The College of Health and Human Services at Fresno State is home to over 4,000 students. Within this college lies the nursing program.

To be a part of this competitive cohort, students must have a 3.0 GPA and a Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) score of 75% or higher.

To some, nursing is a profession where long nights and mentally tough days are normal. In fact, nurses are widely regarded as the backbone of the hospital and health care system, as supported by the National Library of Medicine.

They provide a direct link to patient care and a crucial line of communication between patients and doctors, with tasks such as providing emotional support and ensuring day-to-day operations run smoothly.

Emma Hadzi-Kimov is a third-year nursing student who began her journey in the major out of a mix of rage and passion after learning more about the healthcare industry and how healthcare workers operate.

She explained that she has had her share of health crises in the past and decided to join the health care field to offer a helping hand to those who need a nurse.

“I just want to be that one person with my personality and my willingness to help to be that person, be there for the person and ensure they’re okay doing my job because nursing is so much more than just taking care of the patient, cleaning, bathing, whatever,” Hadzi-Kimov said.

Hadzi-Kimov grew up in Fresno with her parents coming from Macedonia and Serbia. She didn’t grow up with a traditional American lifestyle.

From her food to her language, her Slavic upbringing shaped the person she is today. Hadzi-Kimov didn’t start speaking English until she was 3 years old.

“Growing up originally, I wasn’t spoken to in English, I was spoken to in Macedonian and part Serbian, so I get those mixed up,” Hadzi-Kimov said.

Although her origins include many good times, they also include the hardships she had to learn to overcome.

In late 2022, her mother struggled with myasthenia gravis, which causes muscle weakness and worsens motor functions. For two years, Hadzi-Kimov and her family watched and helped as her mother pushed through the pain.

During this time, her mother was unable to attend family gatherings and outings since the pain was unbearable.

“You have to have people help carry you around everywhere, like we did everything for her, like we helped pick her up when she did simple tasks like go to the restroom, we had to,” Hadzi-Kimov said. “You know she was bedridden for most of her sickness.”

After going to multiple doctors all around the Central Valley, receiving no diagnosis, no medication and being told the symptoms weren’t anything serious, things started to feel hopeless for Hadzi-Kimov and her family.

They wanted to give up; maybe there were no solutions to the problem. Hadzi-Kimov and her family decided to push through and went to one final doctor in Stanford, who finally diagnosed her mother.

For most, this would be a relief, but for Hadzi-Kimov, frustration hung in the air.

“It kind of pissed me off for a minute because how are there so many doctors and so much nursing here that she went to, and no one could tell her immediately what was going on; it’s frustrating for me and frustrating for her,” Hadzi-Kimov said.

The following year, her mother began to receive treatment and began her recovery.

As of last year, her mother is finally back on her feet and is able to sustain herself. She now works as a pharmacy manager at multiple establishments across the Central Valley.

“She’s like one of my biggest inspirations for what a health crisis looks like in person and why it’s so essential to be there for somebody and be that support for somebody when, for other people, it seems kinda hopeless,” Hadzi-Kimov said 

Along with her mother’s story and her family’s support, Hadzi-Kimov began her nursing journey at Clovis Community College and later transferred to Fresno State. ​She has developed strong connections with professors and classmates who have all supported her along the way.

“Your point is being dedicated, that’s kind of like why I chose her as a friend, cause I can see her asking questions in classes, and that just shows your involvement and engagement in the class,” said Lance Elep, Hadzi-Kimov’s long-time friend.

Along with classes, she also volunteers at mobile nursing units, where they give flu shots and do health screenings for the community. In the midst of her busy schedule, she has also volunteered for multiple hospitals.

“I think she’s an intelligent human and student,” said Madelyn Carey, assistant professor at Fresno State and nurse practitioner. “We sometimes come out here to the resource center outside of class to practice. She is always the first one in the room and the last one to leave.”

Hadzi-Kimov worked closely with patients and doctors during her time in the hospital. Although she never administered medicine, she gained extensive experience. Her time in the hospital is another reason Hadzi-Kimov has continued to develop a love for patients and health care.

She volunteered at the cardiac unit at Clovis Community hospital, providing basic patient care, and was there whenever any of the patients in the hospital needed her.

“I take the skills that I learned from nursing, like communication-wise and compassion-wise, and I apply that to volunteering,” Hadzi-Kimov said. “I’ve seen so many patients where they are constantly calling for doctors, nurses and therapists, and they are being ignored.” 

This was another realization that motivated her to go the extra mile to be there for as many patients as possible.

“And for me, that just gets me in the mood of like okay, let me just go be there for this patient because they need somebody right now, and they’re struggling,” Hadzi-Kimov said.

So far, with all of Hadzi-Kimov’s hard work and dedication in school and extracurricular activities, attending nursing school or graduate school could be harder due to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) being passed.

As of July 4, 2025, the Trump administration signed the OBBBA, a facet of which limits federal student loan eligibility for graduate degrees to help drive down costs and reduce the debt of the programs.

A part of the bill to note is that nursing, physician assistant, social work, physical therapy and a couple of others are not considered professional degrees, making them ineligible for higher federal student loan amounts.

The U.S. Department of Education describes a professional degree as “an internal term used to distinguish among programs for higher loan limits.”

Although the language is not used to diminish, but to decide on funding, Carey explained that nurses are outraged. 

“I think it’s a very complicated situation,” Carey said. “I also think it’s very disheartening as a nursing professional; it hurts to be even considered as a non-professional, and I know that the verbiage of the bill goes specifically to the loans and everything, but you can’t help but take it to heart.” 

As a result of this bill being passed, Hadzi-Kimov may have to cover many annual costs to maintain her career path.

Nursing school typically costs from $6,000 for a shorter program, and up to $100,000 for a longer program or when pursuing a certified degree, such as a Nurse Anesthetist (CRNAs) or Nurse Practitioner (NPs).

Now, with the future seeming a little troubling for Hadzi-Kimov, her passion for nursing and motivation to move forward have not wavered.

​“It is a tough program, it is a tough profession, but I see people like Emma, and I have a lot of hope,” Carey said.

​She still plans to earn an advanced degree in graduate school and become a registered nurse, but with the new federal policy, Hadzi-Kimov explained that it may be harder to achieve her goals.

Hadzi-Kimov has an overwhelming drive to become a nurse that patients can count on. She treats her undergrad years as a profession and is already showing the drive she will need in the future.​

​“She’s enthusiastic and dedicated, those are the two words I would use to describe her, because she gets happy to even volunteer,” said Jasminka Strbevski, a friend of Hadzi-Kimov.

Even through adversity and hard times, she has and will continue down this path; Hadzi-Kimov has her family, classmates and professors to support her along the way.