Located in the heart of Shreveport’s medical district, Northwestern State University’s Shreveport campus connects students directly to clinical sites that offer hands-on experience.
Ariel Cook, a senior nursing major, was attending classes on NSU’s main campus in Natchitoches before deciding to transfer to Shreveport. “Natchitoches Regional Medical Center is small, and it just felt like I needed to come here. There are more hospitals, bigger experiences and more opportunities,” Cook said.
The Shreveport campus offers ample places for students to study outside of campus. “Sometimes we’ll go to Barnes and Noble since there is a little Starbucks in there. Or the LSUS library because theirs is open later,” Cook said. Other students also enjoy the coffee shop atmosphere, especially that of the local Rhino Coffee.
While the city might be larger, the Shreveport campus is actually much smaller than the main Natchitoches campus. Despite this, the campus has developed its own community where students can make new friends and connect with faculty in a more accessible manner.
“This is where I feel like I found my people,” Cook said. “This is going to be the [campus] that pushes you…You’re going to get out of your comfort zone, and you’re going to realize things about yourself that you just might not have realized around all those people [on the main campus].”
Victoria Strealy, a senior nursing major, transferred from Louisiana State University to NSU’s Shreveport campus during her sophomore year. Strealy’s favorite aspect of the Shreveport campus is how homey it is. “You park, you walk up and you know everybody. If you need something, the desk is right there. You need your teachers; you go up the stairs. It’s just so convenient,” Strealy said.
Strealy finds the relationship between students and faculty at NSU’s Shreveport campus “way better” than that of LSU. “Our teachers are so accessible. We see them every day, we pass them in the hallways and they’re our clinical instructors, so you get so close to them,” Strealy said.
Anna Bautista, a sophomore nursing major, shares a similar sentiment about the community fostered on the Shreveport campus. “Everyone is so welcoming and it creates a community where…we can all come together and connect,” Bautista said.
While NSU’s Shreveport campus might be smaller than the main Natchitoches campus, the community and connections within can make it feel more like home for some students.
