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My name is Darryn Crocker. I am a 2008 graduate of SVSU’s Nursing Department. I have my
BSN. I just got back actually a few months ago from the U.S. Peace Corps where I was
a volunteer for over three years in Swaziland, Africa. So at the moment, I’m readjusting
back into American life – figuring out what that means. I moved down to Lansing area and
accepted a job as a nurse at Sparrow Hospital. Well I was in the nursing program at SVSU
and although it was a heavy, heavy course load, definitely, definitely, great opportunities
there and spending many hours in labs, I had a passion, a passion for the arts, specifically
theatre. I’ve always loved the stage and connecting with an audience was just something
I just so enjoyed. SVSU gave me the opportunity to do both even though I didn’t have time
to maybe major or dual major in theater or even get all the credits for a minor. SVSU
allowed me to audition, to audition for every main stage production. I could be in lights
or tech or again, I was granted leading role as a nursing major! Which you don’t see
on all campuses, which was wonderful. And I’m so grateful for that because I had a
wonderful supportive nursing family and then I had a fabulous, fabulous experience and
made lifelong friendships in the theater department as well. The experience I had in the theater
department by far improved my college experience, my nursing ability, and my experiences afterward.
It was a passion that kept actually giving – in interesting ways, some things that
maybe you wouldn’t expect it to. But I can say I maybe did a little bit better and hopefully
got a little bit better grades on presentations because of my ability to feel comfortable
getting in front of people. I got to have that stress relief doing something that I
love and using a different part of my brain and tapping into more of an artistic side
of experiences. Like I said, I had another support system; I had another, a whole different
group of people that I could rely on. And then certainly afterwards, not only in Peace
Corps – getting pretty good at charades when learning a new language is always beneficial
and feeling like when you walk out your front door you’re on a stage, being kind of an
oddity in a community – being that “What’s that crazy American girl going to do today?”
It definitely prepared for me that as well. But, theater, theater connects you to the
human experience really well, so if that brings more empathy or more understanding to my patients
in the future because I can connect with them a little bit better, communicate with them
a little bit better, then my theater experience did wonders for my career.