Alicia John

“Hope is not about everything turning out okay; it is about being okay no matter how things turn out” - Carol Kodish-Butt 

If ever in need of some optimism, reach out to Alicia. She will instantly try anything to make you smile and help you to forget about your worries.

From a young age, Alicia was encouraged by her parents to give herself to others in service. Her father would say, "If you are fortunate enough to have privilege, it is your duty to now give it to others." It was not just words; he showed his daughter through example. Growing up, she remembers sending money and clothes to a small orphanage in India, in addition to spending her time there. She met beautiful people who inspired her to help the "little" in society, those less fortunate than her. These experiences of visiting the orphanage instilled a deep desire in her to help others and to live a life in service to others. As a result, in high school, she was Co-President of the Interact Club, a community service club associated with the Rotary Club. She volunteered at numerous homeless shelters and spent quality time with senior citizens at nursing homes. She also taught Malayalam, her native language, to children at her church for six years. When she took a look into herself to ask what she wanted to do for the rest of her life, she knew that being a nurse would be it for her. This belief was strengthened when she began to volunteer in the Emergency Department at Holy Name Medical Center as a registrar. Seeing the way a nurse provides and interacts with their patients deeply inspired Alicia.

Alicia chose Seton Hall for its prestigious nursing program and the Buccino Leadership Institute. Alicia realized that although she did hold many leadership positions in high school, she did not know much about being a leader. However, she believed she could better herself as a leader by being in the Institute. She is forever grateful that this opportunity came upon her because she has learned so much about herself. She has learned to embrace her strengths and weaknesses and that there is no one correct way of being a leader. She realized her main strength as a leader was that she strives to keep the people around her happy and optimistic. She hopes to create a welcoming and inclusive environment around her, where people believe that they belong and that their voice matters. This propelled her to be an Inclusion Alliance member and facilitator and become active in the Institute's Diversity and Inclusion Initiative.

As a future nurse, Alicia wants to implement everything she has learned in the Institute into her career. She wants to be an effective nurse: kind, understanding, empathetic, and consistent to her patients regardless of their race, religion, and sexual orientation.