly have some of the most genuine instructors who want their students to succeed in every way possible. And they provide every possible resource for us to do so.”
After transferring to NYU as a sophomore, Brad worked full-time to afford tuition, even as he attended classes. This year, thanks to a generous scholarship, he’s able to work part time and focus more energy on his studies. Furthermore, due to excellent time management and NYU Meyers’ understanding faculty, Brad manages to take time for himself. “In the nursing program, we’re constantly reminded that we can’t take care of others if we don’t take care of ourselves first,” he affirms.
The Opportunity to Specialize
This semester, Brad is practicing medicine in real-world settings for the first time. For his first clinical rotation, he’s focusing on geriatrics at NYU Langone Hospital—Long Island. In the coming semesters, he’ll study a variety of other specializations, including pharmacology, psychiatry, maternity, and pediatrics, which is his long-term career goal.
Before entering NYU Meyers, Brad gained experience working with children in various capacities. In fact, he’s been a babysitter, dance teacher, preschool teacher, and nanny. Now he wants to focus on helping transgender youth. “Transgender health care for youth is fairly new in the world of medicine. So it’s an area that needs more training, education, and accessibility,” he says. “As a gay man from a small town, I’ve had my own experiences dealing with accessibility issues. Though we have come a long way for the LGBTQ+ community, there is still a long way to go for many. I feel like it would be a disservice if I didn’t use my experiences to pave a better way for them, like so many before me have done.”
The Freedom to Pursue Passions
The nursing program at NYU Meyers has already given Brad plenty of space to pursue his professional interests. Many of his courses explored children’s mental health, and he’s researched and written about transgender youth experiences and disparities in health care. This semester, he was elected to the nursing e-board, which organizes a variety of events. For instance, students can attend IV insertion labs, blood drives, and seminars with guest lecturers who work in the field. Additionally, the e-board allows Brad to explore another interest: intensive care units. “Being part of the e-board allows me to communicate with other students, faculty, and working professionals who can shed light on what it’s like to be on a critical care unit,” Brad explains.
Ultimately, Brad has found a community of support at NYU Meyers that empowers him to work toward exciting, necessary changes in his field. “Even within a career like nursing, within the framework of our classes, there’s the freedom to focus some of your work on things that really interest you,” Brad says. “It speaks to how NYU wants students to create their own academic path. The opportunities NYU offers are endless, the quality of education is absolutely incredible, and I think anyone can have an amazing journey here.”
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