I zabella Niedzialek of Cumming, Georgia, chose Georgia College & State University because she heard it had the best nursing program in the state.

She heard it from a reliable source too—her sister, who recently graduated from Georgia College and will be working at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

Like her sister, Niedzialek is good at science and math. But the nursing field was also attractive because she likes helping people and working with children. She thinks she’ll work in pediatrics someday.

“I’d like to do something with kids. I love kids,” Niedzialek said. “This past school year, I worked at an elementary school in their afterschool program every day. I supervised kids playing outside and helped them with their homework—just making sure they were having fun and being safe.”

At West Forsyth High School, Niedzialek also did a lot of community service work with Meals by Grace. She helped with food drives and donated canned goods. She enjoyed going to sports games, doing crafts and attending dances, as well.

At Georgia College, she’s thinking of joining a sorority and maybe studying abroad. Her parents, Kasia and Jurek Niedzialek both immigrated to the United States from Poland in their 20s, looking for better work opportunities.

Her mother is from Katowice and her father from Kraków, Poland. The family goes back to their homeland often to see relatives. Niedzialek attended her cousin’s wedding there this summer.

This travel experience makes Niedzialek want to see more of the world.

Until then, she looks forward to transitioning into college, learning about the nursing profession and meeting new people.

She thinks she’ll bring a lot of “positivity” to campus.