Born in Nigeria, Abdulsalam emigrated to Chicago with his family as a child. He graduated from Loyola’s Arrupe College with his associate’s degree in 2024; while at Arrupe, he began taking nursing classes through a dual-enrollment program that offers a five-year pathway to Loyola Nursing degree. Now a junior, Abdulsalam is on track to graduate with his BSN in 2027.

“At first, I was interested in nursing because of the potential for job stability. It didn’t take me long to figure out that this is something I really wanted to do. I have a job as a CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) and I love it.

“Throughout my nursing classes, I’ve seen that every faculty member is passionate about what they do. You just look at them and you know they love what they do. They have this ability to break everything down for you and help you understand the concepts. Then, they lead by example.

“I’ve learned from them to think about, if you were in your patient’s shoes, how would you want to be treated? You’re not treating this person as a disease. You’re treating this person as a whole—spirit, soul, and mind.

“You want to be aware of the patient’s background, religion, all aspects of a patient. Communication goes a long way and makes a huge difference in how the patient does in the end.

“People here help you. The school is highly ranked and the degree is respected. Being at Loyola is not a decision I regret. Going to nursing school is probably the best decision I’ve made in my life.

“I don’t know exactly what I want to do yet, but I might become an emergency care nurse. I like a fast pace around me and critical thinking, and having a patient come in and then helping to stabilize them. I’m thinking about grad school. There’s so many things I can do in nursing and I can’t wait to explore it.”