We are always proud of the experiences of our pterodactyls. Our Community Spotlight features the stories of alumni and community members during and after their time at Marvelwood. To submit your story or nominate a Marvelwood graduate, email alumni@marvelwood.org.
Virginia Cameron P’18 is a proud Marvelwood Mom – and for good reason! In an effort to share her daughter Belle's successes since graduating in 2018, Virginia contacted the Alumni Office to gush about her daughter and highlight the impact a Marvelwood education has had on her life thus far. I reached out to Belle to hear more about her Marvelwood experience and how it’s led to her thriving nursing career at St. Louis Children’s Hospital in St. Louis, MO. Read on for Belle’s full story!
Tell us your Marvelwood story.
Belle admits that middle school was a challenging time for her. She struggled with social anxiety and was especially shy around her peers. For these reasons, she decided early on that her public high school would not be the best fit to support her academic and social needs. Both her mother and older sister had received a private education, so it felt like the natural next step for her as she approached 9th grade. After her tour of the Marvelwood campus, she said “I don’t need to look at any other schools; this is where I want to be.”
Belle’s freshman year roommate was named Echo. She was from China and hardly spoke any English when they first started school. Communication between the two was difficult in the beginning, but by the end of the year, Echo was practically fluent and they had become close friends. In fact, the summer after they graduated, Belle had the opportunity to go to China with Echo, which she described as a “super cool” experience. Belle also remains close friends with Emily Gersten ‘17, who was a year ahead of her at Marvelwood. The two both live near St. Louis, MO, and regularly spend time together.
Marvelwood supported Belle with smaller class sizes and teachers who adapted themselves to fit her learning style, which she describes as needing to physically go through the motions of something in order to gain comprehension. This ‘hands-on learning’ approach allowed Belle to thrive in Honors-level courses. She spoke fondly of Laurie Doss’ Honors Biology II class, which she says challenged her the most. She admits she wasn’t strong in the field of science before this course, but Ms. Doss managed to get her on board, and she even signed up for the trip to Panama during her senior year.
Belle also acknowledged the four years she spent in the Ceramics studio with Ms. West, and is currently still enjoying this hobby through classes she takes at a studio in St. Louis.
How did the skills you learned at Marvelwood help you after graduation?
Belle went to Florida Southern College and majored in Nursing – something she knew she wanted to pursue since she was young. She thinks this dream began when she was about 13 years old and her sister was hospitalized for an extended period of time. Belle worked hard in college and managed to juggle a full course load and sorority life. At the end of her junior year and into her senior year, she took on the role of Vice President of Chapter Programming and Development for Tri-Delta – a big commitment, but something she really enjoyed.
Belle’s dedication to her studies awarded her a coveted full-time nursing position at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, where she works on the in-patient surgical floor, also known as the trauma floor. This work involves helping patients undergoing procedures that include spinal fusions, appendectomies, and tonsillectomies, as well as triage work like treating gunshot wounds for adolescents involved in gang violence.
Belle loves working with children despite the fact that the work she’s doing can feel heavy at times. I asked her how she prioritizes self-care so that she can continue ‘showing up’ for her patients. She smiled and nodded at this question and stated that she calls her Mom on her way home from work every day. She allows herself to vent about things that feel stressful and makes a point to be done with it by the time she gets home so that she can focus on herself and create that work/life boundary.
What are the things that you’re most proud of at this point in your life?
Belle’s incredibly proud of the fact that she was able to make it through college during the height of the pandemic and graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and that she now holds the official title of Registered Nurse. St. Louis Children’s Hospital is nationally ranked and quite competitive, so securing a job with their organization was certainly no easy feat. In addition to her nursing duties, Belle has taken on the role of Unit Representative for the Professional Governance Council. This group works to provide development opportunities for hospital employees as well as tuition reimbursement plans for those who wish to pursue additional education.
We’re so proud of our alumni and can’t wait to see what Belle will tackle next!
