Lily Medley

Lily Medley, a junior and nursing major at the University of Louisville, was introduced to healthcare in a very personal way through multiple trips to the hospital to visit with grandparents who were diagnosed with cancer. “Witnessing my grandfather with esophageal cancer, and my grandmother with lung cancer in the hospital, it really put into perspective how the care team working with them made all the difference for the in and out stays,” said Lily. “I knew I wanted to be that person for someone else going through such a hard time in their lives. I wanted to bring some sunshine to someone else's day.”

Lily is a graduate of South Oldham High School in Crestwood, Kentucky and joined the Metropolitan College program in Fall 2019. “Coming out of high school, I knew that I needed discipline and motivation to keep me on the right path and to keep my grades up for nursing school,” said Lily. “I also knew that I did not want to graduate with student loans. The Metro College program was an excellent fit for both goals.”

While working third shift as a package handler at UPS, Lily was extremely involved on campus and completed community service hours . In fact, Lily served as the social media manager for UofL women’s club lacrosse team, a member of Zeta Tau Alpha Sorority, and a notetaker for the disability center.

“Our sorority’s philanthropy is Breast Cancer Education and Awareness and even though we have not been able to go into the community as often because of Covid, we still held multiple fundraisers to raise money and give back,” said Lily.

Lily’s extensive involvement both on campus and throughout the community while completing rigorous coursework through the nursing program has not gone without recognition. This spring, Lily was recognized as the recipient of the 2021 Outstanding Metropolitan College Student Award, an award that recognizes students who demonstrate outstanding leadership, work-life balance, and academic success.

Most recently, Lily was accepted into the UofL’s Upper Division nursing program for Spring 2022.

Lily also intends to apply to the Norton Healthcare-UPS Healthcare Career Tracks program, which offers an opportunity for a tuition-free pathway to a healthcare career, and has already committed to working at the hospital starting in August as a Certified Nurse Assistant to gain related experience.

Set to graduate in Spring 2023, Lily has ambitious goals for the future and plans to obtain a master’s degree in nursing and become a Nurse Practitioner.

Learn more about Lily Medley in this Metropolitan College Spotlight Q&A Interview and Video

Video Credits:
Video produced by Renecia Griffie Davis, a Metropolitan College staff member.

Music in this video:
Song Artist: Scott Holmes Music
Song Title: Corporate Presentation
Source: freemusicarchive.org

What has been your biggest challenge as a MC participant and how did you overcome this challenge?
I feel as if my greatest challenge as a Metro College student would have to be time management. Sometimes I sit back and wonder how I have gotten this far while juggling so much. Of course, I have my hard days but eventually you come to learn that through hard work and determination, everything always works out exactly how it is supposed to. This is something that has taken me a long time to wrap my head around but when I am stressed out and feel as if I do not have enough time in the day, I just take a deep breath repeat that back to myself "everything always works out exactly how it is supposed to". Granted you still have to put in the work but as long as you tried your absolute best, nobody can ask for much more. As long as you give it all you got and take it one day at a time you can worry about the next day’s set of challenges tomorrow.

What motivates and drives you to succeed while pursing your educational goals?
My biggest motivation that drives me to obtain my nursing degree is when I think about my future. I want to be able to support myself and my future family to the best of my ability. With a nursing degree, and the constant high need for nurses, I know that I will always have the ability to provide for myself and others for years down the road.

How has working at UPS contributed to your personal and professional growth?
I have learned how to time manage, multitask, and be independent in terms of school and finances. I have also learned to put in the extra work so that I can save myself time down the road. For example, by putting in the extra couple of hours each week to attend tutoring I have saved myself time and stress from worrying about topics that I do not understand in classes such as chemistry, microbiology, and anatomy. The little things that you can do to improve and boost your overall knowledge can tremendously help you in the long run. I have also come to realize that the busier I keep myself the less free time I have on my hands to get sidetracked so during the week even though it is stressful, it is all about school and work. Once I have all my tasks done, I have the entire weekend to relax. It is a good cycle that keeps me on the right track.

What person(s) has been the biggest influence in your life and why?
I think the people who have had the biggest influences on my life would be my family. They have always pushed me to strive for excellence and pushed me to be the best version of myself possible. One family member who always encouraged me was my grandma. She valued education greatly and was so excited for me to enter the next chapter of my academic career. She always made sure I had my ACT prep books, textbooks, whatever I needed because she wanted to see me do great things and I could never repay her for the undying support that she showed me.

What is an interesting or fun fact about yourself?
Something fun to know about me is that I am super competitive- sometimes too much! I grew up playing soccer for 7 years, running cross country for 6 years and playing lacrosse for 5 years! I love sports and all things fun and competitive! It helped that I had four sisters to share some friendly competition with growing up!

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We are proud of our current students and alumni and their incredible accomplishments! The MC Spotlight is a way for us to highlight the amazing things our current students and alumni are doing. As you read their stories, you will learn how their Metropolitan College experiences helped to shape their futures and influence their careers.

We are always on the lookout for inspiring MC Spotlight stories. If you or someone you know is interested in sharing a story with us, contact us at askmetro@kctcs.edu.

Note: At Metropolitan College, we consider our alumni anyone who has ever completed coursework and received tuition benefits with us.