IUSB Cross Country Applegate Follows Family Tradition

By: Allison Smith (IU South Bend Communications & Marketing)
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Attending IU South Bend and working in healthcare is part of the family legacy for junior nursing major Matt Applegate. His mother, an ER nurse, and father, a paramedic, both went to IU South Bend, and Matthew decided to carry on the tradition.
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“I really wanted to go to a college that I could have a lot of personal pride in, and I love being at IUSB,” says Matthew.
In addition to his academic focus of pursuing a nursing degree, Matthew has been very involved in campus life as a Student Government Association senator, president of the Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity, and cross country team.
Matthew originally was drawn to nursing for his major with the long term career goal of getting into healthcare administration because of the practicality of the job outlook and the opportunity to help people through bigger picture leadership, but the current COVID-19 pandemic has only made his resolve stronger.
“If anything, this outbreak has only solidified my decision to be a healthcare professional. The media shows that it’s an uphill battle for these workers when fighting against disease and my graduation date can’t come soon enough to where I can join the fight,” explains Matthew.
Managing the swift transition to online-only classes has been challenging, but Matthew is a big believer in a growth mindset, or that with the right attitude and dedication to practicing and not giving up, anyone can improve and gain new skills. In fact, he previously taught himself to juggle just because he wanted to prove to himself he could do anything. “It may seem silly, but I wanted to show what I could achieve as long as I didn’t quit.” With the help of his parents and “giant 4×8 foot dry erase calendar” Matthew is overcoming the obstacles and learning how to be even more self-driven to finish the semester strong.