CUW nursing student Mara Kiekhoefer is the new Wisconsin Student Nurses Association (WSNA) president. Students enrolled in Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs throughout Wisconsin elected her at the recent WSNA Convention.
The WSNA exists to help future nurses develop professionally and learn how to advocate for the profession. The association offers resources, leadership opportunities, and career guidance year-round, but its hallmark event is the annual State Convention. This year’s convention took place Jan. 31-Feb. 2 in the Wisconsin Dells. Each year, the convention brings together WSNA members and non-members from nursing schools throughout the state for engaging speakers, professional development opportunities, giveaways, and voting on the next year’s elected representatives.
Kiekhoefer’s election carries on a tradition of strong CUW SNA representation at the state level. Kiekhoefer, who will earn her BSN degree from Concordia in May 2026, served on the Executive Cabinet this past year. She says her CUW SNA Advisor Geny Vernon, DNP, and peers strongly encouraged her to step into a bigger role after participating at the state level in 2024-25.
“This coming year, I hope to draw from my experiences as a cabinet member,” says Kiekhoefer. “As President, I hope to further encourage more attendees to our State’s Convention. I am looking forward to continuing to grow my skills and influence future nursing students.”
CUW had healthy attendance at this year’s convention, proving that the university’s nursing program not only produces top-notch professionals but also leaders dedicated to shaping the future of healthcare. Nearly a dozen CUW nursing students attended this year’s event, which was one of the strongest showings of any university in Wisconsin.
Community service and legislative influence
One of the many things that sets Concordia’s nursing program apart from others in Wisconsin is its approach to student involvement with the WSNA. At CUW, every pre-nursing and nursing student automatically becomes a member of the Wisconsin Student Nurses Association, with no dues or fees required to join. This is a distinction from other nursing schools, where students often have to pay membership fees or wait until they are officially enrolled to participate.
This inclusive approach ensures that every nursing student at Concordia can engage with the WSNA and attend the state convention.
“We want to demonstrate to our students that community service matters and that it’s important to have your voice heard at the state level,” says Vernon, who has served as the CUW SNA Faculty Advisor for the past 13 years. “What we do at the WSNA level does make a difference on Capitol Hill. If we want to affect change and influence what our jobs look like, we need to make our voices heard.”
We want to demonstrate to our students that community service matters and that it’s important to have your voice heard at the state level. —CUW Assistant Professor of Undergraduate Nursing Geny Vernon, DNP
One of the most powerful aspects of WSNA involvement is the opportunity to influence healthcare policy, particularly at the state and federal levels. The convention provides a chance for delegates from nursing schools across Wisconsin to discuss resolutions that impact healthcare and nursing practice. For CUW, the involvement in these resolutions is an opportunity to shape the future of the profession and advocate for legislation that addresses issues like nursing burnout and nursing shortages, says Vernon.
At the local level
Because every nursing student is an automatic member of the WSNA, Concordia’s local chapter is one of the more active student groups on CUW’s campus. About once a quarter, CUW’s SNA brings in an expert from the nursing field to demonstrate the diverse job opportunities that exist. Past presenters have included nurses who specialize in forensics and mental health, and those who work with Flight for Life or prison populations.
Service is also at the heart of CUW’s SNA activities. Over the years, students have made blankets for children’s hospitals, assisted with blood drives, volunteered at nursing homes, and worked at first-aid stations at marathons.
Affecting change
Ultimately, CUW’s nursing program and its active involvement in the Wisconsin Student Nurses Association highlight the importance of student engagement, leadership development, and advocacy for change in the healthcare system. By empowering students to make a difference in their communities and at the state level, Concordia is preparing the next generation of nurses who will have a lasting impact on the profession and the world around them.
“What a nurse’s job looks like is not necessarily up to the individual employers; it starts at the Legislative level,” Vernon says. “We can create the wording in these documents to represent our best interests as professionals. Then it’s voted on and it becomes a larger voice. A need is seen and then declared so that our lawmakers can hear it.”
Want in?
The School of Nursing develops nurses ready to excel in today’s challenging health care context. As a nursing student, you will learn to care for people of all ages in both acute care settings and the community. Instructors and classroom experiences blend curricular rigor with a passion for care, a balance that develops you uniquely both to serve with professional excellence and to fulfill your sense of calling as you care and serve throughout your career. Nursing undergraduate students also participate in the Concordia Core, a rigorous, liberal arts curriculum integrated with Lutheran distinctives.