One step closer to becoming a nurse

Having a goal of becoming an obstetrics nurse, Abby Kerkhoff will soon take one final exam — all without the financial hurdle.

Wanting to be a nurse for most of her life, Kerkhoff credited her aunt, who’s also an OB nurse, for her career choice.

“I always wanted to be like her,” Kerkhoff said.

Finishing up her last semester at the local Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) campus, Kerkhoff was recently awarded the Hurst Review NCLEX Scholarship.

With Kerkhoff being a member of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society — specifically the Beta Theta Xi chapter at DMACC — the scholarship is funded by national nursing exam prep company Hurst Review Services and is exclusively offered to Phi Theta Kappa nursing majors.

The scholarship helps fund the NCLEX, a required standardized exam given by each state’s board of nursing to determine if registered nurse or licensed practical nurse/licensed vocational nurse candidates are competent for entry-level nursing practice.

Kerkhoff is the first student from the DMACC Carroll Campus to receive this scholarship. In addition to the scholarship, Hurst also provides a $50 discount on NCLEX study materials.

Valerie Enenbach, the Phi Theta Kappa Advisor at the DMACC Carroll Campus, said Kerkhoff was one of 50 students from across the state selected to the All-Iowa Academic Team for Phi Theta Kappa.

“It’s very impressive for them to get that,” Enenbach said.

After Kerkhoff filled-out a lengthy application last year, Enenbach said the application was how she won the scholarship.

Originally from Vail, Kerkhoff is a 2021 graduate of Kuemper Catholic High School. Before graduating high school, Kerkhoff already took community college classes. She also enrolled in CNA classes at 16.

She initially enrolled at the DMACC Ankeny campus, but came back closer to home due the lack of openings at the former campus.

Admittedly, Kerkhoff said she was sad about coming back home. However, she said she’s found taking nursing courses in Carroll to be more convenient.

“I feel like I’m much more prepared to be a nurse than I would have if I stayed in Ankeny,” Kerkhoff said.

She said she also appreciates the tight-knit community in the nursing program.

“The teachers really care about us and they want us to pass, it’s really nice having smaller classes, I feel close to all of my classmates,” Kerkhoff said. “I can ask any of them questions and not feel judged.”

By having this extra support from the scholarship, Kerkhoff said “it feels amazing.”

Her mother is Angie Berns of Vail, who is the owner of Schroeder Farming, and her father is Alan Kerkhoff of Templeton, who works as a postman.

Kerkhoff now resides in Carroll and will graduate from DMACC this upcoming May.