Kaylynn Semien loves working with kids. A recently discovered passion that she found by working at Bright Beginnings daycare here in Natchitoches.

Originally a senior nursing major who switched to child and family studies, Semien hopes to find her calling.

From Opelousas, coming to Northwestern State University of Louisiana has given her a chance to branch off from her comfort zone.

“I wanted to be exposed to more diversity,” Semien said. “ I didn’t want to be too close to home or too far away, so Natchitoches became my home away from home.”

In fact, she made NSU her place and was given the opportunity to be the former vice-president of the Student Government Association. She recalls her time running for office as a memorable moment in her NSU career.

“It was hard, competition is really hard, and I never really competed in that way,” Semien said. “But we had a great campaign team and all the hard work put towards it was worth it.”

She is also a proud member of the Eta Chi Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. As part of this sisterhood, she had the opportunity to participate in the Ms. Black and Gold Pageant and treasures that memory dearly.

When reflecting on her time in SGA, Semien believes she showed a different style of leadership than before.

“I’m not afraid to tell people what my hardships are or failures are. I love to be transparent, I love to communicate, I just like to show that whatever you have going on, use that to push yourself up,” Semien said.

She’s often pushing people to be more than they allow themselves to be and it translated into her leadership in SGA.

“When I stepped down from the vice president role a lot of people were shocked. There were a lot of people that came to thank me for being there for them,” Semien said.

She added that although it may come off as hard, she pushes those she knows because they have a place in her heart.
For Semien, her nursing journey was never easy. She passed the Test of Academic Essential Skills (TEAS) her second time and had a hard time during her first level of clinicals.

“Despite those failures, I can still come out on top. And that’s how I use my failures,” Semien said. “Regardless of what you’re going through you can still be whatever you want to be. I’m not going to give up on nursing, that’s something I still want to do, but for the time being, I feel like teaching or being with kids is something I want to do.”

Her clinical time was a detrimental stage in her life as it made her realize the anxiety that she suffered from.

“Clinicals are hard in itself, but finding out you have anxiety and have to take medication for it is hard on yourself,” Semien said.

Yet she learned from that and is now focusing more on herself and her aspirations.

She had always known that even in her nursing career she would want to be a child labor and delivery nurse to work with kids, but after forming individual connections with kids at the daycare she feels that teaching could be her calling.

“I don’t know yet but I’m going to find out,” Semien said.

Semien describes fearless as the word suggests: no fear.

“Being able to wake up and say I didn’t want to do this but I’m going to do it. It might be hard but maybe I should give it a try because you never know what will come out of it,” Semien said. “Being fearless is like falling seven times and getting up that eighth time.”

She advises others to not let their failures define them.

“It doesn’t matter where you come from or where you’ve been, it’s about where you are going. Some people try to map out their whole lives or stay in a steady path but life never really goes like that. Whatever comes your way, handle it and have that faith that you can handle it,” Semien said.

As she starts a new major, Semien will find different ways to get involved in the Natchitoches community.

She gathers her strength and inspiration from her parents and friends, but she admires her sister the most.

“She demonstrates wiggling her way through to find her way,” Semien said. “She went to school and it was hard for her, but she still managed to get a degree and do something she actually wanted to do.”

As Semien tunes in with her inner self and fearlessly continues her college education, she gives an inspirational line.

“No matter what life throws at you, you can swing harder,” Semien said.