KIPP to HBCU: My Journey to Dillard’s Nursing Program

I grew up in San Francisco and have been a KIPPster since the 6th grade when I enrolled at KIPP Bayview Academy. I’ve known since I was a little girl that I would go to college, thanks to my family and KIPP. I wasn’t sure where I would go, but I knew college would be a part of my life journey. 

In high school at KIPP King located in San Lorenzo, I started focusing more on my post-secondary education and life. During my junior year as I was preparing for tests such as the ACT and SAT, I started to think more specifically about what kind of college I wanted to go to, and more and more I saw myself at a historically Black college or university (HBCU).

HBCUs have very rich and unique cultures, and I learned that by researching online. But what solidified going to an HBCU for me was my mom. She applied and got into Morris Brown when she was in high school but was unable to attend because her family wasn’t able to afford it. She stayed in the Bay Area and raised me with stories about visiting friends and family at HBCUs. My mom is incredibly supportive and, while she wanted me to stay close to home, she also wanted me to experience college fully. 

She doesn’t expect me to live my life for her and I don’t want to either, but I knew in the back of my head that going to an HBCU would be really important for both of us. Most importantly, I wanted to go to an HBCU because I want to be surrounded by Black excellence and to be inspired by it every day on my campus.

I want to be surrounded by Black excellence and to be inspired by it every day on my campus.

Just choosing an HBCU wasn’t enough to get me there. Being from California, I didn’t have many resources about HBCUs, and I didn’t know what was out there. Most of the college prep up until that point was focused on California schools.

That’s why KIPP Through College (KTC) was so helpful to me. While in high school, my KTC advisor Kyra met up with me and made sure that I was getting my paperwork done and reaching out to teachers. She is very consistent, and never judgmental. 

I’m an adult and KIPP Through College treats me like it. I always feel like I’m in control, and I’m the one driving the conversation when Kyra and I meet. She doesn’t tell me what to do but offers advice, suggestions, and resources. She’s been a constant support system. 

In the fall of 2019, I entered the nursing program at Dillard University, a four-year liberal arts HBCU in New Orleans. I chose nursing as my major because I spent all four years of high school interning at a hospital. That internship gave me a taste of what being a nurse was like and that it was something I could do and succeed in. My family also has a legacy of nursing. My grandmother is a retired AIDS research nurse, and as a child, I spent a lot of time on the weekends picking her up from the hospital with my family and hearing about her work. Becoming a nurse is a full-circle moment for my family.  I also saw an opportunity for me as a Black woman to bring more representation into the nursing field.

I also saw an opportunity for me as a Black woman to bring more representation into the nursing field.

I know that for a lot of students attending college, especially an out-of-state HBCU, can feel like reaching for the stars. But I want students to know it is within their reach and that it’s an achievement worth pursuing if it feels right for you. 

I want students to know it is within their reach and that it’s an achievement worth pursuing if it feels right for you. 

When I reflect on my own history and the hard work and sacrifices that have led to me being here, I’m really proud. And by participating in the nursing program at Dillard, I am continuing a family legacy and building a new one. Every day I fulfill my dream, my family’s dream, and the dreams of so many others. 

Ashley Johnson is a 2019 KIPP King alum, and class of 2023 nursing student at Dillard University. .