Decker student sees nursing as stepping-stone to medical school

Sirei Jace, a junior at Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences, possesses an incredible drive to help others through medicine.

After he and his family emigrated from Albania in 2009, they settled in Brooklyn, N.Y., in search of a better life.

“I think that opportunity was the greatest motivator,” he said.

Then, during his first year at Hunter College, his family moved to Staten Island after 11 years of living in Brooklyn. However, it was difficult to travel two hours each way as a commuter student.

“I would leave home at 6 a.m., go to classes and come back late at night. It was during COVID, so people had that mentality of just going to class and coming home. I didn’t like that approach,” Jace said. “I needed the communication between peers, and Decker had a huge impact on that; it’s just been amazing.”

He transferred to Binghamton University during his sophomore year after getting accepted into Decker’s nursing program.

“I got accepted into Hunter, but I liked the nursing program at Binghamton much more. Their simulations, their teachers, everything,” Jace said. “I couldn’t have made a better decision, really.”

He decided to become a nurse because of the personal relationships that nurses form with their patients. After he graduates next year, he would like to work in an operating room or an intensive care unit.

“I think surgery is the most interesting aspect of medicine, and in the ICU, a lot of higher-acuity patients require more critical care, and you get to be more involved with their care,” he said.

When asked why he chose nursing, Jace replied: “I really like the direct patient-care part of nursing.” He wants to delve deeper into the complexities of medicine and plans to pursue medical school, but for now, he embraces nursing as a step toward gaining a deep understanding of patient interaction.

This commitment reflects a holistic approach to healthcare. Jace wants to create a foundation of direct patient clinical skills through nursing prior to medical school.

“There is so much more I wish to explore, understand and master in medicine,” he said.

Jace appreciates the substantial amount of structure that Decker offers to students to alleviate stress. He has a lot of support from advisors and instructors who answer questions promptly.

“Decker has been amazing at communicating with students about important dates coming up and any questions you might have. They have scheduled meetings to make sure everything is OK and answer any questions throughout the semester,” he said. “It is individualized, and it means a lot just because you are not just a student to them; you are a human being with other things going on.”

Jace was initially attracted to the recently-renovated Health Sciences Building in Johnson City, which houses Decker’s nursing program and Innovative Simulation and Practice Center, along with other offices and academic programs. However, the people make the experience more meaningful to him.

“Every professor has been amazing. They want you to succeed, and they’re all such genuine people. It’s just amazing to be in that environment,” he said. “Then there are the students. I’m fortunate with my class graduating in 2025 that everyone is just so nice and says ’Hi’ to each other in the hallways, and we talk about how our clinical went and how our experiences have been.”

Jace is also involved with several extracurricular activities, including being a peer advisor and student ambassador for Decker.

“Initially, I did it to give others the perspective that I had. Transferring in was different to someone who came initially as a first-year student, so with that perspective, I wanted to potentially guide others who are thinking the same thing because I feel I really made the right choice, and it allowed me to grow and become better,” he said.

Jace is also involved with Decker’s Motion Analysis Research Laboratory (MARL): “So many different types of research projects are being done for vision, gait studies, balance and a lot of other important stuff. I highly recommend people apply to that lab.”

Jace’s people skills allowed him to thrive while working for Residential Life as a residential advisor.

“Sometimes, students come to us with conflicts, and it allows us to be there for them rather than having to go to someone they’re not peers with,” he said. “Just being a peer and being someone that people can talk to is really nice.”

One of Jace’s strengths is managing time for his studies and various extracurriculars.

“I slowly built up to these extracurriculars, and I was able to adapt my schedule as I went along,” he said. “As a whole, Decker and Binghamton motivated me to do more.”

While keeping up with his active schedule, Jace’s greatest challenge at Binghamton has been carving out time for himself.

“Everyone has those weeks where things gather on top of each other, you have papers due, assignments, tests, all these things. I definitely try to prioritize self-care more as I go along,” he said. “Once in a while, I work out and play tennis, trying to do things for myself rather than doing them for something else.”

Jace believes his main achievement is the connections he’s forged with those in and around his community.

“Everyone I’ve met is striving to do better,” he said. “When you see others trying to strive for their goals, it makes you want to strive for your goals as well.”