News & Events

Cynthia Fritschi
PhD Student, Maternal Child Nursing

“I was an actor for years,” Cynthia’s first degree is in theater from New York University, “and one day I woke up and said, ‘I have to have a different day job than waitressing!’ During my first semester in nursing college, I was blown away but I fell in love with it! Once I realized all those years I didn’t take math and science because actors don’t need it, I was kicking myself…I really started from the ground-up and had some pretty fabulous experiences.”

Her first nursing jobs gave her the confidence to try her hand at a wide variety of experiences from staff nurse on an AIDS unit to Diabetes Clinical Specialist. “I loved the challenges and was fairly successful. I would take on a project, and it would go well, and people would say, ‘hey, you did that well, come do something else.’”

One of those people was Dr. Laurie Quinn, Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Medical Surgical Nursing, who took on the unofficial role as Cynthia’s mentor, involving her in opportunities to work with the American Diabetes Association, and writing, guest speaking, lecturing, and teaching. Dr. Quinn suggested Cynthia come to the UIC College of Nursing to work as a Project Manager for Dr. Melissa Faulkner's study, and strongly encouraged her to enter the PhD program.

“When I first started, I was a little worried that I didn’t have a whole lot of research experience, though I had written a successful grant proposal during my last job. But I really love a challenge, and I got bit by the research bug.

“People think you have to have some inordinate amount of brains to get a PhD. Not true – you just have to work really hard and know how to balance your time. And a lot of us are middle-aged – we’ve been out there, we’ve been nursing – so to leave a solid salary, you are giving up stuff. You have to be self-directed; don’t wait to be given what you need – ask for it – and really work with your advisor.”

The strong relationship Cynthia has with her advisor Dr. Quinn has helped her attain F-31 training grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

“You have lots of possibilities in your life – why can’t you do research, be a really good nurse, have a family, and also do other creative endeavors? It makes life fun.”