Cassidy Hoffman ’22
Williamsport, Pennsylvania
Nursing major Cassidy Hoffman ’22 grew up around hospitals, because his mom is a nurse.
“Early on, I knew nursing was what I wanted to do,” he said.
Growing up near Williamsport, he learned about Messiah University by attending summer soccer camps as a child. That led to enrolling as a student.
“I loved the community,” he said. “For me, there was no other choice than Messiah.”
He said, through a lot of discipline, he was able to major in nursing while also competing in track and cross-country.
“I had a great coaching staff who worked with me and really made sure I was getting a great education,” he said. “You can miss a practice here and there if you’re struggling in a class.”
He credits the nursing professors with preparing him to do his best—and letting him know when he could do better.
“A professor pulled me aside one time and said, ‘I know you didn’t do great on this test, but you are going to be a great nurse. Buckle down and study.’ After that, I was an A student. Nursing is not easy program. Messiah prepares you so well, and the professors are great, God-fearing people who are invested in you.”
Much like the professors who invested in him, Hoffman wanted to fellow nursing students. As a senior, he worked in the Learning Center tutoring other students, two hours a night twice a week. He was permitted to tutor in any nursing course he’d already taken.
“I wanted it to be nursing specific, because I feel like there is a need there. In the sophomore and junior years, the content gets so difficult. We worked diligently,” he said.
Through an externship last summer, he worked in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. In August, he started working there as a full-time employee.
“Being a Messiah nurse gets you an interview,” he said.
Since starting on the unit, he says he realizes how well Messiah prepared him for the demands that nursing puts on the mind and body, including how to manage stress.
“I’ve been in the floor for roughly three weeks and have rapidly progressed through a difficult orientation process,” said Hoffman. “I have the joy of working with a great staff whose sole focus is on health and safety of all the kids who come through our doors. There is a sacredness to the work we do, bringing kids on death’s door back to a state of health. There have been good days and bad days, patients who test your resolve and others that fill your soul. I could not be more grateful for the opportunities that God has given me to continue his work and perusing his kingdom here on earth!”
—Molly McKim ’23 and Anna Seip