Brie Peters has always had a passion for music. She grew up singing in church and school choirs, learning piano and astonishing people with her musical abilities. It was almost a no-brainer for her to pursue a degree in music, although she recalls now that she also thought about going into nursing at the time. But many people in her life urged her to major in vocal performance, so that’s what she did. “I always felt like I was told what to do and what to believe, never having a choice for myself,” she recalls.

Her music career showed instant promise after she graduated college. She sang in front of thousands of people, both with the Minnesota Orchestra as well as at the mega church where she worked full time. “I met many internationally known people and was handed a lot of responsibility at a young age,” she says.

Peters continued her career in music for about four years, but soon began to feel that there was more she could be doing. “Working with thousands of people in large groups at a time wasn’t personal enough for me,” she says. “I missed the eye contact and the personal care. I missed the kind of one-on-one time with people that truly makes a difference,” she adds. She wasted no time and began pursuing her degree in nursing right away.

Peters is now at the end of her undergraduate process, and is celebrating her acceptance into the Master of Nursing program at the University of Minnesota. She’s looking forward to beginning that segment of her nursing journey in August.

She admits that nursing is hard work and can be exhausting, but has never doubted that it’s worth it. “People come into a hospital desperate for help and at their most vulnerable. It is such an honor to be a part of that and spend my life caring for those in need,” she says.