Brenau held the first of several COVID-19 vaccination clinics for students in the Ivester College of Health Sciences’ Mary Inez School of Nursing on Jan. 19 to train those willing to volunteer their time to help vaccinate the larger community. At the clinic on Brenau’s Norcross campus, students volunteered to be vaccinated and learned how to administer the vaccine. According to Brenau Nurse Practitioner Sarah Davis, the students have vaccinated more than 4,000 community members through mid-February and will continue their efforts as long as needed.

“We want to help those affected by the worldwide pandemic and stop the spread of COVID,” says Davis, who was recently certified to administer the COVID-19 vaccine and helped students during the clinics. “Teaching our students how to administer the vaccine and allowing them to go into the community will help the nation as a whole.”

Demi Jean-Baptiste, who started Brenau’s Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program in the fall, says the clinics provided a valuable hands-on opportunity she had yet to experience due to classroom changes with COVID-19.

“Fortunately for us, Brenau has been able to provide us with the different clinical hours that we needed,” she says. “This is just a different setting where we could get the extra experience volunteering at a facility, administering vaccines and dealing with the patient firsthand. We’ve all been enduring this pandemic, so I wanted to do my part.”

Family was among the many reasons Cappreese Crawley, who is in her second year of the ABSN program, decided to get the vaccine. Her mother has health issues, and Crawley knows multiple people who have died after having COVID-19.

“I’m African American and have seen how this virus has wreaked havoc in my community,” she says. “I’m so concerned about bringing the virus home to my mother. I felt like this was a great opportunity to serve my community, but it was personal as well. I want us to get better.”