Allen Tengco, 21, of Waldorf is congratulated by Dr. Laura Polk at the Nursing Recognition Ceremony, held the afternoon of Jan. 19 at the College of Southern Maryland La Plata Campus. One of four men graduating in this class of 49 nursing students, Tengco was also the recipient of the CSM Health Sciences Division Achievement in Nursing Award.
Tengco talked about the time required to successfully complete the program at CSM while also juggling family time, community service and work. “I must have spent a total of 100-plus nights studying at diners and cafes — Denny’s and Panera, to be specific,” he said. “I felt like I was eating, sleeping and breathing nursing for the past two years.”
Tengco identified the point in the nursing program when things started getting challenging. “My first nursing theory class was the real turning point for me,” he said. “The difficulty level of classes from the prerequisite stage to the nursing program stage increased noticeably.”
Faculty members that particularly impacted Tengco include Professor Lisa Gonzalez, Linda Goodman, Lynn Kennedy and Laura Polk. They “continually inspired and pushed me to succeed and grow as a nursing student throughout my time at CSM,” he said.
Being one of only four men in the nursing program turned out to be a positive experience, Tengco said. “I often received encouragement and support for pursuing a female-dominated profession. I can’t count how many times a nurse or patient has told me, ‘We need more male nurses!’ I also can't count how many times a patient thought I was a doctor. There were rare instances when a patient would refuse care because of my gender. I remember not to take it personally, but rather take it as an opportunity to provide education and show that both males and females can provide excellent patient care as effective nurses.”
While the work required to get through the nursing program will be hard to forget, he said, the most memorable aspect of attending CSM will be the people Tengco has met on his journey. “My nursing peers became like family to me,” he said. “I thank and respect each of them for all the support we gave to each other. I thank the faculty/staff/tutors for being very supportive as well … Huge thanks to all of the scholarship donors (UMCRMC, CSM Foundation and state delegates) that chose to invest in my education. Lastly, I give thanks to God and my family for all that they do and being with me every step of the way.”
Tengco plans to continue his nursing education, work full time as a registered nurse and eventually become a nurse practitioner.