Profile: The Abundant Maria Solis
Written for El Mexicano Newspaper, February 2024
Maria Solis’s path to becoming a registered nurse got press for very good reasons: Having overcome, she is still succeeding. She’s been interviewed by the local newsgroups and was even spotlighted in El Mexicano. Now, she’s in her last semester before graduating with a BSN from the University of Saint Francis (USF). Soon she’ll be a registered nurse, continuing what she started.
“I always knew I wanted to be a nurse,” Solis said, “to not only serve people who are sick but to serve those who are really struggling, to be a [disciple of] Christ for them.”
Solis won USF’s Pay It Forward Scholarship, the full-tuition award that paid for all four of her years. The scholarship is continuing in 2024; information on applying will be available early this fall. Two half-tuition scholarships (tuition and fees) will also be offered.
When asked what made her application stand out, Solis referenced her story. Originally from North Mexico, the Solis family migrated to Illinois when Maria was five, then later moved to Fort Wayne. (Maria was granted citizenship through her father in 2013.) An early hurdle was attending school.
“The language was a barrier and adjusting to the culture was challenging for sure,” Solis said, but her father reinforced persistence. “He told me that there was a reason why I’m going to school. Doesn’t matter how hard it is, just keep studying.”
The family struggled with consistent food sources growing up, Solis said. “The food bank was a place were we got our meals.” Those formative experiences resonated; she started volunteering in the local homeless community in high school. She also “grew up in hospital settings,” where she had to translate big medical terms for her parents during visits. The medical professionals she met along the way encouraged her. “The more I was exposed to it…I felt I really wanted to help patients. I’m a caring person, hardworking. This is me.”
Bishop Luers High School, “welcoming and supportive,” was the perfect choice for her next step. “I am catholic and I embrace my faith,” Solis said. “Honestly, my journey has been God-led.” School and caring for her younger siblings preoccupied her; she’s the oldest of six.
Solis graduated in 2020, with her next four years paid for. She cried at school when they told her about the scholarship.
As a freshman, Solis came in strong. “I couldn’t be shy anymore,” she said. She was everywhere all at once, and didn’t really settle down until her junior year. Solis sat on a couple different leadership boards, volunteered, did multiple clubs including peer ministry, and traveled internationally for missionary (Dominican Republic) and pilgrimage (Portugal, etc.) trips. She was an honor roll student all four years.
Her sophomore year, when her nursing classes started, was the most challenging, Solis noted. That meant long nights, tutoring sessions, and asking friends for help. But everything began to normalize. “My senior year has been one of the best years,” she said. “I really enjoyed it.”
USF’s Nursing department has a growing population of Hispanic students, according to Solis. She counted probably three or four students in her year, but the freshman class “seems to have a lot more.” She noted how the campus might look intimidating and expensive to some, but “it’s more than that.” She made it more than that.
Solis intentionally picked side jobs that aren’t directly connected to hospitals but several that make her more “dynamic,” she said, “to hopefully help me grow as an individual, to help me contribute to my experience as a nurse.” Her exploration may lead her outside Fort Wayne.
“I want to help the underserved as a nurse, don’t know if it’s locally or it will take me out of the state,” Solis said. “All I know is that I have a big missionary heart, I love nursing, I love God, so definitely it’s about finding a place that suits those things.”