Answering the Call

At 12 years old, Taylor Burket opened the bathroom door to find her father gasping for air on the floor.

She called 911. Within minutes, he was rushed to the hospital, where doctors performed an emergency triple bypass surgery. He spent more than two weeks in recovery.

At a follow-up appointment several months later, the cardiologist delivered news the family would never forget: he should not have survived.

While that moment helped solidify her path, Taylor’s passion for nursing began even earlier. At eight years old, while visiting her grandmother in a nursing home, she found herself wandering the halls, talking with residents, and offering help to the nurses.

“I don’t remember a time I didn’t consider nursing,” she said. “I have always had the heart and compassion to help people.”

Taylor graduated from Ball State University’s nursing program in July 2025, but her path to becoming a registered nurse required perseverance, resilience, and faith.

At Ball State, she quickly realized the journey would not be easy. In high school, academics had come naturally. College, especially the rigor of the nursing curriculum, challenged her in new ways. Testing, in particular, shook her confidence.

“College was a wake-up call,” she said. “I have never been a great test taker, but I had to gain that confidence that I could do it, that I could pass.”

Instead of letting those challenges define her, Taylor leaned into the support around her. She met regularly with professors, asked questions, and adjusted her study strategies.

She credits faculty members Jessica Duncan, Pam Brelage, and DeLisa Flynn for helping her push forward.

“Every time I didn’t do as well as I wanted to, I would go to my professor and ask for their recommendations and help,” she said. “They always reassured me. They had that confidence in me from the start.”

That support, combined with her own determination, helped her build discipline and accountability, skills that would shape her as both a student and a future nurse.

Outside the classroom, Taylor found community and purpose. She helped establish Girl Gains, a club focused on empowering women in the gym and breaking the stigma around lifting. Then, Taylor joined Alpha Omicron Pi her freshman year, later serving as Director of Academics and then Vice President of Programming and Enrichment.

Taylor also became deeply involved in Ball State Dance Marathon, first as a participant and later as a member of the executive board. Through it all, her commitment to helping others remained constant.

Life after Graduation

After graduation, that busy schedule shifted quickly as she stepped into a new phase of life.

Like many nursing graduates, Taylor faced one of the biggest hurdles in the profession: passing the NCLEX licensing exam.

After two attempts, while working full-time as a nursing graduate intern at Community North Hospital in Indianapolis, she still had not passed.

She felt defeated. After years of working toward this goal, she began to question whether she would get there at all.

Instead of giving up, Taylor made a difficult decision. She stepped back from her graduate intern role and took on a less demanding job so she could focus on studying.

That decision paid off. She passed the exam on her third attempt in January 2026.

“It was all such an emotional process,” she said. “But I just didn’t let it defeat what I had gone to school for and what I know about myself.”

Soon after, she received another meaningful affirmation that she was exactly where she belonged.

Taylor was awarded the DAISY Award at Community North, an honor given to nurses who provide extraordinary, compassionate care.

The nomination came from a patient placed on strict bed rest. Taylor took extra time to sit and talk with the patient during treatments. She even returned later, taking time to clean underneath the patient’s fingernails.

For Taylor, it felt small. For the patient, it meant everything.

“You just never know what someone else is going through, especially in the hospital,” she said. “Just a small act of kindness goes a long way.”

The award came with a special pin that she now wears as a reminder of her purpose.

Her father has remained one of her greatest supporters through every challenge. Whether through a few words of encouragement or a reassuring presence, he reminded her of her strength when she needed it most.

“He would always know what to say and how to support me,” she said. “I knew he was there and had that confidence in me at the times I needed it most.”

The Next Steps

Now beginning her career as a registered nurse, Taylor is learning to navigate life after college one day at a time.

She continues to stay connected to her community, volunteering as an adult sponsor for the youth group at her church. Before every shift, she takes a moment to pray, asking for guidance, confidence, and the ability to be a light for her patients.

One Bible verse in particular keeps her grounded:

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34).

For Taylor, that message reflects the journey that shaped her. Through challenges, setbacks, and moments of doubt, she learned to take each day as it comes while continuing to serve others with compassion.

Because of her experience at Ball State, Taylor is now caring for patients in some of their most vulnerable moments.

As she continues her career in nursing, her goal remains simple: to be a light for people in their darkest moments.

If you’re interested in helping more students like Taylor become nurses and serve their communities, consider making a gift to the College of Health at BSU.give!