IU School of Nursing student Camille Hedd has been selected as a Top 10 senior as part of the annual recognition of the Top 100 students at Indiana University Indianapolis.
Top 10 students are selected for their academic achievements, leadership on campus, and involvement in the community.
Hedd, who graduates in December, has not only joined student groups on campus but created one of her own. She created the Afrodites African Dance Team to share African culture through dance, including a wide variety of African dance styles.
“Africa’s very diverse and a lot of people don’t know that, so we try and show that through dance,” Hedd said.
She currently serves as the president of the dance group, which performs at different events on campus and throughout the state. They have also organized a dance showcase.
Hedd has conducted research on different topics, including maternal healthcare and infant mortality, and female genital mutilation. She presented her research at the Social Justice Scholars’ Tunnel of Oppression event, which aims to educate attendees on different social or political issues.
“I think it’s very important, I think it’s something that doesn’t get talked about a lot, and I just really want to be involved in that,” Hedd said.
Hedd has also been a member of the IU Indy orientation team, a summer resident assistant, and an anatomy tutor. She has learned through these programs that it’s important to hear from different people and gain different perspectives.
“Having these experiences has allowed me to learn how to advocate for people and put that into perspective when working with people of different cultures and backgrounds,” Hedd said.
She has been able to share what she’s learned with fellow nursing students as a mentor for the Student Nurse Partnership Program. The SNPP, which is part of the Student Nurses’ Association, connects nursing students through a mentorship program where they can share their experiences and get advice.
Hedd currently works as a patient care technician for IU Health in the surgical ICU, where she’s able to put what she’s learned in the classroom into practice. She says her critical care class, in particular, has been helpful to her in her job at the ICU.
Hedd hopes to keep working in the surgical ICU after graduation. She would like to go back to school to become a nurse practitioner, but working first and gaining experience in the field is important to her. Hedd would also like to open her own clinical practice and continue her research on public health and patient care.
Her time at the School of Nursing in Indianapolis has shown her what’s possible both academically and personally.
“I know that there are so many opportunities for me here, and that extends to my life,” Hedd said.
She has been encouraged to expand her horizons during her time at IU Indianapolis by faculty and staff, such as Patricia Turley, Marian Aija Gilhooly, and Savannah Langbehn.
Hedd says representing Black first-generation students as a Top 10 senior and showing others that it’s possible is important to her. Being a Top 10 student also symbolizes what Hedd’s learned and how she’s grown during her time at IU Indianapolis.
“Never allow your own limitations, or your own box of what you can achieve, to define you,” Hedd said.
