By Erica Techo
The first semester of nursing school means making adjustments—learning a new schedule, taking on new challenges and adjusting to a new way of thinking and studying. For Bachelor of Science in Nursing student Eve Beyer the adjustment also includes regular soccer practice, games and travel.
“The balancing act, I think, is something I’m still learning,” said Beyer, a UAB goalkeeper from Tucker, Georgia. “But I think the best thing, helping me get ahead of everything, is planning my schedule, planning out my weeks and knowing what needs the most time devoted to it. That balance, and knowing that I can focus on school as much as I need to and then use soccer as an outlet, has really helped me.”
Beyer always dreamed of playing college soccer, and while touring potential universities, she learned more about UAB and its top-ranked nursing school. It didn’t take long for her to pick UAB.
“Once I learned that the School of Nursing is one of the top programs in the country and I would be able to play soccer as well, UAB was my choice,” Beyer said. “It took me a matter of hours to know that I wanted to be in Birmingham, I wanted to be around these people and this city. I ended up with the best of both worlds.”
As goalkeeper, Beyer’s skills on the field have also translated to coursework and the teamwork needed in nursing care.
“There’s more crossover than I originally thought there would have been,” Beyer said. “One big thing is communication. Being a goalkeeper, I can see the whole field—I have everything in front of me, so I’m a huge communicator with everyone else in the field. That directly correlates to nursing, working with other nurses and with other health care professionals.”
Her passion for nursing came from a desire to help people and to give back to others. The nursing field was the right place, she said, was because it includes countless career paths and potential opportunities.
Beyer’s steps into nursing school were a little unusual, however. Her time at UAB started in Spring 2020, just before the COVID pandemic led to a transition to remote learning, cancelled soccer games and more. With the support of teammates, faculty and the athletic community, Beyer said, she came back to campus stronger than ever.
“The team, we were really close, and I think having that support system meant we could be away from each other bust still stay close,” she said. “I think it made all of us a lot stronger. I built relationships with people on the team, even faculty and coaches, that I’m sure wouldn’t have been as strong without the pandemic.”
The pandemic also strengthened her decision to enter nursing. The last 18 months have led more people to understand the importance of nursing and become aware of the impact of nurses.
“I think that nurses are being more appreciated, and all medical staff are being more appreciated, more needed, more recognized for the work they’ve done,” Beyer said. “During the pandemic, the work and the need for more nurses was so high that I was excited to go to nursing school, to start nursing school. I’m ready to be able to help people.”